Alternatives · Note-Taking

nb alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded nb alternative is Joplin (3.6 GPA). It's also the best free one.

nb compared with 5 alternatives: Dnote, Notenik, Joplin, QOwnNotes and Zim.

nb is free to use. All 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan.

Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

Tool	Price	Free plan	Runs on
nbThis tool	Free	Free	macOS, Windows, Linux
Dnote	Free	Free	macOS, Windows, Linux
Notenik	Free	Free	macOS
Joplin	Free plan · from €2.40/mo	Yes	Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
QOwnNotes	Free	Free	macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, Browser extension
Zim	Free	Free	macOS, Windows, Linux

Price against what you get

nb has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 5 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.

Joplin, QOwnNotes and Zim score higher without starting lower.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

The best score at each price
Has a free plan
No free plan

The full chart of note-taking apps, and the best at every price

How each one differs from nb

Dnote
Free, open-source terminal notebook with optional self-hosted sync
- Dnote is free.
- Dnote is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Dnote does not cover Markdown, linked notes, tasks and bookmarks, which nb does.
Suits: Developers who want to log commands and snippets without leaving the terminal
Dnote vs nb Dnote pricing and details
Notenik
Free Mac notes app with Markdown, custom fields and outlining
- Notenik is free.
- Notenik lists no Linux and Windows apps, which nb has.
- Notenik does not cover bookmarks, which nb does.
Suits: Mac users who want notes kept as plain text files they control
Notenik vs nb Notenik pricing and details
Joplin
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose
- Joplin starts at 2.40€ per month, billed yearly at 28.69€ (Joplin Cloud Basic).
- Joplin also lists a web app, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension.
- Joplin is self-hostable and end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Joplin also covers web clipper.
- Joplin does not cover linked notes, tasks and bookmarks, which nb does.
Suits: People who want open source notes synced through their own storage
Joplin vs nb Joplin pricing and details
QOwnNotes
Open-source Markdown notes app with Nextcloud and ownCloud support
- QOwnNotes is free.
- QOwnNotes also lists an Android app and a browser extension.
- QOwnNotes also covers web clipper.
- QOwnNotes does not cover tasks and bookmarks, which nb does.
Suits: Nextcloud or ownCloud users who want a desktop Markdown notes app
QOwnNotes vs nb QOwnNotes pricing and details
Zim
Desktop wiki that keeps linked pages as plain text files
- Zim is free.
- Zim also covers wiki and daily notes.
- Zim does not cover Markdown and bookmarks, which nb does.
Suits: A personal wiki or scratch book kept as files on your own disk
Zim vs nb Zim pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in nb

It needs a Unix-like shell; on Windows it runs through WSL, MSYS or Cygwin.
Some features rely on optional tools such as Pandoc and Chromium or Chrome.
There is no mobile app or hosted service on its site.

nb pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to nb?

The alternatives to nb in this directory are Dnote, Notenik, Joplin, QOwnNotes and Zim. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with nb.

Is there a free alternative to nb?

Yes. Dnote, Notenik, QOwnNotes and Zim are free to use. Joplin has a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which nb alternatives work on Android?

The nb listing does not include an Android app. Joplin and QOwnNotes list one.

Which nb alternatives work on iOS?

The nb listing does not include an iOS app. Joplin lists one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

How this page was made

Where any alternative here is in our top three note-taking apps, the best for most people is the highest placed of them: the top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades. Otherwise the page names the highest-graded alternative in the same category as nb, the one its listing names first winning a tie. The best free one is the highest-graded alternative that is free or has a free plan (a free trial does not count), with its catch quoted from its listing where the listing states a short one. The GPA is the average of our five grades for each tool.
The alternatives are the tools nb’s listing names as its closest substitutes, and the tools whose listings name nb.
Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing, which names the pages they were read from.
The differences are worked out from those listings.
The chart sets each tool’s starting price against our own grades for features, ease of use and platforms.

Read the method All note-taking apps

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