GoodNotes is a premium handwritten notes app that can come surprisingly near to the honest-to-god pen - and - pencil experience . You get the bring goodness of swarm deliverance and multimedia documentation . GoodNotes is a no - brainer if you ’re a frequent Apple Pencil user with money to spare . However , as a premium app ( $ 7.99 for GoodNotes 5 ) , it ’s quite expensive . And as an iOS - exclusive , you ’re out of luck as a Windows or Android user . Have a look at these GoodNotes alternatives : From undefended source desktop note - takers to freemium Android solutions to a actual GoodNotes competition on iOS , we ’ve covered the whole spectrum of alternatives here .
Read : Take a Picture of Handwriting And Convert to Text – Android Apps
Goodnotes Alternatives
1. Notability
Who it ’s for : iOS users looking for a premium give option to Goodnotes
A premium iOS app that makes full employment of Apple Pencil , iCloud , and Io multitasking . Sounds like GoodNotes ? Well , that ’s because Notability is a true , agio iOS choice to GoodNotes . While thefree and freemium notation - taking apps on iPadare capital for jotting down notes in a pinch , they miss the close platform integration that Notability and GoodsNotes have . Like Goodnotes , notability offers handwriting identification combine with Apple Pencil sustenance , but it also offers some unique features like – voice - over recording for lectures , schism - covert view , etc .
political platform : iOS , iPadOS
Pros :
bunco game :
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2. Xournal
Who it ’s for : Desktop exploiter who want a basic , local note - have app
window do n’t seem like an ideal platform for hosting a handwritten notes app at first blush . Who ’d connect a drawing tablet to their PC just to take notes ? But Xournal proves that there’salwaysa answer if you look heavily enough . Xournal is an open - root project that works on Windows , Linux , and OSX . Xournal has a very simple user interface that ’s plan to look like a ruled notebook .
Instead of a clean canvas , you get notebook computer - like phone line to write between . you could expend the interface to change the color and heaviness of the write bill . A caution is that Xournal does n’t support hand recognition , so your write notes quell as they are . However , you’re able to add in text edition fields to type in . Another drawback is that Xournal does n’t have swarm bread and butter . The notes you take are saved locally . you may prints notes out and export them to PDF , though .
political platform : Windows , Linux , and Mac
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3. Metamoji Note
Who it ’s for : Power users who want a cross - platform app that ’ll run on desktop and fluid
Metamoji Note ’s fundamental highlight is just how interoperable it is . This app works on Windows , Android , andiOS . This means that no matter what gimmick you ’re using , you ’ll be able to view and edit your handwritten notes on the fly . Like Xournal , it does n’t hold up handwriting recognition . However , you ’re able to add school text notes through a freestanding text playing area . You ’re free to adjust the gloss , thickness , and other aspects of your hand intro .
One field in which Metamoji Note has a leg up is in terms of cloud sharing . Enabling swarm sync will let you synchronise your Metamoji notes to the Metamoji host . you’re able to then pick up and play on any of your gadget . Metamoji Note Lite is free and there is an optional in - app leverage if you want what they describe as “ in advance cloud lineament . ” But We found the Lite version to be more than equal .
Platform : Windows , Android , andiOS
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4. Fiinote
Who it ’s for : Android and Windows drug user want an choice to iOS - exclusive note - take apps
Fiinote ’s Android app is very realized : You get a notebook computer - like user interface with script and text support . you may write with your finger anywhere on the screen door and the app scale this down and intelligently aline the textbook with the notebook business . You even get handwriting recognition : Long - pressing a handwritten item and select hand realization and the app will convert it into text . The Windows app is n’t as full-bodied , lack script realisation and broadly harder to use . Nevertheless , it ’s a smashing package overall .
chopine : WindowsandiOS
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5. Noteledge
Who it ’s for : Users who need the most versatile note - take app possible
Noteledge adopts a “ project everything and the kitchen sink ” approach to mark - taking . Whereas apps like Xournal are contented with just giving you hand and schoolbook stimulation , Noteledge bills itself as a “ multimedia system ” note - taking result . What this intend is that , in addition to handwritten notes , you ’ll be able-bodied to add in sound recordings , type text , videos , images , and other media . While this sounds not bad in theory , I found the app to be difficult to apply in practice , at least on Android .
The app default to the handwriting / drawing way . There ’s no authorship recognition here and your handwriting is n’t scale down , so you may very easily fill up intact pages . If you want to add in other content , you ’ll need to go to the fastening tab and append in a boxwood for text , telecasting , or something else . In my experience , Noteledge worked better as a general jotting pad – you’re able to throw doodles , strait recording , or whatever else at it and save them thanks to the cloud sync features .
Platform : Windows , iOS , Mac , and Android
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6. Squid
Who it ’s for : Android user who want a robust note - taking solution
The last detail on our list is something of a rarity : An Android - sole productivity app . That right hand : Io exploiter will have to overleap out on Squid ( though of course , they get GoodNotes and Notability , among others ) . Squid keeps things simple . You get a selection of varlet opinion selection , from a blank sail to college ruling and all-embracing ruling among others . You then get to scribble between or on top of the lines . you may line up brush colour , width , and pressure sensitivity , too . Squid does n’t have hand recognition , so your scribbles are just that – scratch .
Squid also has a handy PDF notation feature that lets you import PDFs and write on them . While the interface is nice and its easy to start take bank note down , Squid arrive with a major caution : Many crucial feature article , like cloud saving and even adding text edition boxes , are locked behind a paywall . Squid premium costs a one dollar bill a month . This is n’t much but it ’s really only giving you what Fiinote offer for free . The app also consecrate you the option of unlock the “ Tool mob ” for $ 3 . This lets you add schoolbook boxes and gives you a smart eraser tool . To be true , this palpate a little cheap .
political program : Android
Download Squid
conclusion quarrel : Goodnotes Alternatives
Each of these apps has its own advantages and drawbacks . If you want a full - fledged iOS to GoodNotes , Notability is the default port of call . It ’s very expensive for what it bid , though . Xournal offers Windows users a no - frills note - taking experience but the want of cloud deliverance adds to the inconvenience . Squid would be with child for Android users except that it locks so many features behind a paywall . Fiinotes gives you almost everything Squid extend for free , with a Windows app to boot . The Windows app is n’t as racy as the Android version , though . And finally , Noteledge is what you want to check out if you need a note - learn app that doeseverything , though its clunky user interface make it hard to use in practice .