The Difference between Trello and Evernote

You’ve probably heard of these apps, especially if you’re looking to organize your life  or your next big project. There are plenty of reviews, articles and user opinions around the web.

Here you’ll find all of these resources analysed. By the end of this article you’ll be able to make an informed decision as to which app will best suit your business.

What is Trello?

Trello is project management software owned by Atlassian. It has a free option and two pay per user options. It was released in 2011 and by July 2012 had already surpassed 500 000 users.

The rise in popularity is no doubt attributed to the ease of use that Trello offers. It uses a pin-up board style interface. Boards represent projects and cards can be placed on the boards to represent tasks or information.

Trello is regarded by many sites to be the best project management software available.

What is Evernote?

Evernote was developed by the Evernote Corporation for organizing and taking notes. Evernote is similar to Trello in that it can be used to organize projects as well as other aspects of life.

Evernote was launched in 2008 and by 2011 had surpassed 11 million users. The wild popularity of Evernote is due to the fact that it’s easy to use, and the value it adds.

Evernote also uses a note taking system that is very different from Trello’s pin board style.

Features

Some noteworthy Trello features are:

  • Quick overview of on front and back of cards
  • Easy organization with tags, labels and categories
  • Checklists with metered progress
  • Deadline reminders and email notifications
  • SSL encryption
  • Voting system
  • Search function
  • Developer API

Evernote’s features include:

  • Web clipping support
  • Snap photos, record audio and save documents
  • Save favourite webpages
  • Annotation and mark-ups
  • Give feedback and share information

The differences in features don’t tell me much. They seem to offer a lot of the same capability.

I like the voting system that Trello boasts. I also like the web clipping that Evernote has. My advice would be to have a look at the complete list of features and decide which appeal most to you.

Personally, I am far more interested in usability and pricing.

Usability

I found Trello through one of my clients earlier in 2017. It took me a very short amount of time to get used to. I now use it on a daily basis.

Evernote, to me, is a little harder to pick up. It may be because I’m used to Trello, but I do remember Trello being slightly more intuitive.

Browsing around the web, one realizes that both systems offer great user interfaces and ease of use. Seeing as how both offer a free option, my advice would be to try them both out.

What I enjoy most about Trello is the fact that it is so easy to collaborate. If reviews around the web are to be believed, Evernote is also easy to collaborate in.

For me it has to be Trello that edges it. I prefer the interface. It looks cleaner and more welcoming.

Pricing

Pricing is obviously a pain point for many. The more money you save, the more you have left for coffee and doughnuts.

Evernote is cheaper than Trello, but let’s take a detailed look at the pricing systems on offer.

Trello

Trello and Evernote both offer three basic options. Here is a table explaining the features on offer for each Trello package:

FREE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
Unlimited boards, lists, cards, members, checklists, and attachments. Everything you love about the free version of Trello All of the robust features of Trello Business Class
One Power-Up per Board Unlimited Power-Ups including integrations with Evernote, Github, Google Hangouts, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Slack, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more

 

Single Sign-On for all SAML IdPs
Attach files up to 10MB from your computer, or link any file from your Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive. Attach files up to 250MB Enable 2-Factor Authentication to keep all work data secure
Group and organize all of your team’s boards with Collections Stay connected with a dedicated Account Executive to streamline training and enhance productivity
Maintain control with immediate, one click access removal for former members Receive personalized onboarding assistance to aid in adoption, migration, and execution of all materials
Stay secure by controlling who can create public or private boards Get answers quickly with priority email and phone support with responses in less than 1 business day, guaranteed
Keep company information private with restricted membership invitations Be informed with comprehensive legal contract review and enhanced SLA
Add personality with custom board backgrounds and stickers File encryption at rest
Priority email support with a human being and a guaranteed 1 day response time during business hours Intrusion detection with enhanced software monitoring
Custom security review

Evernote

I’ve had to edit in the prices above, as they displayed in my local currency on the website. The yearly amounts are 27% off. Monthly, the Plus will cost you $3.99, and the Premium $7.99.

Here are the Evernote features per package:

BASIC PLUS PREMIUM
Stay organized across platforms Stay organized across platforms Stay organized across platforms
Clip web pages and images Clip web pages and images Clip web pages and images
Search for text inside images Search for text inside images Search for text inside images
Share and discuss notes Share and discuss notes Share and discuss notes
Add passcode lock on mobile apps Add passcode lock on mobile apps Add passcode lock on mobile apps
Access notebooks offline Access notebooks offline
Forward emails into Evernote Forward emails into Evernote
Customer support via email Customer support via email
Customer support via live chat
Search for text in PDFs
Search for text in Office docs
Annotate PDFs
Scan and digitize business cards
Present notes in one click
Browse the history of your notes
See related notes and content

 

So Trello is more expensive than Evernote. But the key question to ask is whether you’re getting more with Trello. In my opinion, you are. Trello feels like a meatier program and therefore I wouldn’t mind paying more for the premium options.

But you can’t argue with facts, and the fact is that Evernote is the cheaper option.

App Integrations

Trello features hundreds of app integrations – too many to mention here. But you can find a search function on the Trello website. This way, you can search for and find all the apps you’ll need Trello to integrate with before you start.

Evernote’s website also features their integrations. They also integrate with hundreds of apps. But their search function seems to be broken at the time of writing, so I can’t really comment on that.

I couldn’t find an easy way to contact them to let them know, either. But I’m sure they’ll sort the problem out before long and the search function will be just as handy as Trello’s.

Try it and let us know in the comments if it’s working!

My Personal Opinion

If I had to choose between the two (and I have), it’s Trello all the way for me.

We’d like to hear your opinion though. Let us know which you prefer and why. We love to hear from our readers!

A Final Note on Trello

Something I found interesting about Trello is the login page. I’ve seen the emails of popular characters such as Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter and Dana Scully from The X-files.

Check it out! (Reload the page for a new famous email)

Let us know which your favourite famous emails is in the comments below!

Summary

Trello Evernote
More robust, user-friendly interface Offers a good user interface and plenty of features
Easy search function for app integrations Search function faulty at the time of writing
Humorous copy
Better for project management Better for personal use
More expensive premium options Cheaper options all round
Free option Free option