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All alternatives

OneNote alternatives for students in 2026

The best OneNote alternative depends on how you write. Typed notes and databases: Notion. Plain files you own: Obsidian or Joplin. A pen: Goodnotes. Quick notes on Apple devices: Apple Notes. StudyPDF is not a notebook. It is the step after, turning notes you export, scan or photograph into quizzes, flashcards and a study plan.

  • Checked October 2026

Pick by what you need

  • NotionTyped pages, databases and a free plan for students
  • ObsidianTyped notes as plain files on your own device
  • GoodnotesHandwritten notes and annotating slides with a pen
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At a glance

ToolFree tierPrice (October 2026)Platforms
NotionFree plan; free Education Plan with a school emailPlus $10 a month per member, billed yearlyWeb, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
ObsidianFree for personal and work use, no sign-upSync $4 a month, Publish $8 (billed yearly)Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
GoodnotesFree plan: 3 notebooks, 100 MB, limited sharingEssential $11.99 a year, Pro $35.99 a yeariPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows, web
Apple NotesFree with an Apple Account, 5 GB of iCloud storageFree; extra iCloud storage is paidiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro, iCloud.com
EvernoteFree: 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 deviceFrom $8.25 a month, billed yearly ($99)Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, web
JoplinApp is free and open source; sync via Dropbox or OneDriveApp free; Joplin Cloud from €2.99 a month (€2.40 billed yearly)Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android
StudyPDFThat's usAbout 4 materials a week, 2 courses, no cardPro 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

Notion

Typed pages, databases and a free plan for students

Notion keeps typed pages, databases and files in one workspace. Students with a school email can claim the free Education Plan, a one-member workspace.

Strengths

  • Pages and blocks are unlimited for one person on the Free plan
  • Databases and a calendar sit next to your notes
  • The Education Plan is free for students with a school email

Limits

  • Free plan uploads are capped at 5 MB per file
  • Notion AI is only a limited trial on Free and Plus
  • More setup than OneNote's notebooks, sections and pages
Official site

Obsidian

Typed notes as plain files on your own device

Obsidian stores your notes as files on your own device and links them together. The app is free, and optional paid add-ons handle sync and publishing.

Strengths

  • Free without limits, and no sign-up is needed
  • Notes stay on your device; Sync is end-to-end encrypted
  • Students and faculty get 40% off Sync and Publish

Limits

  • Sync across devices is a paid add-on
  • You build the folders, links and plugins yourself, which takes time
Official site

Goodnotes

Handwritten notes and annotating slides with a pen

Goodnotes is a handwriting app that imports photos and PDFs and lets you write on them. It also has audio recording and AI tools, among them a quiz generator for your notes.

Strengths

  • Pen-first notebooks where you write on top of imported files
  • Its own AI study tools: a quiz generator, up to 5 a month on Free
  • Runs on Apple devices, Android, Windows and the web

Limits

  • The Free plan stops at 3 notebooks and 100 MB of storage
  • Built for pages and ink, not for databases or linked notes
Official site

Apple Notes

Quick notes if you already live on Apple devices

Apple Notes comes with every iPhone, iPad and Mac. Notes sync through iCloud, and you can open them at iCloud.com in any browser.

Strengths

  • Free, and already installed on your Apple devices
  • Syncs through iCloud with no extra account
  • Open your notes in a browser on a Windows PC or an Android phone

Limits

  • The apps run on Apple devices only
  • Folders instead of notebooks with sections and pages
Official site

Evernote

A notebook-and-tag library of typed notes

Evernote keeps notes in notebooks with tags and search. It runs on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web, and its free plan is small.

Strengths

  • Notebooks and tags, close to how OneNote sorts notes
  • Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web

Limits

  • The free plan allows 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 device
  • Paid plans start at $99 a year
Official site

Joplin

Free open-source notes you can sync to your own cloud

Joplin is an open-source note app. It syncs through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive, and it can import OneNote notebooks.

