Antinote Alternatives for Mac: 6 Options Compared

The best Antinote alternative depends on what you used Antinote for.

• Typed keywords that turn a note into a calculator or a list: Gubb is the closest match. Its gubb@ commands switch on math, currency conversion, unit conversion, to-do lists and Kanban boards inside a note.
• Mostly sums: Soulver or Numi handle the maths more fully.
• A tiny text pad that syncs to your iPhone: try Tot.
• Just somewhere to jot things down: Apple Notes is free and already on your Mac.

Switching makes sense in a few cases. You might need the same kind of tool on Windows. You might want deeper maths, such as percentages and variables. Or you might want your notes on your iPhone, or clipboard history and timers in the same window.

Quick list

• Apple Notes: best free option for checklists, simple inline math and iCloud sync.
• Gubb: best for typed commands that turn a note into a calculator, converter, to-do list or Kanban board. It has a one-time price and a Windows version.
• Tot: best for a minimal seven-page text pad that syncs between Mac and iPhone.
• Soulver: best for everyday maths written as text, such as percentages, variables and running totals.
• Numi: best text calculator if you also use Windows or Linux.
• Raycast: best if you'd rather do quick notes, sums and clipboard lookups from a keyboard launcher.

We make Gubb, so weigh our view accordingly. We've tried to be fair to every app here, and we say plainly where another app is the better pick.

What Antinote does, and what we couldn't verify

Antinote is a Mac scratchpad built around typed keywords that add extras to a note, such as math, timers and lists. The useful alternatives have the same quick, typed feel. Full note systems like Notion or Obsidian are a different kind of tool.

We could not verify Antinote's current price, full feature list or system requirements. So we don't compare it line by line, and we don't claim it lacks anything. Before you leave it, check Antinote's own site to see whether it already covers what you need.

Antinote alternatives at a glance

Prices are as of November 2026.

Apple Notes: the free baseline

For many people, Apple Notes is enough. It has checklists you can tick off, attachments, locked notes and a document scanner. It syncs through iCloud to your iPhone and iPad. You can record audio into a note and have it transcribed, and typing something like 5 * 3 = shows the answer inline.

What it lacks for this job: the sources we checked don't show Kanban boards, clipboard history or timers. It runs only on Apple devices, so it won't help if you also work on Windows. It is a full notes app with tags and Smart Folders, which makes it feel heavier than a single scratchpad window.

Price: free, included with macOS (as of November 2026).

Pick it if lists and quick sums were what you used Antinote for, and you want everything on your iPhone too.

Gubb: gubb@ commands for math, lists and boards

Gubb works on the same idea: one small window where typed commands add extras to a note. Type gubb@ anywhere in a note and a menu opens with five commands: Math, Currency, Conversions, To-Do and Board. Use ↑ and ↓ to choose, Return or Tab to insert, and Esc to close. You can also type the full phrase.

What each gubb@ command does

In math mode, you type this:

12*3 =

As soon as you type =, the line reads 12*3 = 36. Math, currency and conversion modes each show a colored badge while they are active. Esc leaves the mode.

The to-do list groups tasks into Overdue, Today, Tomorrow, Upcoming and No Date. You can also start one by typing /todo alone on a line.

On the board, you drag cards between columns. Each card can have labels from a preset list, checklists, a due date and comments.

The same window also has:

• clipboard history for text you copy (capture starts once you first open the panel)
• speech-to-text into the note, using a downloaded Whisper model (English only, first 30 seconds of each recording)
• a countdown/stopwatch timer and full-screen break reminders
• a pin-on-top button and a menu bar icon

Where Gubb falls short

• Math is basic. It handles + - * / ^ ( ), decimals, x and ÷, and it strips $, €, £ and thousands commas. Percentages, functions like sqrt() and constants like pi don't work, even though the hover list shows them. There are no variables.
• Currency needs internet. Rates come from the Frankfurter API. Offline, nothing is inserted and no error appears.
• Unit names must be one word. sqft works, sq ft doesn't. A conversion replaces the whole line, so keep other text off that line.
• Triggers need their own line. Put gubb@todo or gubb@board alone on a line. If you type them inside other text, the note can open in a broken older view.
• No global hotkey. On a Mac, you bring Gubb forward from the menu bar icon or the Dock, or keep it pinned on top.
• No sync and no iPhone app. Notes live in a local database on your computer.
• Due dates don't remind you. To-do due dates have no notifications, and the Pomodoro mode doesn't cycle work and breaks automatically.
• Exports aren't readable Markdown right now. If you need plain files on disk, keep this in mind.

