8 alternativesSideNotes: $19.99 once

The best SideNotes alternatives

For most people the best alternative to SideNotes is Antinote, and the best free one is Tot.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Best alternative

AntinotePick it if you keep a dozen untitled Stickies or TextEdit windows open for numbers, links and to-dos.$5 once

Best free alternative

TotPick it if you only need 7 small scratchpads for text you keep close, synced over iCloud.Free to start Also great

ObsidianPick it if you want your notes as plain files you own, with links and plugins to shape your own system.Free to start

Compare at a glance

SideNotes is highlighted, so you can see what you give up and what you gain.

App	Price	How you pay	Rating
SideNotes	$19.99 once	Pay once	Too few ratings
Antinote	$5 once	Pay once	Too few ratings
Tot	Free to start	Free, with paid upgrades	4.4
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

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The alternatives, in order

1
Antinote
$5 onceBest alternative

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.

Prices and full verdict Developer's site
2
Tot
Free to startBest free4.4

Pick it if you only need 7 small scratchpads for text you keep close, synced over iCloud.

Seven colored scratchpads in your menu bar and on your iPhone, synced over iCloud, for text you need close at hand.

Prices and full verdict App Store
3
Obsidian
Free to start4.5

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.

Prices and full verdict App Store
4
Goodnotes
Free to start4.7

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.

Prices and full verdict App Store
5
Notion
Free to start4.8

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.

Prices and full verdict App Store
6
Drafts
Free to start4.8

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.

Prices and full verdict App Store
7
Bear
Free to start4.7

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.

Prices and full verdict App Store
8
Craft
Free to start4.8

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.

Prices and full verdict Setapp

When SideNotes is still the right pick

You take quick notes during calls or while coding and hate hunting for the right window.

SideNotes prices and verdict$19.99 once