Stash vs Evernote: Which One Should You Use?
Last updated: October 17, 2026
Use Stash if you want to dump receipts, scans and PDFs in and find them later by asking, with nothing to set up. Use Evernote if you want a full note app with notebooks, tags, a web clipper and the tools to build your own system.
Stash is an AI document vault from Hive Asset Group, LLC that takes receipts, files, notes, photos and forwarded emails, files them for you, and lets you find anything by asking in plain words.
TL;DR
- Evernote is a note app. You write notes, clip web pages, and sort things into notebooks and tags. It can also find words inside PDFs, images and scans.
- Stash is a document vault. You drop in the paper in your life. Stash names it, files it, and answers when you ask.
- Stash needs no setup. No notebooks, no tags, nothing to build first.
- Evernote has more tools, like a web clipper and a document scanner. Stash has the simpler "where is that receipt" answer.
- Both have a free plan. Evernote's free plan is small: 50 notes, 1 GB. Stash's free plan holds 100 things.
Stash vs Evernote at a glance
| Stash | Evernote | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 100 things, forever, no card | 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 GB storage, 1 device |
| Paid plan | Pro is $90 a year, room for 2,000 things | Starter, Advanced and other paid plans. See Evernote's pricing for today's prices |
| Setup needed | None. No folders to build | You choose notebooks, tags and spaces |
| How you capture | Drop in files and photos, or forward an email to your own Stash address | Type notes, clip web pages, scan documents, email content to your Evernote address |
| How you find things | Ask in plain words. Stash answers and shows what it used | Search by words. Evernote can find text in PDFs, images and scans. It also has AI search on some plans |
| Best for | Receipts, contracts, warranties, forms and scans you need to find fast | Notes, web clippings and a system you want to shape yourself |
Pick Evernote if...
- You clip a lot from the web. The Evernote Web Clipper saves articles, pages and screen captures, and lets you mark up screenshots.
- You write notes every day and want notebooks, tags and a note editor made for it.
- You want to search for words inside PDFs, photos and scanned pages. Evernote lists this as a core search feature, including handwriting and photos of whiteboards. Check your plan on Evernote's site to see what is included.
- You want to scan paper with your phone and keep it next to your notes.
- You like to set up your own system and enjoy it.
- You want AI tools on your notes. Evernote lists an AI assistant, semantic search and AI edit tools, and says they vary by plan.
Evernote does these jobs well. Stash doesn't try to do most of them.
Pick Stash if...
- Your real problem is paper. A receipt in Gmail, a contract in your downloads folder, a warranty photo in your camera roll.
- You've tried to build a system before and quit around week two.
- You want to drop things in and walk away. Stash reads each item, names it and files it. If it can't tell where something goes, it puts it in Needs you instead of guessing.
- You want to find things by asking, like "what did I pay to fix the dishwasher?"
- You want a free plan with room to start. 100 things is more than 50 notes.
How capture works
With Stash, you drop in a receipt, a PDF, a photo or a voice file. Or you forward an email. Every account gets its own email address, so a booking confirmation or a contract email can go straight in. That's the whole routine.
With Evernote, you can type a note, clip a web page, scan a document, or send an email to your Evernote address. Evernote lets you add a notebook or tag in the subject line, so you can sort as you send. It is flexible. It also means you decide where things go.
How finding things works
Stash is made for the panic moment. Ask for what you need, and Ask reads your library and answers in plain words, with the things it used shown underneath. No remembering which folder you picked.
Evernote is made for searching your notes. You type words, and it looks through note text and, on plans that include it, inside PDFs, images and scans. Its AI search lets you ask in plain words on some plans. You still keep your notebooks and tags in order yourself.
What about price?
Stash is free for 100 things, no card. Pro is $90 a year. If you hit the free limit, nothing you already have is touched, and it all stays searchable. See the Stash pricing page.
Evernote's free plan has 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 GB of storage. Its paid plans raise those limits. Prices change, so check Evernote's pricing page for today's numbers.
Can I use both?
Yes. Keep your web clippings and daily notes in Evernote. Keep the paper in Stash. If you're thinking about leaving a heavy setup behind, read leaving Notion. For the basics of where paper should live, see where to keep receipts, contracts and warranties.
FAQ
- Is Stash an Evernote alternative?
- Only for one job: keeping and finding your documents. Evernote is a full note app with notebooks, tags and a web clipper. Stash is a vault for receipts, files, notes and emails. If your main need is the second one, Stash is the simpler pick.
- Is Evernote free?
- Yes, with limits. The free plan has 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 GB of storage and syncs on 1 device. Paid plans raise those limits.
- Is Stash free?
- Yes. You get 100 things for free, forever, and you don't need a card. Pro is $90 a year and has room for 2,000.
- Can Evernote search inside PDFs and scanned documents?
- Yes. Evernote lists search for text in PDFs, images and scanned documents as a feature. Which plans include it can change, so check Evernote's plan page. Stash reads your documents when you add them, and you find them by asking.
- Can I email receipts to Stash?
- Yes. Every Stash account gets its own email address. Forward a receipt, a booking confirmation or a contract email, and it goes in with everything else. Check that the attachment is still on the message before you hit send. Our guide to forwarding emails has the details.
- Can I email things into Evernote too?
- Yes. Evernote gives you an email address for your account. Send or forward an email there and it becomes a note.
- Which is better for tax-season receipts?
- Stash, in our view. You drop receipts in as they show up, and ask for them when your accountant does. We would say that, so try the free plan and see.