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Best GoodNotes Alternatives for Windows — 6 Compared in 2026

Explore 6 alternatives to GoodNotes — vetted by our editors with real user reviews, pricing, and feature comparisons.

GoodNotes alternatives: our 6 top picks at a glance

Quick answer

The best note taking software tools to replace GoodNotes are Evernote, Zoho Notebook and Nimbus Note. Evernote sits at number one with a SpotScore of 9.8 and 4.25★ from reviewers. Compare all 6 on score, rating, and pricing below.

Looking past GoodNotes? These 6 note taking software alternatives hold up the best on the things that matter: cost, capability, and how easy they are to live with. We sort them by SpotScore, which weighs verified satisfaction against market presence, then by ratings and pricing. Compare them in the table below, then get the full picture for each.

ProductSpotScoreRatingPricingBest for
EvernoteOrganize your life, anytime, anywhere.9.8★★★★☆ 4.25(459)Freefrom $7.50/moteams of all sizes
Zoho NotebookOrganize your thoughts effortlessly.9.1★★★★★ 4.54(45)FreeFreemiumteams of all sizes
Nimbus NoteCapture ideas, collaborate effortlessly, simplify your life.9★★★★★ 4.88(27)Freefrom $3.99teams of all sizes
MilanoteStreamline your note taking, effortlessly.8.9★★★★★ 4.67(36)Freefrom $9.99/mosmall & mid-size businesses
Microsoft OneNoteUnleash your productivity with OneNote.8.6★★★★☆ 4.47(1830)FreeFree Trial · One-time license · Subscriptionteams of all sizes
NotesnookOrganize, sync, and secure your notes hassle-free.8.4★★★★★ 5(1)Freefrom $4.16/mosmall & mid-size businesses

9.8

SpotScore

Evernote - Note Taking Software

Evernote

Organize your life, anytime, anywhere.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.3

459 verified reviews

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What is Evernote?

Evernote makes it easy to capture, find, and act on information across all the devices you use. It's available across multiple platforms — smartphones, tablets, computers and even in print. Take notes, create to-do lists, snap pictures and scan documents to save all of your work in one place. ...

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Free TrialTry Free →

9.1

SpotScore

Zoho Notebook - Note Taking Software

Zoho Notebook

Organize your thoughts effortlessly.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

4.5

45 verified reviews

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What is Zoho Notebook?

Zoho Notebook is a personal note-taking app best suited for individuals already within the Zoho ecosystem -- CRM, Mail, or Docs users -- who need a simple digital notebook for capturing ideas, lists, and tasks across devices. The free tier caps storage at 1 GB, while paid plans remove the ...

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9.0

SpotScore

Nimbus Note - Note Taking Software

Nimbus Note

Capture ideas, collaborate effortlessly, simplify your life.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Try for Free

4.9

27 verified reviews

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What is Nimbus Note?

Nimbus Note is a software application that helps you to write quickly and store your ideas for later use. The application is very simple, friendly to use and convenient. The program's modern interface provides you with a variety of search, retrieval, tagging, collaboration and sharing options ...

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Nimbus Note offers custom pricing plan

8.9

SpotScore

Milanote - Note Taking Software

Milanote

Streamline your note taking, effortlessly.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

Start Free Trial

4.7

36 verified reviews

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What is Milanote?

Milanote is a visual workspace designed to help creative professionals organize ideas, projects, and content in an intuitive, flexible way. Built for designers, marketers, writers, agencies, and startups, it enables teams and individuals to brainstorm, plan, and collaborate visually. With ...

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Free TrialTry Free →·

Milanote offers custom pricing plan

8.6

SpotScore

Microsoft OneNote - Note Taking Software

Microsoft OneNote

Unleash your productivity with OneNote.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market · Enterprise

Start Free Trial

4.5

1830 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Microsoft OneNote?

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook used by individuals and teams in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem -- knowledge workers, students, and project teams -- who need to capture and organize notes that sync across devices and integrate with Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint. It supports free-form ...

Read more about Microsoft OneNote
Free TrialTry Free →

8.4

SpotScore

Notesnook - Note Taking Software

Notesnook

Organize, sync, and secure your notes hassle-free.

