The best Goodnotes alternative for most students is Notability, but the smarter choice depends on how you study: handwriting, PDF markup, typed notes, flashcards, or a giant folder of lecture slides. Goodnotes 6 uses a freemium model with paid plans, including an annual option and a one-time purchase option [source: Goodnotes], so it makes sense to compare it before you commit.
TLDR: If you want the closest Goodnotes replacement, pick Notability. If you need free cross-device notes, use OneNote. If you annotate 30 PDFs a week for class, LiquidText or Flexcil will save more time than a pretty notebook app. For example, a law student reviewing 120 pages per night may care more about split-screen PDF notes than sticker packs or cover designs.
1. Notability: Best all-round Goodnotes rival
Notability is the obvious first stop. It handles handwriting, typing, audio recording, PDF imports, stickers, templates, and simple organization. The killer feature is audio synced to notes. Tap a word you wrote during a lecture, and the recording jumps to that moment.
That alone can save a messy study session. It is great for lectures, meetings, and revision. The catch is the subscription model. Some features sit behind the paid plan, which can feel annoying if you only need basic notebooks.
2. Microsoft OneNote: Best free option for mixed notes
OneNote is not as pretty as Goodnotes, but it is powerful. It works on iPad, Windows, Mac, Android, and the web. That matters if your laptop is not an iPad and your school uses Microsoft 365.
You get typed notes, handwriting, images, tags, tables, and shared notebooks. It also supports math tools and class notebooks in education settings [source: Microsoft]. It drives me crazy that PDF printouts can feel clunky on smaller screens, but for free syncing and huge notebooks, OneNote is hard to beat.
3. Nebo: Best for handwriting-to-text conversion
Nebo is the app to pick if your handwriting needs to become clean text. Its recognition is very strong. You can write full paragraphs, diagrams, equations, and bullet lists, then convert them into editable text.
This is useful for students who rewrite class notes into study guides. It also works well for people who prefer handwriting during lectures but need searchable typed notes later. Nebo feels less like a paper notebook and more like a smart writing tool.
4. Noteshelf: Best for a familiar notebook feel
Noteshelf feels warm and simple. It has nice pens, smooth writing, templates, covers, audio notes, and PDF annotation. If Goodnotes feels a bit too busy, Noteshelf may feel calmer.
It is a strong pick for planners, daily notes, and handwritten class notebooks. Organization is simple, and the app feels quick. It may not have the deepest research tools, but it gets the basics right without making you fight the interface.
5. Flexcil: Best for students who live inside PDFs
Flexcil is built for reading, marking, and studying documents. It shines when you need to open a textbook, highlight key points, and pull notes into a separate study area.
The gesture system is clever. You can select text, make excerpts, and build notes from source material. It is especially good for medicine, law, research, and exam prep. Expect to waste time at first learning the gestures, but after that, it feels fast.
6. LiquidText: Best for deep research and heavy reading
LiquidText is less of a notebook and more of a research workspace. You can pull quotes, connect ideas, compare documents, and arrange excerpts on a large canvas.
It is excellent for thesis work, case reading, policy papers, and journal articles. If your study routine includes five PDFs open at once, LiquidText makes sense. If you just want to write chemistry notes in pastel ink, it is probably more tool than you need.
7. Xodo: Best for straight PDF annotation
Xodo is great if your main task is marking PDFs. It handles highlights, comments, signatures, shapes, and form filling. It also works across several platforms, which is useful if you switch between a tablet and a laptop.
Xodo is not trying to be a beautiful notebook app. That is fine. Sometimes you need to open a file, mark 18 pages, save it, and send it back. Xodo does that without much fuss.
8. MarginNote: Best for mind maps and exam review
MarginNote turns reading into structure. You can highlight a passage, turn it into a card, and connect it to a mind map. This works well for subjects with lots of linked ideas, such as history, biology, philosophy, and law.
It can feel crowded at first. There are panels, cards, maps, and menus everywhere. Still, for active recall and visual study, it is far more useful than a basic notebook.
How to choose the right app
- Pick Notability if you want Goodnotes with stronger audio features.
- Pick OneNote if you need free syncing across many devices.
- Pick Nebo if handwriting-to-text matters most.
- Pick Flexcil or LiquidText if PDFs are your main study material.
- Pick Xodo if you only need fast PDF markup.
- Pick MarginNote if you study with mind maps and flashcard-like review.
Final pick: Notability is the safest Goodnotes alternative for most people. OneNote is the best budget choice. Flexcil, LiquidText, and MarginNote are better for serious reading and exam-heavy study. The real trick is not finding the app with the longest feature list. It is finding the one that removes friction from your study routine.
