Notability

Notability

Notability is a popular note-taking and annotation app for iOS and macOS. It allows users to take handwritten notes, type notes, record audio, annotate PDFs and more. Key features include advanced organization with search and tagging, auto-backup to the cloud, and easy sharing op
Notability image
note-taking handwriting annotation pdf-annotation

Notability: Powerful Note-Taking App

Notability is a popular note-taking and annotation app for iOS and macOS. It allows users to take handwritten notes, type notes, record audio, annotate PDFs and more. Key features include advanced organization with search and tagging, auto-backup to the cloud, and easy sharing options.

What is Notability?

Notability is a versatile note-taking and annotation application developed by Ginger Labs. It is available for iOS and macOS platforms.

Some key features of Notability include:

  • Take notes by typing or writing with the stylus/Apple Pencil
  • Annotate PDFs and other documents
  • Record audio which syncs with notes
  • Advanced organization system with search and tagging
  • Auto-backup notes to iCloud or other cloud services
  • Share notes easily via email, AirDrop etc.
  • Supports a range of writing tools like pens, highlighters etc.
  • Intuitive user interface optimized for touch and stylus input
  • Cross-platform compatibility between iOS and macOS

Notability is popular among students and professionals to take notes, annotate documents, save lecture recordings, and organize research papers and meeting notes. Its seamless cloud sync makes it easy to access the same notes across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

The app costs $9.99 on the App Store with free upgrades. Many users find it to be amongst the best, if not the best note-taking app available for Apple devices currently.

Notability Features

Features

  1. Handwritten notes
  2. Typed notes
  3. Audio recording
  4. Annotating PDFs
  5. Advanced organization with search and tags
  6. Auto-backup to cloud
  7. Easy sharing options

Pricing

  • Free
  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Intuitive interface

Powerful organization features

Syncing across devices

Ability to search handwritten notes

Cons

No Windows version

PDF annotation could be better

Expensive subscription model


The Best Notability Alternatives

Top Education & Reference and Note Taking & Annotation and other similar apps like Notability


Microsoft OneNote icon

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote revolutionizes the way you capture, organize, and share information. Serving as your digital notebook, OneNote offers a dynamic platform for note-taking that transcends traditional boundaries. Seamlessly integrating with the Microsoft Office suite, this versatile application enables users to create, edit, and access notes across multiple devices, ensuring that...
GoodNotes icon

GoodNotes

GoodNotes is a powerful notetaking and PDF annotation app designed specifically for iPad and iPhone. It allows you to write, sketch, and organize handwritten notes using the Apple Pencil, your finger, or a stylus.Some key features of GoodNotes include:Intuitive writing experience with Apple Pencil support, including pressure sensitivity and palm...
GoodNotes image
CollaNote icon

CollaNote

CollaNote is a feature-rich online whiteboard application designed for seamless team collaboration. As a virtual sticky note board, it enables real-time cooperation between team members regardless of their location.Key features of CollaNote include:Interactive digital whiteboard for drawing, typing text, uploading images, and moreReal-time collaboration allowing multiple people to edit the...
CollaNote image
Flexcil icon

Flexcil

Flexcil is a feature-packed digital notebook and PDF annotation application designed for Android and iOS devices. It aims to replicate and enhance the experience of writing by hand on paper, while taking advantage of the conveniences afforded by digital technology.One of Flexcil's standout features is its flexible notebook system. Users...
Flexcil image
MyScript Nebo icon

MyScript Nebo

MyScript Nebo is a feature-rich note-taking and handwriting recognition application developed by MyScript. It is available on Windows, iOS, and Android platforms and allows users to write naturally with a stylus, finger, or computer mouse and have their handwriting automatically converted into digital text.Some of the key features and benefits...
MyScript Nebo image
Squid icon

Squid

Squid is a widely-used open source web proxy and caching server. It was originally developed in 1996 to improve web performance by storing copies of frequently accessed content and reducing bandwidth usage. Squid works by acting as an intermediary between client devices like desktops, laptops, and mobile devices and web...
Squid image
Stylus Labs Write icon

Stylus Labs Write

Stylus Labs Write is an AI-powered writing assistant designed to help anyone become a better, more productive writer. As you write in Google Docs, Stylus analyzes your text and provides real-time feedback and suggestions to strengthen your writing.Key features of Stylus Labs Write include:Clarity checks - identifies unclear passages and...
Stylus Labs Write image
IAnnotate icon

