What's the actual difference between Bear's ENEX and Evernote's ENEX?

Both use the same XML schema (ENEX 1.0), so any tool that reads Evernote ENEX reads Bear ENEX. Differences: Bear's is cleaner (no advertising HTML wrappers, no Evernote-specific metadata clutter). Evernote's often includes stacks-of-notebooks structure Bear ignores.

Do note attachments export?

Both include attachments as base64-encoded blocks inside the ENEX file. This bloats file size fast. If you only care about the text, uncheck attachments before exporting — a 4GB Evernote can shrink to 40MB.

Does Evernote's export still work in 2026?

Yes, ENEX export is still supported on both free and paid tiers, though Evernote has repeatedly buried the button. It's under a notebook's right-click menu — 'Export notes' — not in the top-level Settings.

Which is more future-proof — Bear or Evernote?

Bear stores notes as plain Markdown files inside a SQLite index; if the app dies you can extract every note with a script. Evernote stores in a proprietary database, so ENEX export is your only lifeline. Bear is more future-proof by architecture.

A comparison · ~5 min read

Bear vs Evernote Export: Which Survives the App?

The right time to test an export button is before you need it. Both Bear and Evernote export to the same file format (ENEX). The archives look nothing alike, and the story of what happens if the app dies is very different.

Same format, different archives

ENEX is an XML schema Evernote invented. Bear adopted it because it's the closest thing to a common note format. When you open a Bear ENEX and an Evernote ENEX side by side you see the difference immediately:

Bear ENEX — one <note> per note, clean HTML body (Bear's markdown compiled to minimal HTML), tags preserved, no attachments unless you opted in.
Evernote ENEX — one <note> per note, but the body is often wrapped in Evernote-specific HTML (nested tables, inline styles, artifact from web-clipper captures), plus attachments encoded inline (fast way to a 4GB file).

Both are readable by any ENEX importer. Bear's is easier on the tools.

The lock-in question

What actually matters isn't the export button; it's what happens without one. Bear stores notes as individual .md files inside its app container, indexed by SQLite. If Bear shuts down tomorrow you can pull those files off disk with a five-line script. Evernote stores notes inside a proprietary database (.exb) that isn't documented publicly; ENEX export is your only lifeline. If Evernote ever paywalls the export button — which they've done and reversed twice — the archive gets a lot more expensive to reach.

Bear's architecture makes ENEX a convenience. Evernote's architecture makes ENEX a lifeline.

Never lose your AI again

Konshus is one way to solve this — a persistent memory vault and portable persona that follows you across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and whatever ships next.

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Export playbook (both apps)

Uncheck attachments unless you truly need them. 10× smaller file.
Export by notebook, not everything-at-once. Easier to import elsewhere, easier to inspect.
Zip and store in two places. Cloud drive + external drive. Do this once a year even if you don't switch apps.
Feed the notes somewhere they'll be used. A ZIP in Dropbox is a backup; a memory tool that clusters ideas from your notes turns them into something you'll actually re-encounter.

Where Konshus fits

Konshus takes either ENEX at /vault/import/enex and does two things: preserves each note as an artifact (source-of-truth), and distills recurring ideas across notes into atoms. So the tenth time you wrote "I want to work with fewer people, deeper" doesn't get lost among 4,000 notes — it becomes a durable memory the model you're talking to can actually reference.

Frequently asked

Frequently Asked Questions

Get your notes out — then get them into memory

A ZIP is a backup. Konshus turns your notes into memory every AI you connect can quote.

Meet Konshus