Apple Notes Alternatives for Mac (2026)

The right Apple Notes alternative depends on why you want to leave. For Markdown and tags on Apple devices, try Bear. For a free app that keeps Markdown notes in local vaults, try Obsidian. Notion suits shared pages and team work, and OneNote is a free notebook that runs on both Mac and Windows. For quick capture, Tot gives you seven scratch pages, and Gubb, our app, is a desktop scratchpad with lists, boards and quick math.

Sync is the trade-off to check first. Apple Notes syncs through iCloud and costs nothing. Some alternatives charge for sync and one doesn't sync at all, so look at that column in the table before you move anything.

Why people look for an Apple Notes alternative

The clearest reason is platform. Apple Notes runs only on Apple devices, so it doesn't follow you to a Windows PC. Other people want an app built around Markdown, or a faster desktop scratchpad with extras we found no sign of in Apple Notes, such as checklists that become Kanban boards, clipboard history or timers.

Linking and organization are weaker reasons. Reviews list links between notes, tags, Smart Folders and Markdown import and export among Apple Notes features, so check whether those already cover what you need.

Quick list: pick by reason

• You want Markdown with tags, on Apple devices: Bear.
• You want free Markdown notes stored in local vaults: Obsidian.
• You want shared pages for team work: Notion.
• You need the same notebook on Mac and Windows, for free: OneNote.
• You want a tiny scratchpad that syncs to your iPhone: Tot.
• You want a desktop scratchpad with to-dos, boards, math and clipboard history: Gubb (Mac, and Windows via the Microsoft Store).

We make Gubb, so weigh our view accordingly. We've tried to be fair to every app here, including saying when Apple Notes is the better choice.

Apple Notes alternatives compared

Prices are as of November 2026. Figures marked "third-party" come from review sites, not the vendor's own pricing page.

Bear

Bear is a Markdown notes app for Apple devices that organizes notes with #tags and links between notes. It fits if your main complaint about Apple Notes is that you want to write in Markdown and stay on Apple hardware.

Good at:

• Markdown writing with tags and links between notes.
• Pro note encryption, which protects individual notes with a password and Face ID or Touch ID.
• Bear Web, arriving by the end of November 2026 and in beta now, runs in any modern browser. Its search runs on your device and works offline, and its Info panel shows note stats, a table of contents and backlinks.

Lacks:

• Sync between your devices needs Pro. Without it, notes don't sync.
• No one-time purchase.
• No Windows app. On a PC, Bear Web (included with Pro) is the only route.

Price (as of November 2026): core features are free. From November 24, 2026, Bear Pro costs $3.99 a month or $39.99 a year, includes Bear Web, and the yearly plan has a 7-day free trial. Third-party sites list the price before that date as $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

Pick Bear if you live on Apple devices, like Markdown and tags, and are fine paying a subscription for sync.

Obsidian

Obsidian is a Markdown note-taking app that stores notes in local vaults. It suits you if you're leaving Apple Notes because you want your notes as Markdown on your own disk.

Good at:

• The core app is free.
• Version 1.14 added opening individual Markdown files, a Kanban view for Bases and highlight colors.
• Frequent updates: the changelog shows Desktop 1.14.4 on October 5, 2026 and Mobile 1.15.1 on November 12, 2026.
• Optional paid Sync adds end-to-end encryption, version history and shared vaults.

Lacks:

• Syncing between devices with Obsidian Sync is a paid subscription.
• Publishing notes as a website is a separate paid subscription.

Price (as of November 2026, third-party sources): the app is free. Sync is $4 per user per month billed annually or $5 monthly. Publish is $8 per site per month billed annually or $10 monthly. Sources disagree on the optional commercial license, but they agree you don't need one to use Obsidian for work.

Pick Obsidian if you want Markdown notes stored locally and are willing to pay for Sync or skip it. Our Apple Notes vs Obsidian comparison goes through the trade-offs in detail.

Notion

Notion is a workspace app for pages, notes and team work, with desktop and mobile apps. It suits people who leave Apple Notes because they need to share structured pages with a team, not because they want a faster notepad.

Good at:

• A free plan.
• Team features. The Business plan adds Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes, Enterprise Search, SAML SSO, private teamspaces and more advanced permissions.
• Offline mode since August 2025 on the desktop and mobile apps.

Lacks:

• Offline access is per page and not automatic. You mark individual pages as "Available offline" in the ··· menu.
• AI and admin features are on paid per-member plans.
• It is a full workspace rather than a quick notepad.

Price (as of November 2026, third-party sources): Free; Plus at $10 per member per month billed annually; Business at $20 billed annually or $24 monthly; Enterprise through sales.

Pick Notion if your notes are really shared documents, project pages or team wikis.

OneNote

OneNote is Microsoft's digital notebook for capturing thoughts, ideas and to-dos and syncing them across devices. It is the most practical free answer if you need your notes on both a Mac and a Windows PC.

Good at:

• Runs on Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android and the web, with sync between devices.
• Handles mixed content: typing, handwriting and clipped media.
• Free for core note-taking.

Lacks:

• Some features need a paid Microsoft 365 subscription.
• It is notebook-style rather than a quick scratchpad, and our sources show no clipboard history or timers.

Price (as of November 2026): free, with some features tied to Microsoft 365.

Pick OneNote if you switch between Mac and Windows every day and want one synced notebook without paying. If you only need to reach existing Apple Notes from a PC, read Apple Notes on Windows first.

Tot

Tot is a "tiny text companion" from The Iconfactory: a scratchpad with exactly seven pages for short bits of text.