IAnnotate

iAnnotate is a feature-rich PDF annotation and notation tool designed specifically for Apple Mac computers. It provides a user-friendly way for students, teachers, business professionals and others to easily annotate, organize and share PDF documents.With iAnnotate, you can quickly add text notes, highlights, underline text, drawings, stamps and more to...
IAnnotate image
Noteshelf icon

Noteshelf

Noteshelf is a versatile note taking and organization app designed specifically for mobile devices like iPads and Android tablets. It provides a range of features to take notes in different formats and keep everything organized.Users can take handwritten notes with an Apple Pencil or stylus, type out text notes, record...
Noteshelf image
Notesnook icon

Notesnook

Notesnook is a free online note taking and organizing software. It provides users with a variety of tools to easily capture ideas, thoughts, web content, images, and more in an organized notebook interface.Key features of Notesnook include:Intuitive rich text editor for formatting notes - add headings, lists, bold, italics, links,...
Notesnook image
Penultimate icon

Penultimate

Penultimate is a digital handwriting app designed specifically for the iPad and iPad Pro. It allows users to take notes, sketch ideas, or hand draw images using an Apple Pencil or their finger directly on the iPad screen.The app is optimized to feel like writing with an actual pen and...
Penultimate image
Butterfly icon

Butterfly

Butterfly is an open-source, cross-platform SQL client designed to make database management easy and intuitive. With Butterfly, users can connect to MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, SQL Server, and other major database servers to manage databases and tables, write SQL queries, and visualize data relationships.Some key features of Butterfly include:Intuitive graphical interface...
Butterfly image
HandWrite Pro icon

HandWrite Pro

HandWrite Pro is an innovative writing application designed specifically for handwriting text directly on a computer or mobile device. It provides an intuitive interface that feels like writing with a pen and paper, making it easy and natural to jot down thoughts and ideas.The app has powerful handwriting recognition and...
HandWrite Pro image
Foxit PDF Editor icon

Foxit PDF Editor

Foxit PDF Editor is a powerful yet easy-to-use PDF editing application for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. Developed as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat, Foxit offers a good balance of features and affordability for both home and enterprise use.Some key features of Foxit PDF Editor include:Intuitive and customizable ribbon...
Foxit PDF Editor image
Touchnotes icon

Touchnotes

Touchnotes is a feature-rich note taking and organization app available for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices. The app allows users to create handwritten notes using a stylus or finger, annotate documents like PDFs, capture photos directly into notes, record audio notes, and organize everything into customizable notebooks.Some key features...
Touchnotes image
INKredible icon

INKredible

INKredible is an iPad app focused on natural handwriting and note taking. It is optimized for use with the Apple Pencil, providing users with a smooth, pen-on-paper writing experience.Key features of INKredible include:Advanced palm rejection algorithms to prevent unwanted palm touches while writing.Pressure sensitivity that allows you to write lightly...
INKredible image
Inkodo icon

Inkodo

Inkodo is a free, cross-platform note taking and knowledge management application. It has native apps available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, with its notes synced securely via end-to-end encryption across all platforms.With Inkodo, users can create rich text notes organized into customizable notebooks. Notes support features like tags, internal links,...
Inkodo image
Inkflow Visual Notebook icon

Inkflow Visual Notebook

Inkflow Visual Notebook is an innovative digital notebook app designed for visual thinkers. It brings the flexibility and creativity of paper note-taking to the digital space, allowing you to combine handwriting, drawing, typing, photos, file attachments and more into visually rich interactive notebooks.With Inkflow, you can take notes, sketch ideas,...
Inkflow Visual Notebook image
LectureNotes icon

LectureNotes

LectureNotes is a free cross-platform note taking application designed specifically for students. It provides an easy-to-use interface for typing notes during a lecture or presentation. A key feature of LectureNotes is the ability to synchronize typed notes with recorded audio, allowing students to click on any part of their notes...
LectureNotes image
WizNote icon

WizNote

WizNote is a feature-rich note taking and knowledge management app available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and Web. It allows users to easily capture ideas and information, organize notes into notebooks, tag content for improved searchability, supports adding images/attachments, sync everything securely to the cloud, and more.Some of the...
WizNote image
Soysauce Lab Noto icon

Soysauce Lab Noto

Soysauce Lab Noto is a free and open source font family developed collaboratively by Adobe and Google. Its goal is to create harmonious and consistent typography across languages and writing systems using a universal design approach.Noto aims to support all the world's languages with a single, visually unified set of...
Soysauce Lab Noto image
PDF Professional icon

