GoodNotes AlternativesNote-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like GoodNotes

Alternatives list

1. 

   

   Obsidian

    1243 likes

   Privacy-oriented note-taking app for non-linear thinking, blending knowledge graph creation with wiki-style linking. Supports Markdown, end-to-end encryption, and plugins for customization. Offers distraction-free mode, tags, themes, syntax highlighting, and operates offline without tracking.

   361 Obsidian alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Origin

   • Canada

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Android Tablet
   • iPad
   • Snapcraft
   • Microsoft Edge
   • Google Chrome
   • Flathub
   • Safari
   • AppImage
   • Mozilla Firefox

   • Canada

   

   

   

   +6

   

   More about Obsidian  

   

   Good alternative?Is Obsidian a good alternative to GoodNotes?

    

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   2comments

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   Obsidian vs GoodNotes Comments

   Negative comment by Guest · Jun 14, 2025

   Is not that good for using it as a paper replacement.

   Negative comment by Guest · Sep 4, 2026

   Obsidian is very Text based and doesn't natively support styluses etc. Great app but not really an alternative to GoodNotes.

   2 of 2 comments

   

   

   • Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
   • Obsidian is Privacy focusedGoodNotes is not according to our users
2. 

   

   Microsoft OneNote

    1150 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.

   245 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Online
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Chrome OS
   • Windows Phone
   • iPad
   • Apple Watch
   • Android Wear
   • Kindle Fire

   • United States

   

   

   

   +4

   

   More about Microsoft OneNote  

   

   Good alternative?Is Microsoft OneNote a good alternative to GoodNotes?

    

   |

   6comments

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   Microsoft OneNote vs GoodNotes Comments

   Top Positive Comment by Evan Tanner · Aug 18, 2024

   Perfect for everything- iPad and mobile apps are free

   Top Negative Comment by Guest · Jan 17, 2026

   The App on Android isn't as developed and intuitive as it's any counterparts

   Negative comment by Guest · Oct 22, 2024

   OneNote for Android does not have as much functionality, especially for journaling. The Android app does not have any template function, which is one of my main needs. OneNote for iOS, Windows, and Mac has this, but the Android app is very behind.

   3 of 6 comments

   

   

   • Microsoft OneNote is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
4. 

   

   Xournal++

    199 likes

   Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation using pen input and pressure sensitivity, shape drawing, customizable toolbar layouts, image insertion, audio recording, multi-language options, LaTeX integration, and complete export in PDF or PNG formats across all platforms.

   76 Xournal++ alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-2.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • PDF Reader

   Origin

   • International

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Snapcraft
   • Flathub

   • Global

   

   

   

   +1

   

   More about Xournal++  

   

   Good alternative?Is Xournal++ a good alternative to GoodNotes?

    

   |

   4comments

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   Xournal++ vs GoodNotes Comments

   Positive comment by violoncello · Dec 31, 2020

   It allows you to store your notes wherever you want and doesn't force you to use whatever cloud synchronisation

   Positive comment by LinuxDoge · Nov 7, 2022

   cross platform, not invasive

   Negative comment by Guest · Sep 28, 2020

   Pen works with cursive but not so well with print.

   3 of 4 comments

   

   

   • Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
   • Xournal++ is Privacy focused and LightweightGoodNotes is not according to our users
5. 

   

   HelixNotes

    30 likes

   HelixNotes is a local markdown note-taking app built with Rust, Tauri 2.0, and SvelteKit. Your notes are standard .md files on your filesystem - sync with whatever you want or nothing at all.

   164 HelixNotes alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Todo List Manager

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Android

   

   

   

   +1

   

   More about HelixNotes  

   

   Good alternative?Is HelixNotes a good alternative to GoodNotes?

    

   |

   1comment

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   HelixNotes vs GoodNotes Comments

   Negative comment by shardulvs · Jul 1, 2026

   no support for handwritten notes

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • HelixNotes is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
   • HelixNotes is Lightweight and Privacy focusedGoodNotes is not according to our users
6. 

   

   Linwood Butterfly

    45 likes

   Butterfly is a note-taking app where your ideas come first. You can paint, add texts, and export them easily on every device. This app works on android, windows, linux, and in the web.

