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All alternatives

Goodnotes alternatives: 6 note apps and a study tool (2026)

The best Goodnotes alternative depends on your device and budget. Notability is the closest match. Noteful costs about $7, paid once, on Apple devices. MyScript Notes turns handwriting into text. OneNote, Apple Notes and Samsung Notes are free. StudyPDF is not a pen app: it reads a notebook you export from Goodnotes and builds flashcards and quizzes. Prices as of October 2026.

  • Checked October 2026

Pick by what you need

  • NotabilityWriting while a lecture recording plays back with your notes
  • NotefulPaying once, with layers and tags for marking up slides on an iPad
  • MyScript Notes (Nebo)Turning handwriting into typed text, in 66 languages
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Turning exported handwritten notes into flashcards and quizzes

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At a glance

ToolFree tierPrice (October 2026)Platforms
NotabilityStarter: 5 notes, all editing tools, document importLite $14.99, Plus $19.99, Pro $99.99 a yeariPad, iPhone, Mac, Android, web
NotefulFree to use with no time limit, some features need ProPro lifetime: $6.99, paid once (US App Store)iPad, iPhone, Mac (Apple silicon), Apple Vision
MyScript Notes (Nebo)7-day free trial, then a limited free versionPaid upgrade in the app store, price varies by regioniOS, Android, Mac (Apple silicon), Windows as Nebo
OneNoteFree after a free sign-upFree; Microsoft 365 adds storage and extrasWindows, Mac, iOS, Android, web
Apple NotesFree and built into every Apple deviceFreeiPad, iPhone, Mac, web via iCloud
Samsung NotesFree on Galaxy devicesFreeGalaxy phones and tablets, Galaxy Book PCs
StudyPDFThat's usAbout 4 materials a week, 2 courses, no cardFree, Pro and Ultra plans, see the pricing pageWeb, iPhone, iPad, Android
Prices as of October 2026. Check the vendor's site for the current price.

The options

Notability

Writing while a lecture recording plays back with your notes

Notability is the closest match to Goodnotes: a handwriting app that imports slides and documents and records audio while you write. Paid plans add AI summaries, quizzes and flashcards. Its site showed 20% off all plans on 16 October.

Strengths

  • Lecture recording kept next to what you wrote
  • AI quizzes and flashcards from your notes on Plus and Pro (limited on Plus)
  • Over 20,000 templates, and a free plan with all editing tools

Limits

  • The free plan stops at 5 notes
  • At regular prices Lite costs more than Goodnotes Essential, and Pro without AI limits is $99.99 a year
Official site

Noteful

Paying once, with layers and tags for marking up slides on an iPad

Noteful is an iPad note app with Apple Pencil handwriting, PDF and Office import, layers, tags and audio notes. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.

Strengths

  • One payment unlocks Pro for good
  • Layers, a Pro feature, let you annotate slides without touching the original
  • Tags, audio recording synced to your notes, and export of your handwriting as PDF

Limits

  • Apple devices only: no Android or Windows app
  • Handwriting to text is only an experimental feature on iOS 27 and later
Official site

MyScript Notes (Nebo)

Turning handwriting into typed text, in 66 languages

MyScript Notes, the new name of Nebo on iOS and Android, is built around handwriting recognition. You write, then convert to typed text, clean shapes and diagrams. It also summarizes, explains and quizzes your notes with AI.

Strengths

  • Handwriting recognition in 66 languages, plus a custom dictionary
  • Converts shapes and diagrams, and solves simple math you can copy as LaTeX
  • Exports to PDF, PNG, SVG and Word

Limits

  • AI chat and study sets are iOS only; Android has summarize, explain and quiz
  • The store lists several upgrade options, so check the one you buy
Official site

OneNote

A free notebook on every device, with ink for pen users

OneNote is Microsoft's notebook app. You sort notes into notebooks, sections and pages, write with a pen or type, and sync across devices. It is free and runs on almost every device.

Strengths

  • Free, with digital ink to draw and write by hand
  • Runs on PCs, Macs, phones and tablets
  • Ink to Text converts the handwriting you select in the Windows app

Limits

  • Pages are free canvases, so marking up slides page by page feels less natural than in Goodnotes
  • Ink features can differ between the Windows, Mac and mobile apps
Official site

Apple Notes

Free handwriting and scanned documents on an iPad or iPhone

Apple Notes comes with every iPad, iPhone and Mac. With Apple Pencil you draw and write in a note, and Scribble can turn handwriting into typed text. You can also attach, annotate and scan PDFs and documents into a note.

