GoodNotes Alternatives for Mac

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

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GoodNotes alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Digital Painting Tools or Todo List Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, Open Source, Android, iPad, Linux, Mac and Kindle Fire + Free. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to GoodNotes.

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Get a badge for your siteGoodNotes alternatives page was last updated Sep 4, 2026

Obsidian
1223 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.
348 Obsidian alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Canada
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Snapcraft
Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome
Flathub
Safari
AppImage
Mozilla Firefox
Canada
+6
Good alternative?Is Obsidian a good alternative to GoodNotes?

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2comments
Obsidian vs GoodNotes Comments
Negative comment by Guest · Jun 14, 2025
Is not that good for using it as a paper replacement.
Negative comment by Guest · Sep 4, 2026
Obsidian is very Text based and doesn't natively support styluses etc. Great app but not really an alternative to GoodNotes.
2 of 2 comments
Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
Obsidian is Privacy focusedGoodNotes is not according to our users
Microsoft OneNote
1149 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.
235 Microsoft OneNote alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Windows Phone
iPad
Apple Watch
Android Wear
Kindle Fire
United States
+4
Good alternative?Is Microsoft OneNote a good alternative to GoodNotes?

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6comments
Microsoft OneNote vs GoodNotes Comments
Top Positive Comment by Evan Tanner · Aug 18, 2024
Perfect for everything- iPad and mobile apps are free
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Jan 17, 2026
The App on Android isn't as developed and intuitive as it's any counterparts
Negative comment by Guest · Oct 22, 2024
OneNote for Android does not have as much functionality, especially for journaling. The Android app does not have any template function, which is one of my main needs. OneNote for iOS, Windows, and Mac has this, but the Android app is very behind.
3 of 6 comments
Microsoft OneNote is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
Xournal++
199 likes
Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation using pen input and pressure sensitivity, shape drawing, customizable toolbar layouts, image insertion, audio recording, multi-language options, LaTeX integration, and complete export in PDF or PNG formats across all platforms.
74 Xournal++ alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
PDF Reader
Origin
International
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Snapcraft
Flathub
Global
+1
Good alternative?Is Xournal++ a good alternative to GoodNotes?

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4comments
Xournal++ vs GoodNotes Comments
Positive comment by violoncello · Dec 31, 2020
It allows you to store your notes wherever you want and doesn't force you to use whatever cloud synchronisation
Positive comment by LinuxDoge · Nov 7, 2022
cross platform, not invasive
Negative comment by Guest · Sep 28, 2020
Pen works with cursive but not so well with print.
3 of 4 comments
Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
Xournal++ is Privacy focused and LightweightGoodNotes is not according to our users
HelixNotes
29 likes
HelixNotes is a local markdown note-taking app built with Rust, Tauri 2.0, and SvelteKit. Your notes are standard .md files on your filesystem - sync with whatever you want or nothing at all.
159 HelixNotes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
+1
Good alternative?Is HelixNotes a good alternative to GoodNotes?

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1comment
HelixNotes vs GoodNotes Comments
Negative comment by shardulvs · Jul 1, 2026
no support for handwritten notes
1 of 1 comments
HelixNotes is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
HelixNotes is Lightweight and Privacy focusedGoodNotes is not according to our users
Linwood Butterfly
44 likes
Butterfly is a note-taking 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.
59 Linwood Butterfly alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Digital Painting
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
AltStore
Flathub
F-Droid
Linux Mobile
Germany
EU
+6
Good alternative?Is Linwood Butterfly a good alternative to GoodNotes?
OpenBoard Whiteboard
73 likes
OpenBoard is a cross-platform (Linux / Windows / macOS) interactive whiteboard application. It is currently maintained by the Education Department (DIP) of the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland.
106 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Whiteboard
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
+2
Good alternative?Is OpenBoard Whiteboard a good alternative to GoodNotes?
Rnote
39 likes
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.
29 Rnote alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Digital Painting
Origin
Austria
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Flathub
Flatpak
Austria
EU
+4
Good alternative?Is Rnote a good alternative to GoodNotes?
Notability
52 likes
Truly integrated iOS app combining handwriting, PDF annotation, and text for seamless note-taking. Auto Sync backs up notes. Customize themes, library, and toolbars for a personalized experience with robust features.
61 Notability alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
PDF Reader
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
iPhone
iPad
United States
Good alternative?Is Notability a good alternative to GoodNotes?

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1comment
Notability vs GoodNotes Comments
Negative comment by RemovedUser · Jul 23, 2022
It is a post-it like app. No handwriting.
1 of 1 comments
Notability is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
Saber
29 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.
30 Saber alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application type
Note-taking
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Snapcraft
Linux Mobile
Flathub
F-Droid
OpenAPK
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is Saber a good alternative to GoodNotes?

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1comment
Saber vs GoodNotes Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Jan 7, 2025
It is the only somewhat good open-source alternative to Goodnotes & Notability. I know it is currently missing a lot of features found in Goodnotes, but in the future it could become a real competitor, so give it a try.
1 of 1 comments
Saber is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
Saber is Privacy focused and LightweightGoodNotes is not according to our users
Noteshelf
18 likes
Take beautiful handwritten notes or annotate PDFs on your iPad, and now even on your iPhone. With the new Noteshelf you can do all of the familiar, like type notes, record audio, draw shapes, sketch, sign contracts, fill forms, along with a lot of new, like add bookmarks, create...
81 Noteshelf alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application type
Note-taking
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Apple Watch
Chrome OS
HUAWEI AppGallery
Samsung Galaxy Store
Windows
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is Noteshelf a good alternative to GoodNotes?

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1comment
Noteshelf vs GoodNotes Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Jun 1, 2018
way better in organizing my notes and the handwriting tool is really good.
1 of 1 comments
Noteshelf is Paid and ProprietaryGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
Notes
40 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.
172 Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Online
iPhone
iPad
United States
+2
Good alternative?Is Notes a good alternative to GoodNotes?
NoteLab
12 likes
NoteLab brings the power of digital note taking to Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and Solaris.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Journaling
Alerts
Discontinued
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Good alternative?Is NoteLab a good alternative to GoodNotes?

12 of 27 GoodNotes alternatives

GoodNotes Alternatives for Mac

Alternatives list

Obsidian

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Microsoft OneNote

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Xournal++

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HelixNotes

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Linwood Butterfly

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OpenBoard Whiteboard

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Rnote

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Notability

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Saber

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Noteshelf

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Notes

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NoteLab

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