Strengths

  • Free and open source, with notes saved in an open format
  • Imports OneNote notebooks from OneNote Online or the Windows desktop app
  • Apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, plus a terminal app

Limits

  • Joplin Cloud is a paid add-on
  • Syncing through Dropbox or OneDrive needs a one-time setup
Official site

StudyPDF

That's us

Quizzes, flashcards and a study plan from notes you already have

StudyPDF does not replace OneNote as a place to write. It starts where your notes end. Export a page or a notebook from OneNote, scan your handwriting or photograph a page, and upload it with your slides. StudyPDF splits the course into topics and concepts and builds flashcards, quizzes, practice exams and a study guide. Your results show weak concepts, and a plan runs up to your exam date. A free account is needed, no card.

Strengths

  • Reads scanned and photographed handwriting, next to slides and videos
  • Answers cite the page of your own material, so you can check them
  • Tracks mastery per concept and plans sessions up to your exam date

Limits

  • No note writing, no ink, no sections: it is not a notebook
  • Handwriting reads best when it is legible, so check the cards
  • Weekly caps on every plan, and a free account is needed
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How to choose

  • Stay with OneNote if its sections, pages and pen canvas work for you. The Windows 10 app is read-only now, so install the current free OneNote app.
  • Typed notes with links and databases: Notion. Notes as plain files you own: Obsidian or Joplin. Joplin can import OneNote notebooks.
  • Handwriting with a pen: Goodnotes. Quick notes inside the Apple world: Apple Notes. A classic notebook-and-tag library: Evernote.
  • Notes done and an exam ahead? A notebook will not test you. Export the pages, scan them or take photos, and use a tool that quizzes you, like StudyPDF.
  • Check the limits before you move. Free plans cap notes, devices or uploads, and prices change. Export your OneNote notebooks first so you keep a copy.

More on this

OneNote is Microsoft's notebook app: notebooks, sections and pages on a freeform canvas, with pen input. It is free with a Microsoft account. Microsoft ended support for the old OneNote for Windows 10 app on October 14, 2025. That app is read-only now, and the current OneNote app replaces it.

People look for something else for a few reasons: the forced move off the Windows 10 app, a wish for plain files they control, a lighter app, or a better pen experience. The first six tools below cover those reasons. OneNote itself is still a good notebook, and staying is a fair choice.

One honest note first. StudyPDF is not a notebook app, and you cannot write notes in it. It is on this list because many people searching for a OneNote alternative are students whose notes are done and who now have to learn them. Facts about the other tools come from each vendor's own site, checked on 16 October 2026. Prices change, so check the current one before you pay.

More alternatives

  • Goodnotes alternatives: 6 note apps and a study tool (2026)
  • Notability alternatives in 2026: free, cheap, for studying
  • Perplexity alternatives: 7 tools compared (2026)
  • The best Khan Academy alternatives in 2026
  • StudyPDF vs Notion AI

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Questions and answers

Is OneNote being discontinued?

Not OneNote itself. Microsoft ended support for the old OneNote for Windows 10 app on October 14, 2025, and it is read-only now. The current OneNote app is free with a Microsoft account, and Microsoft's own OneNote page still lists Copilot, ink and voice transcription as of October 2026.

What is the best replacement for OneNote?

It depends on how you take notes. Notion for typed pages and databases, Obsidian or Joplin for plain files you own, Goodnotes for handwriting with a pen, Apple Notes for quick notes on Apple devices. Try one with a copy of a real notebook before you move everything.

Is Obsidian better than OneNote?

Not better, different. Obsidian keeps typed notes as files on your own device and is free, with paid Sync at $4 a month billed yearly. OneNote gives you a freeform page you can write or draw on, and it syncs through OneDrive. Pick Obsidian for links between notes and files you own, OneNote for placing things anywhere on a page.

What is the best free alternative to OneNote?

Obsidian and Joplin are free apps, and Notion and Apple Notes have free plans. Goodnotes has a free plan with 3 notebooks. Evernote's free plan is limited to 50 notes, 1 notebook and 1 device. To study from your notes, StudyPDF's free plan gives about 4 materials a week and 2 courses, with a free account and no card.

Can I turn my OneNote notes into flashcards or a quiz?

Yes, with a tool that studies from your files. Export the page (OneNote can save a page as a PDF), or scan or photograph handwritten pages, and upload them to StudyPDF. It builds flashcards, quizzes and practice exams from them. Goodnotes also has a quiz generator for its own notes. Check that your handwriting was read correctly before you rely on the cards.

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