Strengths

  • Free, with nothing to install or subscribe to
  • Annotate PDFs and scanned documents with Apple Pencil
  • Syncs through iCloud across your Apple devices

Limits

  • Folders and notes, not notebooks with covers, templates and planners
  • Apple devices and iCloud on the web only: no Android or Windows app
Official site

Samsung Notes

A free app for Galaxy tablets and phones with an S Pen

Samsung Notes is Samsung's own notes app. You type, draw or write with the S Pen, convert handwriting to text, and import, annotate and export PDFs.

Strengths

  • Free and built for the S Pen
  • Handwriting can be edited, moved and converted to text
  • PDF import, annotation and export

Limits

  • Made for Samsung devices, so there is no version for iPad or Mac
  • Notes use a Samsung format (.sdocx), so moving to another app means exporting first
Official site

StudyPDF

That's us

Turning exported handwritten notes into flashcards and quizzes

StudyPDF will not replace Goodnotes for writing. It sits next to it. Export a notebook from Goodnotes and upload it. StudyPDF reads the handwritten pages, splits the lecture into topics and concepts, and builds flashcards, quizzes, practice exams and a study guide that cite the page. Your answers update mastery per concept. Anki and Word export on Pro and up. The free plan needs an account, no card.

Strengths

  • Reads scanned and handwritten pages, not only typed text
  • Tracks mastery per concept, so you see what to review next
  • PDF export on every plan, Anki (.apkg) and Word on Pro and up

Limits

  • No pen, no handwriting canvas and no audio recording
  • Very untidy handwriting can be misread, so spot-check the first cards
  • Weekly caps on every plan, and Free takes up to 300 pages per file
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How to choose

  • On an iPad and want the closest match? Try Notability, or Noteful if you would rather pay once. Both import slides and documents and let you write on them.
  • Want to pay nothing? Apple Notes (iPad and iPhone), Samsung Notes (Galaxy) and OneNote (any device) are free. Check the handwriting and PDF tools you rely on first.
  • Want handwriting turned into typed text? MyScript Notes is built around it. Apple Notes and Samsung Notes convert handwriting too.
  • Use more than one kind of device? OneNote runs on PCs, Macs, phones and tablets. Noteful and Apple Notes stay on Apple devices.
  • Writing is only half of studying. Keep your pen app, export the notebook and upload it to StudyPDF to get flashcards, quizzes and practice exams from your own handwriting.

More on this

Goodnotes is a handwriting notebook app. As of October 2026 its free plan covers 3 notebooks and 100 MB, Essential costs $11.99 a year and Pro $35.99 a year. The full AI features need an AI Pass, which adds $9.99 a month.

People look around when the three free notebooks run out, when they would rather pay once than every year, when they want something free that is already on their device, or when they want handwriting turned into typed text. Six of the seven tools below are pen apps. The seventh, StudyPDF, has no pen: it studies the notebook you wrote.

We checked each vendor's site on 16 October 2026. Prices change, so check before you pay. Weighing Goodnotes against its closest rival only? Read our Goodnotes vs Notability comparison.

More alternatives

  • Notability alternatives in 2026: free, cheap, for studying
  • OneNote alternatives for students in 2026
  • Quizizz alternatives: free picks after the Wayground switch
  • Quizlet alternatives and apps like Quizlet (2026)
  • StudyPDF vs Notion AI

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Questions and answers

What are some free alternatives to Goodnotes?

Apple Notes is free and built into iPad and iPhone. Samsung Notes is free on Galaxy devices, and OneNote is free on almost every device. Noteful is free to use with no time limit, and Pro is $6.99 once. Notability's free Starter plan allows 5 notes.

Is Samsung Notes as good as Goodnotes?

On a Galaxy tablet with an S Pen, Samsung Notes is free and covers handwriting, text conversion and PDF import, annotation and export. Goodnotes has more notebook tools, such as templates and planners, and runs beyond Samsung devices. Export to PDF if you ever switch.

What is the best note-taking app in 2026?

There is no single best one. Notability is the closest to Goodnotes, Noteful is the one to pay for once, and Apple Notes, Samsung Notes and OneNote are free. MyScript Notes is strongest at turning handwriting into text. For studying from your notes, add StudyPDF.

Is Notability a better option than Goodnotes in 2026?

It depends on how you study. Notability records audio while you write and its paid plans include AI quizzes and flashcards. Goodnotes has the cheaper paid plan: Essential is $11.99 a year against $14.99 for Notability Lite at regular prices. Our Goodnotes vs Notability page goes through both.

Can I turn my Goodnotes notes into flashcards?

Yes. Goodnotes has AI tools on its paid plans. You can also export the notebook and upload it to StudyPDF, which reads the handwritten pages and builds flashcards, quizzes and practice exams, with the page cited, and exports the cards to Anki on Pro and up.

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