Free UpNote alternatives
Top Note-taking & Knowledge Bases like UpNote
The most popular alternative to UpNote is Evernote, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to UpNote are Bear, Apple Notes, Notesnook, and Joplin.
Most alternatives to UpNote are in the Note-taking & Knowledge Bases category, compared here by price, platform and features.
All UpNote alternatives
Evernote is a long-standing note-taking app, owned by Bending Spoons since 2023, that stores notes, web clips, PDFs, scans and audio in notebooks with tags and full-text search, including text inside images. Recent versions add tasks, calendar integration and AI features, while the free plan has become very limited compared with the paid tiers.
12 Evernote alternativesPros
- Mature web clipper and full-text search, even inside images
- Stores notes, PDFs, scans and audio in one place
- Tasks and calendar integration alongside notes
Cons
- The free plan is very limited compared with paid tiers
- Paid plans are expensive compared with many note apps
- Apps can feel heavier and slower than lighter note tools
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesBear is a writing and note-taking app for Mac, iPhone and iPad from Shiny Frog, built on Markdown with nested tags, links between notes and a choice of themes. The app is free to use on a single device, while Bear Pro adds iCloud sync across devices, OCR search in images and PDFs, and more export formats.
12 Bear alternativesPros
- Elegant Markdown editor with a choice of themes
- Nested tags and note links keep things organized without folders
- Native, fast apps designed for Mac, iPhone and iPad
Cons
- Apple only, with no Windows, Android or web version
- Sync across devices requires the Pro subscription
- No shared notes or real-time collaboration
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesApple Notes is the free notes app included with iPhone, iPad and Mac, synced through iCloud and also reachable on the web at iCloud.com. It handles checklists, tables, Apple Pencil sketches, document scanning and searchable text in images, plus shared notes and folders, tags, smart folders and locked notes.
9 Apple Notes alternativesPros
- Free and built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Document scanning, Pencil sketches and text search inside images
- Shared notes and folders with real-time collaboration
Cons
- No native apps for Windows or Android, only iCloud.com
- Fewer organization options than dedicated knowledge tools
Cost / LicenseFreeProprietaryCategoriesNotesnook is an open source note-taking app that encrypts every note end to end on your device before syncing it. It offers notebooks, tags, rich text with Markdown shortcuts, an app lock, a private vault and a web clipper, on the web, desktop and mobile. A free plan is available, and the sync server can also be self-hosted.
9 Notesnook alternativesPros
- Every note is end-to-end encrypted on your device before syncing
- Open source apps on web, desktop and mobile
- The sync server can be self-hosted
Cons
- Fewer integrations and plugins than mainstream note apps
- Some features are limited on the free plan
Cost / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesJoplin is an open source note-taking app with Markdown notes, notebooks, end-to-end encrypted sync and a web clipper.
11 Joplin alternativesPros
- Open source, with Markdown notes stored in an open format
- End-to-end encrypted sync via Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV or Joplin Cloud
- Web clipper and plugins extend the core app
Cons
- Interface feels dated next to newer note apps
- Sync setup takes more effort than turnkey services
- No web app for reaching your notes from a browser
Cost / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesSimplenote is a free note app from Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, that sticks to plain text with optional Markdown, tags and quick search. Notes sync instantly across web, desktop and mobile apps, every change is kept in version history, and notes can be shared with collaborators or published as a web page. The apps are open source.
8 Simplenote alternativesPros
- Free, ad-free and fast plain-text notes
- Instant sync across web, desktop and mobile
- Version history keeps every change to a note
Cons
- No images, attachments or rich formatting
- Organization is limited to tags and search
Cost / LicenseFreeOpen sourceCategoriesStandard Notes is an open source note-taking app focused on privacy, with end-to-end encryption for every note and file and apps on all major platforms. Notes work offline and sync across devices, and paid plans add rich editors, file storage and longer revision history. The company became part of Proton in 2024, and the sync server can be self-hosted.
9 Standard Notes alternativesPros
- End-to-end encryption for every note and file
- Open source apps on all major platforms
- The sync server can be self-hosted
Cons
- Rich editors, file storage and longer history need a paid plan
- Collaboration features are minimal compared with mainstream apps
Cost / LicenseFreemiumOpen sourceCategoriesObsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files on your device, links them into a knowledge graph and extends with a large plugin ecosystem.
17 Obsidian alternativesPros
- Notes are plain Markdown files stored on your device
- Large ecosystem of community plugins and themes
- Graph view and backlinks for connected notes
Cons
- Official sync and publishing are paid add-ons
- Plugin-heavy setups take time to configure and maintain
- No real-time collaboration on notes
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietaryCategoriesGoogle Keep is a free note app for quick thoughts, checklists, voice memos and photos, shown as colorful cards that can be pinned, labeled and shared. Reminders can be tied to a time or a place, text can be extracted from images, and notes are available from Gmail, Google Docs and Android devices.
8 Google Keep alternativesPros
- Fast capture of notes, checklists, voice memos and photos
- Reminders tied to a time or a place
- Integrated with Gmail, Google Docs and Android
Cons
- No desktop app outside the browser
- Limited formatting makes it a poor fit for long documents
- Organization relies on labels only, with no folders or nesting
Cost / LicenseFreeProprietaryPlatformsMicrosoft OneNote is a free digital notebook that organizes notes into notebooks, sections and pages, where text, images, drawings and handwriting can be placed anywhere on the page. It syncs through OneDrive, supports shared notebooks for classes and teams, and works closely with Outlook, Teams and the rest of Microsoft 365.
9 Microsoft OneNote alternativesPros
- Freeform pages for text, drawings and handwriting anywhere
- Free, with OneDrive sync on all major platforms
- Works closely with Outlook, Teams and Microsoft 365
Cons
- The freeform layout gets messy and is hard to export
- Sync can lag or conflict with large notebooks
- No native app for Linux desktops
Cost / LicenseFreeProprietaryCategoriesCraft is a document and note-taking app with a native, polished design on Mac, iPhone and iPad, also available on Windows and the web. Notes are built from blocks and nested pages with backlinks, can be shared as public web pages or edited together in real time, and include AI writing help, tasks and daily notes.
12 Craft alternativesPros
- Polished native design on Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Block-based pages can be shared as public web pages
- Real-time collaboration plus built-in AI writing help
Cons
- The experience is best on Apple devices, other platforms feel secondary
- Advanced features and AI usage are reserved for paid plans
- Less suited to large databases than Notion-style tools
Cost / LicenseFreemiumProprietary
UpNote vs its alternatives at a glance
Pricing, platforms and the key features of UpNote, compared with its most popular alternatives.
| App | Pricing | Platforms | Cross-device sync | Dark mode | Markdown support | Offline mode | Web clipper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UpNote | Freemium | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android | |||||
 Evernote | Freemium | Web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Browser extension | |||||
 Bear | Freemium | Mac, iPhone | |||||
 Apple Notes | Free | Web, Mac, iPhone | |||||
 Notesnook | FreemiumOpen source | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, Self-hosted | |||||
 Joplin | FreemiumOpen source | Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android |
UpNote alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to UpNote?
The most popular alternative to UpNote is Evernote: Note-taking app to capture, organize and search everything. Other great alternatives are Bear, Apple Notes, Notesnook, and Joplin.
Is there a free alternative to UpNote?
Yes, 11 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Evernote, Bear, Apple Notes, and Notesnook.
Is there an open source alternative to UpNote?
Yes, 4 open source alternatives are listed, including Notesnook, Joplin, Simplenote, and Standard Notes.
Is UpNote free?
UpNote has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.
Compare UpNote with its alternatives
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