Notability AlternativesOnly apps categorised as PDF Readers

The best PDF Reader alternative to Notability is Squid, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Notability and nine of them are PDF Readers so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting PDF Reader alternatives to Notability are Foxit PDF Editor, CollaNote, Flexcil and UPDF.

filter to find the best alternatives

Notability alternatives are mainly PDF Readers, but if you're looking for PDF Editors or Note-taking Tools you can filter on that. 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 Notability.
Notability iconNotability
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Integrated iOS app linking notes with audio, supporting handwriting, PDF annotation, word processing, and auto backup with customizable themes.

More about Notability
More about Notability
Notability alternatives page was last updated May 14, 2025
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  1. Squid icon

    Squid

     19 likes
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    Take handwritten notes naturally on your Android tablet, phone, or Chromebook supporting Android apps! With Squid you can write just like you would on paper using an active pen, passive stylus, or your finger.

    23 Squid alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • Kindle Fire
    Squid screenshot 1

    Squid Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Handwritten Notes
    3.  Combine PDF
    4.  Infinite canvas
    5.  Import pdf files
    6.  Export to PDF
    7.  Handwriting

    Squid VS Notability

     
  2. Foxit PDF Editor icon

    Foxit PDF Editor

     5 likes
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    Comprehensive suite offering eSign, OCR, multi-platform editing, cloud integration, and robust security. Ideal for professional or personal use, facilitating collaboration while protecting content.

    46 Foxit PDF Editor alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Foxit PDF Editor screenshot 1

    Top Foxit PDF Editor Features

    1.  Split PDF files
    2.  Sign PDF files
    3.  Combine PDF
    4.  Built-in AI Assistant
    5.  PDF OCR
    6.  Convert PDF to Word document
    7.  Convert PDF to Excel document
    8.  Create PDF files
    9.  Convert PDF to HTML
    10.  PDF Redaction
    11.  Convert PDF to Text
    12.  Convert PDF to Powerpoint

    Foxit PDF Editor VS Notability

     

    • Foxit PDF Editor is the most popular commercial alternative to Notability.

    • Foxit PDF Editor is Paid and ProprietaryNotability is Freemium and Proprietary
  4. CollaNote icon

    CollaNote

     6 likes
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    CollaNote is a note-taking, PDF markup, and digital planning software. It includes 25 pens and brushes, an advanced ink engine, and stabilizer for accurate writing. It has a Smart Dark Mode for visibility in different light settings.

    32 CollaNote alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • VN flagVietnam

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    CollaNote screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Educational

    Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Real time collaboration
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Planner
    6.  Drawing Board
    7.  Notebook
    8.  Shared whiteboard
    9.  Built-in translation
    10.  Scan to PDF
    11.  Collaborative writing

    CollaNote VS Notability

     
    Comments about CollaNote as an Alternative to Notability
    Guest
    Negative •Sep 11, 2023
    0

    I tried it and it was a terrible app

    Notability Icon
    CollaNote icon
    • CollaNote is Freemium and ProprietaryNotability is also Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Foxit PDF Editor icon
    Foxit PDF Editor

    Comprehensive suite offering eSign, OCR, multi-platform editing, cloud integration, and robust security. Ideal for professional or personal use, facilitating collaboration while protecting content.

    https://www.foxit.com
    Learn More
  6. Flexcil icon

    Flexcil

     12 likes
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    PDF annotation, reading and management.

    22 Flexcil alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Flexcil screenshot 1

    Top Flexcil Features

    1.  Drag and Drop
    2.  Hyperlinks
    3.  Handwritten Notes
    4.  PDF annotation
    5.  Support for Gestures
    6.  Combine PDF
    7.  Handwriting
    8.  Folders
    9.  Import PDF
    10.  Export to PDF
    11.  Apple Pencil support
    12.  Edit PDF

    Flexcil VS Notability

     
  7. UPDF icon

    UPDF

     3 likes
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    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.

    54 UPDF alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    free pdf editor

    Top UPDF Features

    1.  Combine PDF
    2.  Sign PDF files
    3.  PDF encryption
    4.  OCR
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Handwritten Notes
    7.  PDF annotation
    8.  Split PDF files
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Full-Text Search
    11.  AI-Translation
    12.  Built-in AI Assistant

    UPDF VS Notability

     
  8. iAnnotate icon

    iAnnotate

     3 likes
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    With iAnnotate you can read, annotate, and share PDFs, Microsoft Office files, images and web pages!

    41 iAnnotate alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    iAnnotate screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2. Microsoft OneDrive icon  Sync with Onedrive
    3.  Search-in-files
    4.  Sync with iCloud
    5.  Tabbed interface
    6.  Side-by-Side View
    7.  Apple Pencil support
    8.  Voice Recording

    iAnnotate VS Notability

     
  10. PDF Professional icon

    PDF Professional

     2 likes
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    PDF Professional is a feature-rich PDF solution for reading, annotating, form-filling, editing, signing, converting PDFs on your Mac, iPhone and iPad.

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    PDF Professional screenshot 1

    PDF Professional Features

    1.  Fill PDF Forms
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Dark Mode
    4.  Create PDF files
    5.  Convert images to PDF
    6.  Edit PDF
    7.  Convert PDF to Word document

    PDF Professional VS Notability

     
  11. SoftMaker FreePDF icon

    SoftMaker FreePDF

     3 likes
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    Simple PDF editor.

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    SoftMaker FreePDF screenshot 1

    SoftMaker FreePDF Features

    1.  Combine PDF
    2.  Split PDF files
    3.  Fill PDF Forms
    4.  PDF annotation
    5.  Edit PDF
    6.  Delete specific items

    SoftMaker FreePDF VS Notability

     
  12. pdf-notes icon

    pdf-notes

     Like
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    Utilize pdf-notes to manage all the pdf files on your iPhone and iPad. Fast display, quick page-turning even a thousand pages, useful finger-writing and email your notes to your friends.

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    pdf-notes screenshot 1

    pdf-notes Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2. Dropbox icon  Dropbox integration

    pdf-notes VS Notability

     
9 of 9 Notability alternatives