Though I tend to handwrite most of my notes using my Apple Pencil, iPad and Goodnotes 6, I prefer typing out notes for some courses. While I've tried a lot of note-taking apps like Obsidian, Notion, Evernote, and even relatively basic apps like Apple Notes, I've never really been able to adjust to any of them.

There's either too big of a learning curve or they just don't fit naturally into my workflow. At one point, I was convinced I’d have to give up on finding a tool that actually fits my requirements and just stick to whatever basic app I could tolerate. That was until I stumbled upon Joplin through an article and discovered its web clipper.

Most of the note-taking apps I've tried come with clippers, but none of them worked the way I wanted. The web clipper is one of the biggest reasons I've actually kept using Joplin as my note-taking app instead of uninstalling it after just a couple of days. If you use Joplin too, here are a few reasons why its clipper is the best add-on for your note-taking setup.

Joplin's Web Clipper extension (and Joplin itself) is completely free

Why spend on features you don’t need?

Though I don't mind paying for features when I need to, if there's a free alternative that does the job just as well (or better), you bet I'll choose the free option every time. For instance, Instapaper, a famous read-it-later app, offers a robust web clipper, but many of its advanced features, like full-text search in the archive, unlimited notes, speed reading, and an ad-free experience, are locked behind a Premium subscription.

Similarly, though Evernote's web clipper extension is completely free, the tool locks many useful features, like connecting multiple devices and enhanced organization, behind its paid tiers. You can also only create up to 50 notes and 1 notebook on a free Evernote account, with a maximum note size of 200 MB. So, while the tool does give you free access to the Web Clipper, its limitations make it far less flexible for heavy users or anyone who wants full control over their notes.

In contrast, Joplin’s Web Clipper, and the app itself, offers all core functionality completely free, with no restrictions on the number of notes, notebooks, or note size, and full syncing across devices using third-party services. The only time you need to pay when using Joplin is if you'd like to opt for Joplin Cloud, their official cloud sync.

Joplin Web Clipper's simplified mode is a timesaver

Clean, ready-to-use notes every time

If you've used a Web Clipping tool before, one thing you're likely really familiar with is needing to manually clean up web content you've saved. For instance, you might need to go in and remove ads, sidebars, menus, broken layouts, and other clutter after the content has been saved to your note-taking tool. I've used Notion for a lot of note-taking before, and would notice that its clipper would often not preserve the page layout and remove random headings and paragraphs. Sometimes, only half the page would get clipped, and half would be missing entirely — which left me with no choice but to copy and paste the content manually and then spend time reformatting it.

Joplin's Web Clipper hasn't acted up in this way, and it also has a simplified mode that essentially cleans up any content you might be clipping. The feature strips out ads and extra formatting to focus on the main content. Images embedded into the article along with hyperlinks are preserved, so you don’t lose any important visual context while all the unnecessary clutter is removed.

I often clip content to be able to search through it seamlessly later on, and all the clutter being removed automatically has saved me hours of manual cleanup. To use this feature, all you need to do is click on the extensions icon on your browser, and then select the Joplin Web Clipper extension. You then simply need to hit the first option, Clip simplified page. You can tweak the title of the content you're clipping if you want, and select the notebook where you'd like to save it.

The Clip Selection feature lets you save only what you need

Save only what matters

Sometimes, you only want to save a particular paragraph or section in your notes. Of course, clipping the entire page and then manually removing unwanted content is time-consuming and messy, but with Clip Selection, you can highlight exactly what you want, and Joplin saves just that section, skipping all ads, sidebars, and extra formatting automatically. A lot of web clippers I've used lack similar functionality, like Notion's Web Clipper, which only lets you clip the entire page. So, I'm glad Joplin offers this level of precision, making it much easier to save exactly what I need without extra clutter.

Joplin stores your notes locally and is fully open-source

Your notes, your control

In a world where a lot of note-taking tools (and their respective web clippers) aren't open source, like Notion and Evernote, Joplin is fully open-source. This means you're free to inspect, modify, or add your own features and improvements, giving you full transparency and control over how the app works.

In addition, Joplin is offline-first by design, meaning all your data is stored locally. I primarily use Joplin to take notes during class, and there are times when Wi-Fi is spotty. When I used Notion, I'd notice that my notes wouldn’t always load properly without an internet connection, which was frustrating.

With Joplin, I can keep taking notes seamlessly in a class with terrible Wi-Fi or on a plane, knowing everything is saved locally and will sync automatically to the cloud storage I've selected whenever I have a connection. This also means I don't need to worry about my data living on a random server. Everything is under my control, and I can choose if, when, and how to sync it using third-party services or Joplin Cloud.

The must-have add-on for your note-taking setup

I've experimented with hundreds of note-taking apps for work and college, and very few have made me stick around the way Joplin has, thanks to its great web clipper. Between its simplified clipping, precise clip selection, offline-first design, and completely free access, it’s the tool that actually keeps up with my workflow instead of slowing me down.