Best for: SMB teams · Mid-market

Start Free Trial

5.0

1 verified reviews

Add to compare

What is Notesnook?

.""" Introducing Notesnook - the ultimate solution for note keeping. Explore this cross-platform, private notes application designed to keep your notes organized and secure. Utilize the advanced text editor with markdown support to categorize your notes with books, colors, and tags. With a ...

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Free TrialTry Free →

The main GoodNotes competitors

There are 6 direct GoodNotes competitors in Note Taking Software. The ones that come up most often are Evernote, Zoho Notebook and Nimbus Note. Each is compared against GoodNotes on rating, pricing and feature coverage below.

Sites and apps like GoodNotes

Searches for "sites like GoodNotes" and "apps like GoodNotes" land on the same shortlist as "GoodNotes alternatives" — the 6 options below cover both, whether you want a like-for-like replacement or something lighter.

What earned each one a spot

Evernote9.8Best for teams of all sizes

Evernote has a versatile interface that allows easy access across multiple devices, enabling users to have all their notes, tasks, and reminders synced conveniently.

Watch for: Some users have reported bugs and performance issues, such as slow typing on specific devices, ordering problems with lists, and slow overall app performance, impacting the user experience negatively.

Zoho Notebook9.1Best for teams of all sizes

Easy to use and navigate, suitable for both personal and professional needs.

Watch for: Limited integration with external platforms like Google Drive, which could enhance file accessibility.

Nimbus Note9Best for teams of all sizes

Streamlined project and deadline management, enhancing organization and workload handling.

Watch for: Waiting for new versions and additional features like dark mode can be a drawback for some users.

Milanote8.9Best for small & mid-size businesses

Milanote offers a highly visual and intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it ideal for organizing ideas, mood boards, and creative projects with ease.

Watch for: Milanote has limited integrations compared to some project management competitors, which can restrict workflow automation for larger enterprises.

Microsoft OneNote8.6Best for teams of all sizes

Integrates with Outlook and other Office 365 tools for centralized organization.

Watch for: Feature parity across platforms is inconsistent, affecting cross-device experience.

Notesnook8.4Best for small & mid-size businesses

Cross-platform support

Watch for: Limited advanced features

Why teams look for a GoodNotes alternative

The push to replace GoodNotes tends to come down to a few recurring frustrations:

  • Limited selection in the Marketplace for additional apps and connectors, restricting advanced functionalities.
  • Some users may find the richness of features and options overwhelming without sufficient guidance and support.

What to look for in a GoodNotes alternative

Comparing the 6 alternatives on the figures that matter: 6 offer a free tier; paid plans run $3.99–$9.99, with Nimbus Note the cheapest entry point; and Notesnook is the highest rated at 5★ across 1 reviews.

Behind the ranking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.

The top-rated alternatives to GoodNotes are Notesnook (5.0★), Nimbus Note (4.9★), Milanote (4.7★). Compare all 6 alternatives side-by-side above.

When evaluating alternatives to GoodNotes, prioritize: To-do List, File Sharing, Real-time Collaboration, Templates, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with your existing tools. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.

GoodNotes starts from $7.99. Many alternatives offer similar functionality at different price points — some with free tiers, others with more flexible per-seat pricing. Use the filters above to narrow by budget.

Migration difficulty depends on how deeply GoodNotes is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend narrowing to 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.

Which GoodNotes alternative fits your needs?

  • On a budget / just exploring: start with a free tier — Evernote, Zoho Notebook and Nimbus Note let you evaluate without paying upfront.
  • If real-user ratings matter most: Notesnook has the strongest star rating (5★) among the options with verified reviews.
  • Want the safest pick: Evernote has the highest Spotsaas Score (9.8) in this list — a strong default if you're unsure.

Leaving GoodNotes behind

Planning your exit from GoodNotes? Pull your data out first and confirm the replacement imports it without loss. Make sure the workflows you depend on are covered, run a short trial before committing, and keep GoodNotes live as a fallback until you're settled. Many tools here offer a free path to test.

Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].