GoodNotes Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to GoodNotes for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best Windows 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 Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to GoodNotes are Microsoft OneNote, Xournal++, xournal and OpenBoard Whiteboard.

filter to find the best alternatives

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

  1. Obsidian icon

    Obsidian

     1090 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.

    171 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Obsidian screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Obsidian as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Is not that good for using it as a paper replacement.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Obsidian icon
    Obsidian icon
    • Obsidian is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Obsidian is Lightweight and Privacy focusedGoodNotes is not according to our users
  2. Microsoft OneNote icon

    Microsoft OneNote

     1138 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.

    141 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Android Wear
    • Kindle Fire
    Microsoft OneNote screenshot 1
     
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    6
    12
    Comments about Microsoft OneNote as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Top Positive Comment
    Evan Tanner
    0

    Perfect for everything- iPad and mobile apps are free

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    0

    The App on Android isn't as developed and intuitive as it's any counterparts

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 6 comments
    Microsoft OneNote icon
    Microsoft OneNote icon

    • Some users think Microsoft OneNote is a great GoodNotes alternative, some don't.

    • Microsoft OneNote is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
  4. Xournal++ icon

    Xournal++

     187 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.

    55 Xournal++ alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Xournal++ screenshot 1
     
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    4
    18
    Comments about Xournal++ as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    violoncello
    Positive
    3

    It allows you to store your notes wherever you want and doesn't force you to use whatever cloud synchronisation

    LinuxDoge
    Positive
    0

    cross platform, not invasive

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    OSS alternative with many great features.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    Xournal++ icon
    Xournal++ icon

    • Most users think Xournal++ is a great GoodNotes alternative.

    • Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Xournal++ is Privacy focused and LightweightGoodNotes is not according to our users
  5. xournal icon

    xournal

     74 likes

    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.

    50 xournal alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    xournal screenshot 1
     
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    57
  6. OpenBoard Whiteboard icon

    OpenBoard Whiteboard

     70 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.

    91 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    OpenBoard Whiteboard screenshot 1
     
  7. Rnote icon

    Rnote

     37 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.

    22 Rnote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Rnote screenshot 1
     
  9. Linwood Butterfly icon

    Linwood Butterfly

     41 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.

    44 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 1
     
  10. FiiNote icon

    FiiNote

     9 likes

    FiiNote is the most convenient note app for android.

    The app is compatible with Android 2.0 ~ Android 4.3(and later). It is designed for both Phone and Pad.

    Feature list: 1, Unique hybrid model for combined handwriting and keyboard. 2, Text,paint,voice,photo,video...Note everyt.

    195 FiiNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    FiiNote screenshot 1
     
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    2
    38
    Comments about FiiNote as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Guest
    Negative
    5

    Did not like the way it handles manuscript summaries.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    RemovedUser
    Negative
    0

    More a text recognition app than handwrite note app

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    FiiNote icon
    FiiNote icon

    • Most users think FiiNote is a great GoodNotes alternative.

    • FiiNote is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
  11. Saber icon

    Saber

     30 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.

    25 Saber alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Saber screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Saber as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Saber icon
    Saber icon
    • Saber is Free and Open SourceGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Saber is Privacy focused and LightweightGoodNotes is not according to our users
  12. Noteshelf icon

    Noteshelf

     17 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...

    77 Noteshelf alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Chrome OS
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • Samsung Galaxy Store
    • Windows
    Noteshelf screenshot 1
     
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    1
    12
    Comments about Noteshelf as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    way better in organizing my notes and the handwriting tool is really good.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Noteshelf icon
    Noteshelf icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Noteshelf is a great GoodNotes alternative.

    • Noteshelf is Paid and ProprietaryGoodNotes is Freemium and Proprietary
  13. Concepts icon

    Concepts

     31 likes

    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...

    43 Concepts alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Concepts screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Concepts as an Alternative to GoodNotes
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Is simple to use, and powerful

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Concepts icon
    Concepts icon
    • Concepts is Freemium and ProprietaryGoodNotes is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Concepts is CustomizableGoodNotes is not according to our users
  14. NoteLab icon

    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 type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    NoteLab screenshot 1
     
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    14
12 of 24 GoodNotes alternatives