   60 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (AGPL-3.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Digital Painting

   Origin

   • Germany
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Online
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Android Tablet
   • Self-Hosted
   • Snapcraft
   • AltStore
   • Flathub
   • F-Droid
   • Linux Mobile

   • Germany
   • EU

   

   

   

   +6

   

   More about Linwood Butterfly  

   

   Good alternative?Is Linwood Butterfly a good alternative to GoodNotes?

    
8. 

   

   OpenBoard Whiteboard

    73 likes

   OpenBoard is a cross-platform (Linux / Windows / macOS) interactive whiteboard application. It is currently maintained by the Education Department (DIP) of the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland.

   108 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Whiteboard

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux

   

   

   

   +2

   

   More about OpenBoard Whiteboard  

   

   Good alternative?Is OpenBoard Whiteboard a good alternative to GoodNotes?

    
9. 

   

   Rnote

    39 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.

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Note-taking
   • Digital Painting

   Origin

   • Austria
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Flathub
   • Flatpak

   • Austria
   • EU

   

   

   

   +4

   

   More about Rnote  

   

   Good alternative?Is Rnote a good alternative to GoodNotes?

    
10. 

    

    Saber

     30 likes

    A (work-in-progress) cross-platform libre notes app. Please note that this app is still in early stages and not ready to trust with your notes yet.

    30 Saber alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

    Application type

    • Note-taking

    Origin

    • United Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Linux Mobile
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • OpenAPK

    • United Kingdom

    

    

    

    More about Saber  

    

    Good alternative?Is Saber a good alternative to GoodNotes?

     

    |

    1comment

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    Saber vs GoodNotes Comments

    Positive comment by Guest · Jan 7, 2025

    It is the only somewhat good open-source alternative to Goodnotes & Notability. I know it is currently missing a lot of features found in Goodnotes, but in the future it could become a real competitor, so give it a try.

    1 of 1 comments

    

    

    • Saber is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Saber is Privacy focused and LightweightGoodNotes is not according to our users
11. 

    

    Concepts

     34 likes

    Concepts is the digital design sketchbook of the future. It’s powerful, flexible and smart, so you can go from quick sketches to beautiful and precise illustrations in a single app. Enhance your creative capabilities with our infinite canvas, flexible multi-touch shape guides...

    53 Concepts alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Digital Painting
    • Vector Graphic

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    • United States

    

    

    

    +5

    

    More about Concepts  

    

    Good alternative?Is Concepts a good alternative to GoodNotes?

     

    |

    1comment

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    Concepts vs GoodNotes Comments

    Positive comment by Guest · Feb 13, 2025

    Is simple to use, and powerful

    1 of 1 comments

    

    

    • Concepts is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Concepts is a Digital Painting GoodNotes is a Note-taking Tool
    • Concepts is CustomizableGoodNotes is not according to our users
12. 

    

    Noteshelf

     18 likes

    Take beautiful handwritten notes or annotate PDFs on your iPad, and now even on your iPhone. With the new Noteshelf you can do all of the familiar, like type notes, record audio, draw shapes, sketch, sign contracts, fill forms, along with a lot of new, like add bookmarks, create...

    83 Noteshelf alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Note-taking

    Origin

    • United Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Chrome OS
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    • Windows

    • United Kingdom

    

    

    

    More about Noteshelf  

    

    Good alternative?Is Noteshelf a good alternative to GoodNotes?

     

    |

    1comment

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    Noteshelf vs GoodNotes Comments

    Positive comment by Guest · Jun 1, 2018

    way better in organizing my notes and the handwriting tool is really good.

    1 of 1 comments

    

    

    • Noteshelf is Paid and ProprietaryGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
13. 

    

    Notes

     40 likes

    Use Notes to capture a quick thought, create checklists, sketch ideas, and more. And with iCloud, you can keep your notes up to date across all your devices.

    176 Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Note-taking
    • Todo List Manager

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    • United States

    

    

    

    +2

    

    More about Notes  

    

    Good alternative?Is Notes a good alternative to GoodNotes?

     
14. 

    

    Noteful

     7 likes

    Noteful is your one-stop note-taking app to experience the new paperless revolution on iPad.

    238 Noteful alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Note-taking

    Origin

    • United Kingdom

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad

    • United Kingdom

    

    

    

    +7

    

    More about Noteful  

    

    Good alternative?Is Noteful a good alternative to GoodNotes?