Joplin
Stable Diffusion
| Feature | Joplin | Stable Diffusion |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $2.99/mo | Free / from $0.01/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | privacy-advocates, developers, linux-users, evernote-migrants | developers, artists, researchers, privacy-conscious-creators |
| Founded | 2017 | 2022 |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sync | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web Clipper | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plugins | ✓ | ✗ |
| Notebooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Text To Image | ✗ | ✓ |
| Img2img | ✗ | ✓ |
| Inpainting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Controlnet | ✗ | ✓ |
| Lora Models | ✗ | ✓ |
| Local Deployment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Joplin Pros
- Free and open-source
- End-to-end encryption
- Self-host option
- Import from Evernote
✗ Joplin Cons
- Less polished UI
- Sync requires setup
- Limited collaboration
✓ Stable Diffusion Pros
- Completely free to run locally
- Full creative control with no content restrictions
- Massive community of models, LoRAs, and extensions
- Runs offline on consumer GPUs
✗ Stable Diffusion Cons
- Requires powerful GPU for local use
- Complex setup with ComfyUI or Automatic1111
- Base model quality below Midjourney without tuning
The Verdict
Joplin is built for privacy advocates and developers, with a focus on markdown and encryption. Stable Diffusion targets developers and artists and leads with text-to-image and img2img.
Pricing is close: Stable Diffusion starts at $0.01/mo versus $2.99/mo for Joplin — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Stable Diffusion offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Joplin takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for developers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Stable Diffusion has a slight overall edge — but if free and open-source matters most to you, Joplin may still be the right call.