Notability AlternativesOnly Free apps categorised as Note-taking Tools for Windows

Notability is not available for Windows but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on Windows with similar functionality. The best free Windows Note-taking Tool alternative is Obsidian. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Notability and 15 are free and Note-taking Tools available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Windows Note-taking Tool alternatives to Notability are Notesnook, Microsoft OneNote, Linwood Butterfly and Saber.

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Alternatives list

  1. Obsidian icon
     1112 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.

    221 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • AppImage
     
  2. Notesnook icon
     186 likes

    Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.

    333 Notesnook alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
     
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    1
    Notesnook vs Notability Comments
    themrsecret
    Negative
    0

    Does not allow handwritten notes

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Notesnook is Freemium and Open SourceNotability is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Notesnook is Privacy focused and LightweightNotability is not according to our users
  3. Microsoft OneNote icon
     1141 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.

    173 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire
     
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    8
    Microsoft OneNote vs Notability Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    2

    Same draw and text anywhere functionality. It also supports PDF annotation and sync backup.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    10

    too simple and halfbaked on android

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Onenote is not so intuitive. Its just awkward. And i dont know this yet but would bet you need good internet access to use it. Notability was easy first use if i remember right. Who are those clowns and why dont they have an android version yet???!!!!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 8 comments
    • Microsoft OneNote is Freemium and ProprietaryNotability is also Freemium and Proprietary
  4. 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.

    46 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
     
  5. Saber icon
     32 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.

    26 Saber alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
     
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    2
    Saber vs Notability Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    I tried it and it was the most similar so far that I have tried with no in-app purchases. I also haven’t seen any ads so far. I’m not sure how many features it has yet, but it is very simple and effective.

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

    Saber feels very similar; the biggest downsides at the moment are not being able to save custom colors and not recognizing apple pencil gestures like double-tap to switch to eraser. A lot of the other normal Notability features are here though (just not any of the premium stuff like handwriting recognition)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Saber is Free and Open SourceNotability is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Saber is Privacy focused and LightweightNotability is not according to our users
  6. Zoho Notebook icon
     91 likes

    Web-based tool for integrating text, images, audio, and video with syncing across devices, real-time collaboration, handwriting input, AI-powered summaries, checklists, scanning, reminders, search in handwritten notes, and advanced organization.

    325 Zoho Notebook alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
     
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    1
    Zoho Notebook vs Notability Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    2

    Notability is very focused on handwritten notes and sketches. Zoho Notebook is way off in this comparison

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Zoho Notebook is Freemium and ProprietaryNotability is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Zoho Notebook is Privacy focusedNotability is not according to our users
  7. GoodNotes icon
     76 likes

    Experience "digital paper" with seamless note-taking on iOS devices. Annotate PDFs, PowerPoint, and Word, plus organize notes in unlimited folders. Enjoy searchable handwritten notes that sync across devices with iCloud, intuitive QuickNote feature, and customizable templates.

    72 GoodNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    2
    GoodNotes vs Notability Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    3

    There is no ability to record. Also, they have discontinued support for previous versions and forced users to upgrade without notice. I bought GoodNotes 4 and it stopped working within 3 months. Notability also has issues, and there is no dependable note taking app at the moment. OneNote seems good, but can't record while taking notes at the same time, unless using separate apps, and it has a clunky interface.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Because you can do almost anything that notibility allows you to do.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • GoodNotes is Freemium and ProprietaryNotability is also Freemium and Proprietary
  8. Write is a word processor for handwriting, designed primarily for tablets with an active stylus. Write has the functionality of a vector drawing application, plus a unique set of tools which ease the editing of handwritten text.

    36 Stylus Labs Write alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPad
    • iPhone
     
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    1
    Stylus Labs Write vs Notability Comments
    bekemax
    Positive
    0

    Cross-platform (Linux support!), lightweight, FOSS. Although no PDF markup

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Stylus Labs Write is Free and Open SourceNotability is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Stylus Labs Write is Minimalistic and LightweightNotability is not according to our users
  9. Samsung Notes icon
     7 likes

    With Samsung Notes you can create notes containing texts, images with footnotes, voice recordings, and music. Moreover, you can share your notes easily to SNS.

    39 Samsung Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
     
  10. UPDF icon
     4 likes

    Edit, annotate, and convert PDFs with OCR capabilities, AI-assisted tools for summaries and translations. It supports file protection and offers 2GB of cloud storage for secure management.

    75 UPDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
  11. Spiral icon
     6 likes

    Spiral is a program that allows users to take notes in a format similar to a spiral notebook. Unlike traditional word processors and text editors that are configured in a way that makes it difficult to document things in a non-linear fashion, Spiral pages allow users to click...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  12. Inkodo icon
     1 like

    App for taking notes and organising them. Supports pdf's and pictures. Available in the Microsoft Store for free.

    4 Inkodo alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
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    1
    Inkodo vs Notability Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Free, fairly good graphics and it works well.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Inkodo is Freemium and ProprietaryNotability is also Freemium and Proprietary
12 of 15 Notability alternatives