Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion. Updated 18 September 2026.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. Obsidian imports Evernote itself, for free. Export your notebooks from the Evernote desktop app as ENEX files, then in Obsidian install the official Importer plugin, choose Evernote as the format and point it at your files. It turns every note into Markdown in your vault, with the attachments and tags. For a big library or fine control, the yarle tool or a converter helps.
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How do you transfer Evernote to Obsidian?
Obsidian imports Evernote itself. Its team ships a free plugin called the Importer, and Evernote is its main job, so you don’t need a paid tool for a normal move, whatever some guides claim.
The two formats explain the entire job. Evernote exports to ENEX, its own file type, and Obsidian keeps notes as plain Markdown in a local vault. The Importer reads the ENEX and rewrites every note as Markdown for you.
So it’s two steps, export the ENEX from Evernote, then import it into Obsidian. Both are below, then a note on what carries over.
People make the move for a few reasons. Obsidian keeps your notes as plain Markdown on your own machine, so they’re yours with no subscription, and its backlinks and graph view turn a pile of notes into a linked second brain. Evernote’s proprietary format and cloud lock-in are what push most people to switch.
Evernote’s ENEX runs through Obsidian’s own Importer into Markdown notes in your vault.
“The claim that you can’t do this by hand is simply wrong. ENEX is just Evernote’s XML, and Obsidian’s own Importer parses it and writes clean Markdown, tags, dates and attachments included. I’ve watched it clear a few hundred notes without a hitch. Where a converter or yarle earns its place is scale and control, a huge library, or when you want the tags mapped a certain way or the timestamps kept exactly. For most people, though, the free Importer is the answer, and the only cleanup is the odd table or a broken internal link.” Shubham Dixit, Data File reviewer (draft, pending approval)
How do you export your Evernote notes to ENEX?
You export your Evernote notes to ENEX from the Evernote desktop app, since the web app can’t export. It’s best to do one notebook at a time, so the files stay tidy.
Here are the four steps.
- Open the Evernote desktop app, then go to the Notebooks screen.
- Click More actions, the three dots, next to a notebook, then Export Notebook.
- Select ENEX as the file format.
- Choose a location on your computer, then save the .enex file.
How do you import the ENEX into Obsidian?
You import the ENEX with Obsidian’s official Importer plugin. It’s free, it’s made by the Obsidian team, and reading Evernote files is exactly what it’s for.
Here are the five steps.
- In Obsidian, open Settings, then Community Plugins, and install Importer.
- Enable the Importer plugin, then open it from the command palette or the ribbon.
- Under File format, choose Evernote (.enex).
- Select your .enex files, then choose an output folder in the vault.
- Click Import and wait. Your notes appear as Markdown in the vault.
The Importer uses the same yarle engine that powers the standalone converters, so the result is clean. It puts the images and files in a _resources folder next to the notes, so nothing goes missing.
Install the Importer, choose Evernote .enex, select your files and import to Markdown.
What carries over, and what needs a tidy?
Most of a note comes across cleanly. A couple of things need a quick look after, and knowing them up front saves a surprise.
After the import
- Carries over. The note text as Markdown, the attachments in a _resources folder, the tags and the created and updated dates as frontmatter.
- Tag hierarchy flattens. Evernote’s export drops the nesting. To rebuild it, rename a child tag as Parent/Child in Obsidian.
- Needs a tidy. A complex table or heavy formatting, and the odd internal note link can need a quick fix by hand.
Once the notes are in, this is where Obsidian pays off. Link related notes with the double-bracket [[note name]] syntax, and the graph view maps how they connect. Rebuilding a few key links by hand turns the imported pile into a proper knowledge base.
When does a converter or yarle help?
The free Importer covers most moves. A converter or the yarle tool earns its place for a big library, for finer control over the output or when your target isn’t Obsidian.
yarle is a free command-line tool that converts ENEX to Markdown with templates, kept timestamps and tag-to-folder mapping. If you’d rather have a window, PCDOTS Evernote Converter converts ENEX to Markdown in bulk on Windows, keeping tags, web clips and attachments, and it also outputs other formats if you’re not set on Obsidian. There’s a free fallback too, import the ENEX into Joplin and export Markdown, handy if the odd note won’t import cleanly the first way. Follow these four steps.
- Install and run the converter, then add your ENEX files.
- Preview the notes it reads from the export.
- Select Markdown as the output, and set the tag and attachment options.
- Convert, then drop the Markdown into your Obsidian vault.
The converter route, ENEX to Markdown in bulk, then into the vault.
Related reading, our guides to convert ENEX to Markdown and transfer Evernote notes to Notion. Prefer OneNote? See export Evernote notes to OneNote.
Local Markdown, no subscription and real linking are what pull people to Obsidian.
Which method should you use?
Use the Obsidian Importer for a normal move, yarle for fine control and a converter for a big library.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Importer | A normal move | Free, official, ENEX to Markdown |
| yarle | Fine control | Free CLI, templates and timestamps |
| Evernote Converter | A big library | Windows, bulk, other formats too |
Key takeaways
- Obsidian imports Evernote ENEX itself, free, with the official Importer plugin.
- Export notebooks as ENEX from the Evernote desktop app, one at a time.
- The Importer converts to Markdown, with attachments in a _resources folder and tags.
- For a big library or fine control, use yarle or a converter instead.
Frequently asked questions
Can Obsidian import Evernote ENEX files directly?
Yes. Obsidian’s official Importer plugin reads .enex files and converts every note to Markdown. Older guides that say it can’t are out of date.
How do I export my notes from Evernote?
Use the Evernote desktop app, since the web app can’t export. Go to Notebooks, More actions, Export Notebook, then choose ENEX. Do one notebook at a time.
Do my Evernote tags and attachments carry over?
Yes. Tags come across and Obsidian picks them up, and attachments land in a _resources folder. The tag nesting flattens, so rename child tags as Parent/Child to rebuild it.
Do I need a paid tool to move to Obsidian?
No. The Importer is free and made by Obsidian. A converter or yarle only helps for a big library, finer control or a target other than Obsidian.
What doesn’t always import cleanly?
Complex tables, heavy formatting and some internal note links can need a quick fix by hand. The note text, tags, dates and attachments come across fine.
Is Obsidian free?
Yes, for personal use. Obsidian keeps your notes as plain Markdown in a local folder, so they stay yours and open in many other apps too.
So how are you moving your notes across?
Moving from Evernote to Obsidian is free, because Obsidian imports the ENEX itself. Export your notebooks as ENEX, run them through the official Importer, and your notes land as Markdown in your vault with their attachments and tags. Only a big library or fine control calls for yarle or a converter. So how are you moving your notes across, the free Importer, or a converter for the bulk?