Good at:

• Seven fixed pages, which suits short-lived notes you'll delete later.
• Syncs text between Mac and iPhone through iCloud.
• Rich or plain text, with automatic conversion to Markdown.
• Word and character counts as you type, and common text actions on the keyboard.

Lacks:

• Seven pages, on purpose. It is not a place for an archive.
• Apple only, with no Windows or web version.
• Needs macOS 14 or later.

Price (as of November 2026): free to download and try. Premium features are an in-app purchase: $19.99 on Mac and $19.99 on iPhone and iPad, bought separately. Both appear to be one-time purchases.

Pick Tot if you want a tiny scratchpad next to Apple Notes that also syncs to your iPhone. More options are in Tot alternatives.

Gubb

Gubb is our app: a single-window scratchpad with to-do lists, Kanban boards, inline math, clipboard history, voice-to-text and timers in the same window. It is available for Mac and on the Microsoft Store for Windows. It works best next to Apple Notes, as a fast place to dump and sort things, rather than as a replacement for years of notes.
Good at:

• Markdown-style typing. Type # and Space for a heading, - for a bullet, 1. for a numbered list, [ ] for a checklist item or three backticks for a code block. Checked items are struck through.
• To-dos and boards from a note. A line containing only gubb@todo becomes a to-do list with due dates, priorities and subtasks. A line containing only gubb@board becomes a Kanban board with "To Do", "In Progress" and "Done" columns and cards you drag between them.
• Quick math and conversions. After gubb@math, any line ending in = gets its answer (basic arithmetic only). gubb@conversions converts units offline, and gubb@currency converts currencies with live rates, which needs an internet connection. Apple Notes also does inline math, so this matters most combined with the rest.
• Clipboard history for text you copy, in the same window, with favorites and "Paste to note". Capture starts the first time you open the panel in a session.
• Voice-to-text into the note with a downloaded Whisper model running on your computer. It is English only and transcribes the first 30 seconds of each recording.
• Desktop extras: a timer, full-screen break reminders, pin window on top and a menu bar icon.
• Local storage, no account. Notes stay in a database on your computer.

Lacks:

• No sync and no iPhone or iPad app. Your notes stay on the computer they were written on.
• No images, attachments, tables, folders or tags.
• No encryption or app lock.
• Search matches note titles and the first 50 characters of each note, and only searches full text when nothing matches there.
• Notes are stored in a local SQLite database, not as Markdown files. Markdown and Plain Text exports currently contain raw editor data rather than readable text, and imported .md and .txt notes currently open empty. Don't plan to move an Apple Notes archive into Gubb.
• Deleting a note has no confirmation and no trash.
• No global hotkey to open it from another app.

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

Pick Gubb if you want a desktop scratchpad where a brain dump can turn into a checklist or a board, with quick sums and clipboard history in the same window, and you don't need it on your phone. The Gubb help center covers the editor and shortcuts, and you can download the 7-day Mac trial.

What you give up on sync

Apple Notes syncs to your iPhone and iPad through iCloud. Before you switch, decide what you're willing to give up or pay for:

• Free and synced: OneNote syncs across its apps at no cost.
• Sync costs extra: Bear (Pro subscription) and Obsidian (Sync subscription).
• iCloud sync, no subscription: Tot, between Apple devices only. Its paid extras are one-time purchases.
• Online workspace: Notion keeps pages in your workspace, and you choose which pages are available offline.
• No sync at all: Gubb. That is a real limit if you capture on your phone. The upside is that your notes and clipboard history stay on your computer. Gubb still goes online for a few things: currency rates, Whisper model downloads, OpenAI transcription if you choose it (your audio goes to OpenAI), a font from Google Fonts at launch, and license and update checks in the gubb.net version.

If you capture most notes on your iPhone, keep a synced app. A desktop-only scratchpad works when you sit at the same computer all day.

Moving your notes out of Apple Notes

Reviews report that Apple Notes can export to Markdown, which points to Markdown-based apps such as Bear and Obsidian as destinations. Move a handful of notes first and check how checklists, attachments and scans come across before you move everything.

Keep your Apple Notes library until you're sure. Nothing stops you from using two apps: Apple Notes as the synced archive, and a scratchpad for the day's work.

Should you switch at all?

Apple Notes is free and comes with your Mac. It has:

• Checklists, attachments such as PDFs and photos, a document scanner and locked notes.
• Audio recording with transcription, and inline math.
• Tags, Smart Folders, collaboration and links between notes.
• Apple Intelligence features on M-series Macs and iPhone 15 Pro or newer.

Stay with Apple Notes if all your devices are Apple and your notes already sync where you need them. Switch if you need Windows (OneNote, or Gubb on the desktop), want Markdown notes (Obsidian or Bear), or work in shared team pages (Notion). If your real problem is quick capture at your desk, add a scratchpad instead of switching.

For a wider look at Mac notes apps, including ones not covered here, see best notes app for Mac.

FAQ

Is there a free Apple Notes alternative?

Yes. OneNote is free, Obsidian's core app is free, Notion has a free plan, and Bear's core features are free. With Bear and Obsidian, syncing between devices is the part you pay for.

Which Apple Notes alternative works on Windows?

OneNote runs on Windows, Mac, mobile and the web, and syncs for free. Gubb is on the Microsoft Store but doesn't sync between computers. Bear Web, included with Bear Pro, runs in any modern browser from late November 2026.

Which alternative keeps my notes off the cloud?

Gubb stores notes only on your computer and has no sync or account. Obsidian keeps notes in local vaults, and sync is an optional paid add-on.