Notebooks vs NotePlan
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Notebooks
Writing, documents and tasks organized in nested books
NotePlan
Markdown notes, tasks and calendar in one daily note
Where they differ
- Notebooks starts at $17.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $43.99 one-time for Mac. NotePlan starts at $8.33 per month, billed annually ($99).
- Only Notebooks lists a Windows app.
- Only NotePlan lists a web app.
- Notebooks can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Notebooks also covers linked notes and long-form writing.
- NotePlan also covers daily notes, time blocking and calendar.
At a glance
| Notebooks | NotePlan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $17.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $43.99 one-time for Mac | $8.33 per month, billed annually ($99) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial versions for Mac and Windows; the Windows trial expires after 30 days | 7-day free trial on the annual plan, 3-day free trial on the monthly plan |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Alfons Schmid | NotePlan LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | noteplan.co |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Notebooks
- Writers who want notes, long documents and tasks in one app
- People who prefer one-time purchases to subscriptions
- Users who want their documents kept as regular files they can reach from other apps
NotePlan
- Apple users who plan their day in notes next to calendar and reminders
- People who time-block tasks around their meetings
- Markdown fans who want plain-text files they control
Worth knowing
Notebooks
- Each platform is a separate purchase: $17.99 for iPhone and iPad, $19 for Windows and $43.99 for Mac.
- The site offers no Android, Linux or web version.
- On iPhone and iPad, Custom Storage Locations is a $2.99 in-app purchase on top of the app price.
- WebDAV sync has no automatic mode and has to be triggered manually.
NotePlan
- There is no free plan: once a trial or subscription ends, notes become read-only.
- Native apps exist only for Mac, iPhone and iPad; Windows and other systems use the web version.
- Sync runs mainly through Apple's CloudKit and is tied to an Apple ID, which the web version also signs in with.
- The monthly plan's free trial lasts 3 days, compared with 7 days on the annual plan.
Key features
Notebooks
- Text, Markdown and formatted documents
- Write in plain text, Markdown or formatted text with styles, tables, checklists, images and attachments, and convert between the formats at any time.
- Nested books
- Documents and imported files live in books that nest into hierarchies and can be reordered freely. Smart Books collect recent items, favorites and tasks.
- Task lists inside books
- Any book can become a task list and nested books become nested projects, with due dates, alerts and recurring tasks. Tasks can be extracted from documents.
- Links, backlinks and search
- Wiki-style links connect documents, backlinks show where a document is referenced, and full-text search covers documents, PDFs and attachments.
- PDF and eBook export
- Compile one or more documents into a PDF or an eBook at any time; the developer's own handbooks are produced this way.
- Regular files and flexible sync
- Documents are regular files in standard formats, synced through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or WebDAV, or directly between devices over a local Wi-Fi network.
NotePlan
- Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly notes
- Every day gets its own note for tasks and meeting notes, and each week, month and year has one too, for targets, reviews and goals.
- Apple Calendar and Reminders
- Calendar events and reminders appear beside the daily note. Checking off a reminder in NotePlan also checks it off in Apple Reminders.
- Time blocking
- Drag a task onto the timeline to turn it into a time block next to your meetings, so you can see what fits in the day.
- Project notes and kanban
- Project notes hold briefs, decisions and next steps, link to daily work in both directions, and can be grouped into columns as a kanban board.
- Plain Markdown files
- Notes are plain Markdown files on your device that work offline and can be taken out as one folder. Sync uses your own iCloud account.
- Spaces
- Shared workspaces for teams or families with shared daily and weekly notes, folders and kanban boards, usable in the apps or in a browser.
Plans
Notebooks
Notebooks for iPhone and iPad$17.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
The iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch app. Custom Storage Locations is a $2.99 in-app purchase, and optional tips are offered.
Notebooks for Windows$19
one-time license
A license file for the Windows app, which shares its files with the iPhone and iPad app through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or WebDAV.
Notebooks for Mac$43.99
one-time purchase
Sold directly, with activation on up to five Macs, or through the Mac App Store at the same price. There are no recurring fees.
NotePlan
Individual$8.33
per month, billed annually ($99); $12 billed monthly
Full access on Mac, iPad, iPhone and the web, with calendar and reminders, iCloud sync, Spaces, plugins, themes and templates.
Small Team$19.99
per month, for up to 5 members
One shared subscription and a single invoice for up to 5 members. Guests invited to a Space are not billed.
Business Team$69.99
per month, for up to 25 members
The same shared subscription and single invoice for up to 25 members.
Ways to pay less
Notebooks
No public discounts listed.
NotePlan
- Annual discount
Save 31% with annual billing
The annual plan is $99 a year, which works out to $8.33 a month against $12 on the monthly plan. NotePlan labels this a 31% saving.
- Other savings
Team subscriptions for 5 or 25 members
A shared subscription covers up to 5 members for $19.99 a month or up to 25 for $69.99, which NotePlan says is cheaper than separate individual subscriptions.
