Free Notability Alternatives for iPad

There are many alternatives to Notability for iPad if you are looking for a replacement. The best free iPad alternative is Obsidian. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Notability and many of them are free and available for iPad so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free iPad alternatives to Notability are Notesnook, Microsoft OneNote, Saber and GoodNotes.

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Alternatives list

  1. Obsidian icon
     1127 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.

    232 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
     189 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.

    340 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
     1142 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.

    178 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. 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
  5. GoodNotes icon
     77 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.

    73 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
  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.

    327 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. Twos icon
     22 likes

    An app and website to simply remember things.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  8. Notes icon
     39 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.

    148 Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  9. MyScript Notes icon
     21 likes

    Create stunning notes and professional documents effortlessly by hand, brainstorm ideas on an infinite canvas, and annotate PDFs seamlessly. Powered by the world's leading AI handwriting recognition technology, MyScript Notes offers a dynamic platform where handwriting...

    17 MyScript Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • iPhone
     
  10. CollaNote icon
     6 likes

    All-in-one solution for note-taking, PDF annotation, digital planning, and journaling with 25 pens and brushes, AI shape detection, real-time collaboration, Smart Dark Mode, ASMR sound, audio recording, password protection, over 150 templates, and syncing options.

    35 CollaNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
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    1
    CollaNote vs Notability Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    I tried it and it was a terrible app

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • CollaNote is Freemium and ProprietaryNotability is also Freemium and Proprietary
  11. 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
12 of 27 Notability alternatives