GoodNotes AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Whiteboards

The best Whiteboard alternative to GoodNotes is Obsidian, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to GoodNotes and six of them are Whiteboards so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Whiteboard alternatives to GoodNotes are Xournal++, Rnote, Linwood Butterfly and OpenBoard Whiteboard.

filter to find the best alternatives

GoodNotes alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Whiteboards or Digital Painting Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include iPad + Free and Android + Journaling. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to GoodNotes.
GoodNotes iconGoodNotes
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Easily take notes on mobile devices, annotate PDFs, and organize in folders. Handwritten notes are searchable and sync across devices with iCloud.

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GoodNotes alternatives page was last updated Jun 14, 2025
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  1. Obsidian icon

    Obsidian

     1000 likes
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    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.

    119 Obsidian alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • CA flagCanada

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Obsidian screenshot 1

    Top Obsidian Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Local Storage
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Graph view
    5.  Bidirectional links
    6.  Mind Mapping
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Personal Information Manager (PIM)
    9.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    10.  Knowledge Management
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Backlink

    Obsidian VS GoodNotes

     
    Comments about Obsidian as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Guest
    Negative Jun 14, 2025
    0

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

    GoodNotes Icon
    Obsidian icon

    • Obsidian is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to GoodNotes.

    • Obsidian is the most popular free alternative to GoodNotes.

    • Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
  2. Xournal++ icon

    Xournal++

     175 likes
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    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.

    52 Xournal++ alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    Xournal++ screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Support for styluses
    4.  Handwriting
    5.  Export to PDF
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  LaTeX Math
    8.  Pen Support
    9.  Pressure Sensitivity
    10.  Freehand Writing
    11.  Multi layer drawing
    12.  Ad-free

    Xournal++ VS GoodNotes

     
    Comments about Xournal++ as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Most Recent Comment
    violoncello
    Positive Dec 31, 2020
    3

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

    LinuxDoge
    Positive Nov 7, 2022
    0

    cross platform, not invasive

    Guest
    Positive Sep 2, 2022
    0

    OSS alternative with many great features.

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    3 of 4 comments
    GoodNotes Icon
    Xournal++ icon

    • Most users think Xournal++ is a great GoodNotes alternative.

    • Xournal++ is the most popular Open Source alternative to GoodNotes.

    • Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
  4. Rnote icon

    Rnote

     34 likes
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    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.

    20 Rnote alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • AT flagAustria
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Rnote screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Support for styluses
    4.  No registration required
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Shape Tools
    8.  Dark Mode
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Export to SVG
    11.  Pressure Sensitivity
    12.  WYSIWYG Support

    Rnote VS GoodNotes

     
  5. Linwood Butterfly icon

    Linwood Butterfly

     36 likes
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    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.

    42 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 1
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 2
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 3

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Distraction-free
    3.  Privacy focused
    4.  Support for Themes
    5.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Handwritten Notes
    4.  No registration required
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Real time collaboration
    7.  Cloud Sync
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Decentralized
    10.  End-to-End Encryption
    11.  Portable
    12.  Handwriting

    Linwood Butterfly VS GoodNotes

     

    • Linwood Butterfly is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to GoodNotes.

    • Linwood Butterfly is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Linwood Butterfly is Lightweight and DecentralizedGoodNotes is not according to our users
  6. OpenBoard Whiteboard icon

    OpenBoard Whiteboard

     61 likes
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    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.

    88 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    OpenBoard Whiteboard screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Educational

    Features

    1.  Interactive Whiteboard
    2.  Handwritten Notes
    3.  Fullscreen support
    4.  Freeform notes
    5.  Pressure Sensitivity
    6.  Pencil
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Real time collaboration
    10.  Handwriting
    11.  Dual screen support
    12.  Export to PDF

    OpenBoard Whiteboard VS GoodNotes

     
  7. MrWriter icon

    MrWriter

     7 likes
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    Notetaking and blackboard replacement application. Inspired by Xournal. Written in C++/Qt for Linux / Windows / Mac.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    MrWriter screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Portable

    MrWriter VS GoodNotes

     
6 of 6 GoodNotes alternatives