Evernote is tightening the strings attached to the free version of its service.

As of today, those users who have signed up for the free version of Evernote will be restricted to a single notebook and just fifty notes at a time, Evernote said in a blog post. The idea, of course, is that users who want more flexibility (and more notes) should sign up for the paid versions instead. Those plans begin at $14.99 per month, though Evernote has discounted the cheapest Personal plan to $10.83 a month at present.

“Evernote Free will continue to be available for users who wish to explore Evernote before subscribing, or who are happy with Free’s more basic features,” the company said. “When setting the new limits, we considered that the majority of our Free users fall below the threshold of fifty notes and one notebook. As a result, the everyday experience for most Free users will remain unchanged.

“For Free users who have or who want more than fifty notes and one notebook, we recognize that these changes may lead you to reconsider your relationship with Evernote,” the company added.

After Bending Spoons acquired Evernote last November, the company laid off 129 people in February, TechCrunch noted. It seems pretty obvious that Evernote is tightening its belt, and asking customers to pay up to offset any financial woes.

Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor

As PCWorld’s senior editor, Mark focuses on Microsoft news and chip technology, among other beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.

Recent stories by Mark Hachman:

Arc’s new browser for Windows is too twee for meThe new Meta.ai website can draw amazing AI art instantlyWhy pay? One of Photoshop’s best features is free in Windows