8 alternativesNotability: Free to start
The best Notability alternatives
For most people the best alternative to Notability is Obsidian, and the best free one is Goodnotes.
ObsidianPick it if you want your notes as plain files you own, with links and plugins to shape your own system.Free to startCompare at a glance
Notability is highlighted, so you can see what you give up and what you gain.
| App | Price | How you pay | Mac | iPhone | iPad | Watch | App Store | Developer | Setapp | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Notability | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.8 | |||||||
| Obsidian | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.5 | |||||||
 Goodnotes | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.7 | |||||||
 Notion | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.8 | |||||||
 Drafts | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.8 | |||||||
 Bear | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.7 | |||||||
 Craft | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.8 | |||||||
 Antinote | $5 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | |||||||
 MindNode | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.6 |
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The alternatives, in order
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Pick it if you want your notes as plain files you own, with links and plugins to shape your own system.
Free linked notes saved as plain Markdown files on your own device, so your writing outlives any app.
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Pick this if you write with an Apple Pencil in class or meetings and mark up lots of PDFs and slides.
Paper-style notebooks for Apple Pencil, PDF markup and lecture recordings that turn into summaries.
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Pick it if your notes double as trackers and project boards, like a reading list or content calendar.
A single workspace for notes, docs, tasks and databases, free for personal use and full of templates.
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Pick this if you capture quick ideas all day and send each one on to another app.
A blank page the instant you open it, plus 1-tap actions that send your text to whichever app it belongs in.
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Pick this if you want good-looking private notes that sort themselves with hashtags and need no account.
Markdown notes that organize themselves with hashtags, no account needed, with sync for $29.99 a year.
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Pick it if your notes turn into client-facing docs you share as a polished web page.
Notes and docs that look good enough to share as a web page, with tasks and AI built in.
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Pick it if you keep a dozen untitled Stickies or TextEdit windows open for numbers, links and to-dos.
A $5 throwaway notepad on a hotkey that also calculates, converts currencies and reads text from screenshots.
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Pick it if you think visually and want a mind map that turns into an outline.
Mind maps that fold into outlines and stay in your own iCloud, free for basic maps on every Apple device.
Notability head to head
When Notability is still the right pick
You handwrite notes with an Apple Pencil in lectures or meetings and want the audio tied to them.
Notability prices and verdictFree to start