Price (as of November 2026): $59 one-time for a lifetime license from gubb.net, which activates on up to 3 devices. The Mac direct download has a 7-day free trial with no account. Gubb is also on the Mac App Store and the Microsoft Store for Windows.

Pick it if you like typing a keyword to change what a note does, you want to-dos, boards, clipboard history and timers in the same window, and you prefer paying once. The full syntax is in the math and conversions section of the help center. You can download the 7-day trial.

Tot: a seven-page text pad that syncs

Tot from The Iconfactory calls itself a "tiny text companion," and it has exactly seven pages. The limit is deliberate, and it suits short, short-lived notes. Tot does the following:

• syncs between Mac and iPhone/iPad through iCloud
• supports rich or plain text and translates text to Markdown
• shows word and character counts as you type

There's also an Apple Watch version, Tot Mini.

What it lacks for this job: the sources we checked don't mention typed math, conversions, checklists or boards, so think of it as a text pad, not a keyword-driven tool. It runs on Apple devices only, and the Mac app needs macOS 14 or later.

Price (as of November 2026): free to download and try. Premium features cost $19.99 on the Mac and a separate $19.99 on iOS. Both appear to be one-time purchases.

Pick it if you mostly used Antinote as a calm place to park text and you want it on your phone. See Tot's site, or our Tot alternatives page if Tot itself feels too limited.

Soulver: maths written as text

Soulver is a notepad calculator. You write maths in plain language and the answers appear alongside, for example 20% of $1,480, $100 in EUR or 240 km in miles.

It also has multi-word variables, references to earlier answers, subtotals, tags and Wolfram|Alpha integration. It syncs through iCloud and exports to PDF, plain text or HTML email. Soulver 4 added a command-line tool.

What it lacks for this job: it is only a calculator, with no clipboard history, to-do lists or timers. We saw no Windows version, and Soulver 4 needs macOS 14.6 or later. Its makers describe a habit of a paid major upgrade roughly every seven years.

Price (as of November 2026): $59 one-time, with a 60-day free trial. One purchase covers Mac, iPad and iPhone. App Store listings show several in-app prices, so check soulver.app before you buy.

Pick it if most of your Antinote use was sums and you need percentages, variables or running totals, which Gubb's math mode can't do. Our Soulver vs Numi page compares the two calculators directly.

Numi: a text calculator for Mac, Windows and Linux

Numi is a text calculator that mixes maths with words. It handles currency, units, time zones, numeral systems and variables, and it has a notification widget. It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, and a terminal version is open source on GitHub.

What it lacks for this job: like Soulver, it is only a calculator. The free version limits how many notes you can keep, and iCloud sync needs the paid license.

Price (as of November 2026): free to download, with a paid license that unlocks unlimited notes and sync. The official site doesn't show the price clearly, and third-party listings range from about $20 to $29.99. Check numi.app before buying. Numi is also included in Setapp.

Pick it if you want a maths pad that works the same on a Mac and on a Windows or Linux machine.

Raycast: quick sums and clipboard from a launcher

Raycast is a keyboard launcher, not a scratchpad, but it covers several of the same quick jobs. It runs on macOS, Windows and iOS, though some commands differ between macOS and Windows.

The free plan includes:

• clipboard history going back 3 months
• a calculator, rebuilt in version 2.12 (November 2026), that handles dates and time zones
• Raycast Notes (one review says the free plan keeps 5 notes)

What it lacks for this job: it isn't a notes window you keep open beside your work, and it isn't a board app. Dictation, unlimited clipboard history, cloud sync and AI need a paid plan. The sources we checked show no one-time purchase.

Price (as of November 2026): free. Pro is $10/month and Pro+ is $20/month.

Pick it if you already work from a launcher and want quick sums and clipboard lookups without a separate window. See Raycast or our Raycast alternatives.

Typed extras side by side

"Not listed" means the feature didn't appear in the sources we checked. It doesn't mean the app definitely lacks it.

Should you switch at all?

If Antinote already covers your day, switching costs you the keywords you type without thinking. That is a real cost for a tool whose whole point is speed. Stay put unless one of these is true:

• You need Windows too: Gubb runs on both, and Numi covers the maths on Mac, Windows and Linux.
• You need iPhone sync: choose Apple Notes, Tot or Soulver. Gubb has no sync.
• Your maths outgrew a scratchpad: Soulver handles percentages, variables and subtotals.
• You want more tools in the same window: Gubb adds to-do lists, boards, clipboard history, timers and break reminders.
• You only need a free place to jot things down: Apple Notes or Stickies, both included with macOS.

For more ways to capture text fast, see quick notes on Mac. If maths is the main job, our notepad calculator guide covers how each approach handles real-world sums.