FiveNotes AlternativesNote-taking Tools and other similar apps like FiveNotes

FiveNotes is described as 'Quickly accessed, 5 Markdown-formatted notes right from the Menubar icon. Available even on full screen apps with ability to stay on top' and is a Note-taking tool in the office & productivity category. There are eight alternatives to FiveNotes for Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad. The best FiveNotes alternative is Flash Note. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Notepad Menu Edition or Jot menubar notes. Other great apps like FiveNotes are Quick Draft, What's Up Doc?, DropNote and FIPLAB MiniNote.

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Quickly accessed, 5 Markdown-formatted notes right from the Menubar icon. Available even on full screen apps with ability...

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FiveNotes alternatives page was last updated Mar 20, 2025
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  1. Flash Note icon
     2 likes
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    The fastest way to take notes on your Mac. Access instantly from the menu bar, without cluttering the Dock. Take notes instantly, distraction-free.

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Properties

    1.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Distraction-free Writing
    2.  Sits in the MenuBar

    Flash Note VS FiveNotes

     
    • Flash Note is the most popular Mac alternative to FiveNotes.

    • Flash Note is the most popular commercial alternative to FiveNotes.

    • Flash Note is Paid and ProprietaryFiveNotes is also Paid and Proprietary
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    Instantly jot down thoughts with a simple, autosaving text panel that integrates smoothly into your workflow.

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  On top
    3.  Sits in the MenuBar
    4.  Auto-saving
    5.  Low memory usage

    Notepad Menu Edition VS FiveNotes

     
    • Notepad Menu Edition is the most popular free alternative to FiveNotes.

    • Notepad Menu Edition is Free and ProprietaryFiveNotes is Paid and Proprietary
    • Notepad Menu Edition is LightweightFiveNotes is not according to our users
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    Create simple notes from your Mac menubar. Jot is a minimal, open-source note taking app that lives in your Mac menubar. Build it from source for free or buy a pre-built version through Gumroad.

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Jot menubar notes VS FiveNotes

     
    • Jot menubar notes is the most popular Open Source alternative to FiveNotes.

    • Jot menubar notes is Freemium and Open SourceFiveNotes is Paid and Proprietary
  4. Quick Draft icon
     4 likes
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    Sometimes you just need a place to jot down a quick note or draft an email or text on the fly. Write your draft and immediately copy or share to another app. When you come back, keep working or delete the note and start over.

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    Quick Draft Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Cloud Sync
    4.  Note organization
    5.  Notebook

    Quick Draft VS FiveNotes

     
    • Quick Draft is the most popular iPhone & iPad alternative to FiveNotes.

    • Quick Draft is Free and ProprietaryFiveNotes is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Pomodoro inspired minimalist note taking for busy people.

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows

    What's Up Doc? Features

    1.  Pomodoro Timer

    What's Up Doc? VS FiveNotes

     
    • What's Up Doc? is the most popular Windows alternative to FiveNotes.

    • What's Up Doc? is Paid and ProprietaryFiveNotes is also Paid and Proprietary
  6. DropNote icon
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    DropNote is the perfect macOS app to manage your notes. Easy to use, with a clean interface and dock integration.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Full-Text Search
    4.  No Tracking
    5.  Cloud Sync
    6.  No registration required
    7.  Note organization
    8.  Tabbed interface
    9.  Sits in the MenuBar
    10.  Auto-saving
    11.  Note Manager

    DropNote VS FiveNotes

     
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    The app lives in your Mac's menubar and is always available at the click of a button. Use it to write down your thoughts and important pieces of information and be happy in the knowledge that your notes will be easily accessible when needed.

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac

    FIPLAB MiniNote VS FiveNotes

     
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    The simplest yet clever Mac menubar note. Simply type in your notes. No navigation. No button click. No category search. New text field generates automatically for your next input. All notes are listed in time flow.

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    FlowNote for Mac Features

    1.  Notebook
    2.  Sits in the MenuBar
    3.  Tag based
    4.  Tagging

    FlowNote for Mac VS FiveNotes

     
8 of 8 FiveNotes alternatives