PDF Professional

PDF Professional is a powerful PDF editor and converter for Windows. It provides a complete set of tools for working with PDF files, allowing users to create, edit, convert, annotate, secure, and optimize PDFs.With PDF Professional, users can easily edit PDF text, images, links, and pages. The editing tools allow...
PDF Professional image
Qept: Quick Notes Like Texting icon

Qept: Quick Notes Like Texting

Qept: Quick Notes Like Texting is a note taking and organization app designed for quick, on-the-go note capture using an interface similar to text messaging. It allows you to quickly type out notes, thoughts, lists, and more and save them to access and organize later.Some key features of Qept include:A...
Qept: Quick Notes Like Texting image
Scrivano for Handwritten Notes icon

Scrivano for Handwritten Notes

Scrivano is a feature-rich note-taking and handwriting app designed specifically for Windows tablets and touch-screen devices. It allows you to take notes, sketch diagrams, import images, record audio notes, and more using your device's stylus or finger.One of Scrivano's standout features is its organization system. You can create multiple notebooks...
Scrivano for Handwritten Notes image
Zoho Notebook icon

Zoho Notebook

Zoho Notebook is a cloud-based note-taking and organization app developed by Zoho Corporation. It allows users to take notes, add to-do checklists, audio recordings, images, and more to help organize thoughts and ideas.Key features of Zoho Notebook include:Intuitive and user-friendly interface for creating and organizing notesVariety of note formats including...
Zoho Notebook image
TopNotes icon

TopNotes

TopNotes is a free, open-source note taking and organization app for Windows. It provides a fast and easy way to take notes, organize information, and access it quickly when needed.Some key features of TopNotes:Simple, clean interface for quickly creating typed notes or clipping content from the webOrganize notes into user-defined...
MyReach icon

MyReach

myReach is a comprehensive social media management platform designed to help brands, agencies, and marketers manage their social media presence efficiently. Some key features of myReach include:Post scheduling and publishing: Easily schedule and queue social media posts in advance to save time. Publish to multiple accounts and networks like Facebook,...
MyReach image
WritePad icon

WritePad

WritePad is a lightweight yet full-featured text editor and word processor for Windows. Developed by PhatWare, WritePad provides users with the basic tools needed for writing documents, letters, notes, and more.Some key features of WritePad include:Text formatting options like bold, italics, underline, font type and size, text color, bullet points,...
Notes Plus icon

Notes Plus

Notes Plus is a popular note-taking and PDF annotation app developed specifically for the iPad. It takes advantage of the iPad's large screen real estate and touch capabilities to provide a natural handwriting and sketching experience.With Notes Plus you can write or type notes, sketch ideas, annotate PDFs, and organize...
Notes Plus image
SoftMaker FreePDF icon

SoftMaker FreePDF

SoftMaker FreeOffice is a free and open source office suite developed by SoftMaker for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It includes TextMaker for word processing, PlanMaker for spreadsheets, and Presentations for presentations.Some key features of SoftMaker FreeOffice include:Compatible with Microsoft Office file formats including .docx, .xlsx, and .pptxRibbon-style user interface similar...
SoftMaker FreePDF image
Saber: Handwritten Notes icon

Saber: Handwritten Notes

Saber is a feature-rich handwritten note-taking app available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices. It provides a natural pen-and-paper writing experience on your digital devices, aided by powerful handwriting recognition that converts your writing into text.Some key features include:Intuitive writing interface with a variety of paper templates, pen types,...
Saber: Handwritten Notes image
Pdf-notes icon

Pdf-notes

pdf-notes is a free, open-source PDF annotation software available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It allows users to add text notes, highlights, drawings, stamps and more to existing PDF documents.Some key features of pdf-notes include:Add text notes with custom formatting options like font, size, color etc.Highlight text in...
NoteSuite icon

NoteSuite

NoteSuite is a free and open-source note taking and organization software for Windows. It provides a simple yet powerful way to create, organize and find notes quickly.With NoteSuite, users can create rich text notes using formatting options like bold, italics, highlighting, hyperlinks, bullet points etc. Notes can be categorized into...
XNotes icon

XNotes

XNotes is a free and open-source note taking application available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It provides a simple yet effective way to create, organize and manage all your text notes.Some of the key features of XNotes include:Intuitive and minimal interface for quickly jotting down notesSupport for formatting options like...