Notes AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

The best Note-taking alternative to Notes is Joplin, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Notes and loads of them are Note-taking Tools so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Note-taking Tool alternatives to Notes are Notesnook, Microsoft OneNote, Zim and CherryTree.

filter to find the best alternatives

Notes alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Android and Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Notes.
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Alternatives list

  1. Joplin icon
     873 likes

    Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.

    108 Joplin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox
     
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    2
    Comments about Joplin as an Alternative to Notes
    RemovedUser
    Positive
    1

    Effective open source privacy respecting note-taking solution solution. Provides end-to-end encrypted(E2EE) auto-syncing capabilities and built-in support for popular solutions like Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive or the provided Joplin Cloud. The E2EE safeguards your data against misuse by Joplin or any other service provider you choose for your notes.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    ecxod
    Positive
    0

    The most important feature, for alternatives to Apple Notes is the capability to sync with the Imap Notes Folder of the email. Everything else is secondary.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Notes Icon
    Joplin icon
    • Joplin is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Android & Mac alternative to Notes.

    • Joplin is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Notes.

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceNotes is Free and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Privacy focused and MinimalisticNotes is not according to our users
  2. Notesnook icon
     174 likes

    Notesnook is a simple and cross-platform private notes app that keeps your notes organized and synced on your phone, tablet and computer. Take notes, capture ideas, create to-do lists, keep a journal, write your assignments and manage projects, we have got you covered.

    295 Notesnook alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
     
    • Notesnook is the most popular SaaS alternative to Notes.

    • Notesnook is Freemium and Open SourceNotes is Free and Proprietary
    • Notesnook is Privacy focusedNotes is not according to our users
  3. Microsoft OneNote icon
     1138 likes

    Comprehensive digital notebook offering organizers, shared notes, multi-device syncing, and optical character recognition, plus cloud-based data management for efficient information handling and accessibility.

    140 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire
     
    |
    2
    Comments about Microsoft OneNote as an Alternative to Notes
    asphaltkisser
    Negative
    1

    One Note is overkill and more of an alternative the likes of Evernote.

    Guest
    Positive
    -4

    It's quite similar to native Notes, and it is rich in functionality.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Notes Icon
    Microsoft OneNote icon
    • This alternative is disputed. Microsoft OneNote is a legitimate Notes alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • Microsoft OneNote is Freemium and ProprietaryNotes is Free and Proprietary
  4. Zim icon
     511 likes

    Zim brings the concept of a wiki to your desktop. Store information, link pages and edit with WYSISYG markup or directly typing some lightweight markup syntax and see it previewed as-you-type. Creating a new page is easy by either clicking on the "Create new note"...

    316 Zim alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  5. CherryTree icon
     321 likes

    Hierarchical note-taking software that is free, open-source, cross-platform. Features include rich text, syntax highlighting, multi-level lists, embedded files, customizable interface, code execution, PDF export, spell check, images & tables, and comprehensive project management support.

    99 CherryTree alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
     
  6. Cryptee icon
     103 likes

    Cryptee is a safety and privacy focused, encrypted and cross-platform personal data storage service. You can write personal documents, notes, journals, store photos (including raw photos from DSLR cameras) and all sorts of other files.

    71 Cryptee alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  7. Turtl icon
     178 likes

    Whether it's bookmarks or passwords, files or shopping lists...Turtl organizes it all and makes it easy to find later. Sync across your devices. Leave nothing behind.

    186 Turtl alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Google Chrome
    • Firefox
     
  8. Blinko icon
     21 likes

    Open-source note-taking tool offering AI-enhanced retrieval with RAG technology, secure self-hosted data storage, Markdown support, and transparent community collaboration on GitHub for efficient, private, and effortless note management.

    79 Blinko alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
     
  9. Dendron icon
     71 likes

    Dendron is an open-source, local-first, markdown-based, note-taking tool built on top of VSCode. It supports all the usual features you would expect like tagging, backlinks, a graph view, split panes, and so forth.

    204 Dendron alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Visual Studio Code
     
  10. Rnote icon
     37 likes

    Rnote aims to be a simple but functional note taking application for freehand drawing or annotating pictures or documents. It eventually should be able to import / export various media file formats.

    22 Rnote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
  11.  Craft icon
     43 likes

    Craft offers document creation with stunning visuals, seamless navigation, and effortless sharing. Nest notes, use AI for summaries, and export in multiple formats.

    93 Craft alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
12 of 117 Notes alternatives