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Notebooks vs SideNotes

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

Notebooks icon
Notebooks
SideNotes icon
SideNotes

Notebooks vs SideNotes: The Verdict

⚡ Summary:

Notebooks: Notebooks is a free, open-source note taking app designed for organizing notes and tasks. It has basic formatting options, tagging, and cross-platform syncing capabilities.

SideNotes: SideNotes is a digital notebook and annotation tool for the Mac. It allows users to take notes and annotate documents, PDFs, and images. Key features include cross-platform sync, website annotation, handwritten notes with Apple Pencil, and secure encryption.

Both tools serve their respective audiences. Compare the features, pricing, and user ratings above to determine which best fits your needs.

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature Notebooks SideNotes
Sugggest Score — —
Category Office & Productivity Office & Productivity
Pricing Open Source —

Product Overview

Notebooks
Notebooks

Description: Notebooks is a free, open-source note taking app designed for organizing notes and tasks. It has basic formatting options, tagging, and cross-platform syncing capabilities.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

SideNotes
SideNotes

Description: SideNotes is a digital notebook and annotation tool for the Mac. It allows users to take notes and annotate documents, PDFs, and images. Key features include cross-platform sync, website annotation, handwritten notes with Apple Pencil, and secure encryption.

Type: software

Key Features Comparison

Notebooks
Notebooks Features
  • Basic note taking
  • Markdown formatting
  • Tagging
  • Cross-platform syncing
SideNotes
SideNotes Features
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Website annotation
  • Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil
  • Secure encryption

Pros & Cons Analysis

Notebooks
Notebooks
Pros
  • Free and open source
  • Simple and easy to use interface
  • Available on multiple platforms
Cons
  • Limited features compared to proprietary options
  • Formatting options are basic
  • No collaboration features
SideNotes
SideNotes
Pros
  • Syncs notes across devices
  • Annotate web pages and PDFs
  • Natural handwriting with Apple Pencil
  • Notes are securely encrypted
Cons
  • No Windows version
  • Limited formatting options
  • Requires subscription for full features
  • No collaboration features

Pricing Comparison

Notebooks
Notebooks
  • Open Source
SideNotes
SideNotes
  • Not listed

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Learn More About Each Product

Notebooks
Notebooks
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →
SideNotes
SideNotes
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →

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