Rnote AlternativesNote-taking & Digital Painting Tools like Rnote

Rnote is described as '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' and is a Note-taking tool in the photos & graphics category. There are more than 10 alternatives to Rnote for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android apps. The best Rnote alternative is Microsoft OneNote, which is free. Other great apps like Rnote are Xournal++, Linwood Butterfly, Saber: Handwritten Notes and Concepts.

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Rnote alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools but may also be Digital Painting Tools or Todo List Managers. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Rnote.
Rnote iconRnote
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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.

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Rnote alternatives page was last updated Mar 1, 2025
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Alternatives
  1. Microsoft OneNote icon

    Microsoft OneNote

     1139 likes
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    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.

    97 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire
    Microsoft OneNote screenshot 1

    Top Microsoft OneNote Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  Web Clipper
    3.  Visual Organization
    4.  Hierarchical Structure
    5.  Text formatting
    6.  Insert images
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Cloud Sync
    9.  Support for styluses
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Pressure Sensitivity
    12.  Multiple Account support

    Microsoft OneNote VS Rnote

     

    • Microsoft OneNote is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Android & Mac alternative to Rnote.

    • Microsoft OneNote is the most popular free alternative to Rnote.

    • Microsoft OneNote is Freemium and ProprietaryRnote is Free and Open Source
  2. Xournal++ icon

    Xournal++

     169 likes
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    Xournal++ (a fork of Xournal) is a handwriting Notetaking software with PDF annotation support. Written in C++ with platform independent GTK, supporting Linux, e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Suse, macOS and Windows 10. Supports Pen input like Wacom Tablets.

    51 Xournal++ alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    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 Rnote

     

    • Xournal++ is the most popular Linux alternative to Rnote.

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

    • Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceRnote is also Free and Open Source
  4. Linwood Butterfly icon

    Linwood Butterfly

     32 likes
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    Butterfly is a note 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.

    41 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.  Distraction-free
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Lightweight
    4.  Customizable

    Features

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

    Linwood Butterfly VS Rnote

     

    • Linwood Butterfly is the most popular Android Tablet & Self-Hosted alternative to Rnote.

    • Linwood Butterfly is Free and Open SourceRnote is also Free and Open Source
    • Linwood Butterfly is Privacy focused and LightweightRnote is not according to our users
  5. Saber: Handwritten Notes icon

    Saber: Handwritten Notes

     22 likes
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    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.

    24 Saber: Handwritten Notes alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    • Mac
    • iPad
    Saber: Handwritten Notes screenshot 1
    Saber: Handwritten Notes screenshot 2
    Saber: Handwritten Notes screenshot 3

    Properties

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

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Handwritten Notes
    3.  Support for styluses
    4. Nextcloud icon  Nextcloud integration
    5.  Cloud Sync
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Pressure Sensitivity
    9.  No registration required
    10.  No Tracking
    11.  Palm Rejection

    Saber: Handwritten Notes VS Rnote

     
  6. Concepts icon

    Concepts

     30 likes
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    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...

    38 Concepts alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Concepts screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Custom Brushes
    2.  Support for Layers
    3.  Vector strokes
    4.  Infinite canvas
    5.  Smooth lines
    6.  Support for styluses
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Sketching
    10.  Gallery management
    11.  Apple Pencil support
    12.  Auto Correction

    Concepts VS Rnote

     
  7. GoodNotes icon

    GoodNotes

     76 likes
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    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.

    60 GoodNotes alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • HK flagHong Kong SAR China

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    GoodNotes screenshot 1
    GoodNotes screenshot 2
    GoodNotes screenshot 3

    Top GoodNotes Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Handwriting
    3.  Pressure Sensitivity
    4.  Integrated Search
    5.  Handwritten Notes
    6.  OCR
    7.  Support for Gestures
    8.  Apple Pencil support
    9.  Handwriting recognition
    10.  Folders
    11.  Freehand Writing
    12.  Drag and Drop

    GoodNotes VS Rnote

     
  9. xournal icon

    xournal

     73 likes
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    Xournal is an application for notetaking, sketching, keeping a journal using a stylus. It is free software (GNU GPL) and runs on Linux (recent distributions), Windows and other GTK+/Gnome platforms.

    48 xournal alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    xournal screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    It hasn't been updated since 2017, but there is an active fork Xournal++ icon Xournal++

    xournal Features

    1.  PDF annotation
    2.  Handwritten Notes
    3.  Edit PDF
    4.  Support for styluses
    5.  Drawing Tablet Support
    6.  Sketching

    xournal VS Rnote

     
  10. Freeform icon

    Freeform

     8 likes
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    Freeform is a great place to bring your ideas to life. Sketch out a project, design a mood board or start a brainstorming session on a flexible canvas that supports almost any kind of file. And with iCloud, all your boards stay in sync, whether you’re on your Mac, your iPad or...

    27 Freeform alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Freeform screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  No registration required
    3.  Visual Pinboard
    4.  Upload Screenshot
    5.  Support for @mentions
    6.  Support for Gestures
    7.  Automatic Backup
    8.  Infinite canvas

    Freeform VS Rnote

     
  11. Lorien icon

    Lorien

     13 likes
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    Lorien is an infinite canvas drawing/note-taking app that is focused on performance, small savefiles and simplicity. It's not based on bitmap images like Krita, Gimp or Photoshop; it rather saves brush strokes as a collection of points and renders them at runtime (kind of...

    32 Lorien alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Lorien screenshot 1

    Lorien Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Pressure Sensitivity
    3.  Infinite canvas
    4.  Drawing 2D
    5.  Shape Tools
    6.  Notebook

    Lorien VS Rnote

     
  12. Notes icon

    Notes

     38 likes
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    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.

    124 Notes alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Notes screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Distraction-free

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Real time collaboration
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Cloud Sync
    5.  Full-Text Search
    6.  Sync with iCloud
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Handwritten Notes
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Spell Checking
    11.  WYSIWYG Support
    12.  Tagging

    Notes VS Rnote

     
  13. NoteLab icon

    NoteLab

     12 likes
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    NoteLab brings the power of digital note taking to Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and Solaris.

    21 NoteLab alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    NoteLab screenshot 1
    Discontinued

    The last update is from 2013.

    NoteLab Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  Sketching
    3.  Handwriting

    NoteLab VS Rnote

     
  14. 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 Rnote

     
12 of 19 Rnote alternatives