Rnote vs Saber
We give Rnote a 3.4 GPA and Saber a 3.6, out of 4.0. Saber grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Rnote
Open-source app for sketching and handwritten notes with a stylus
Free
Saber
Open-source handwritten notes app for phones, tablets and PCs
Free plan · from $5/mo
How we grade them
| 3.4GPARnoteVery good | 3.6GPASaberExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing. Rnote is free software under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence, with no paid version. If you want to chip in, donations go through GitHub Sponsors or Liberapay. | AThe app is free everywhere. The only thing to pay for is sync storage on Saber's own server: sponsor any amount a month for 10 GB, or $5 a month for 50 GB. Students get the 10 GB plan free by emailing proof. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free on Linux, macOS and Windows. Nothing is held back, because there's no paid plan to hold it for. | AThe full app is free on every platform, and each account on the official server comes with 5 GB of sync storage. Most people could stay here for good. |
| Features | BPressure-sensitive pen strokes, a shape tool, PDF and image import, tabs, and export to SVG, PDF and Xopp. Pages can be fixed, continuous or infinite in every direction. Solid for handwriting. But the site warns that the file format is still unstable. | BA highlighter that doesn't darken where it crosses itself, a dark mode that inverts notes, images and PDFs, folders nested as deep as you like, and notes encrypted before upload. Solid for handwriting. But sync only works through a Nextcloud server, and storage upgrades are done by hand. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It's a Flatpak on Linux and an installer on Windows. The Mac build is a bit more roundabout: a community contributor packages it on a separate GitLab project. | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Sync means making a Nextcloud account first. On Linux the developer points you to the Flatpak, because the AppImage doesn't work on every system. |
| Platforms and integrations | BLinux, macOS and Windows. There's no phone or tablet app and no web version, and no integrations on record. | AAndroid (Google Play and F-Droid), iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and Linux. Sync runs on Nextcloud and you pick the server: Saber's own in the Netherlands, another provider's, or one you host. |
| Best for | handwritten notes with a stylus on Linux | free handwritten notes on every device you own |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Rnote and Saber. How we grade
Where they differ
- Rnote is free. Saber starts at Any amount per month for 10 GB of sync storage; $5 per month for 50 GB.
- Only Saber lists Android and iOS apps.
- Saber is self-hostable, according to its own site.
In commonFree planLinuxmacOSWindowsOpen sourceNotes
At a glance
| Rnote | Saber | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | Any amount per month for 10 GB of sync storage; $5 per month for 50 GB |
| Free plan | The whole app is free software under the GPL-3.0-or-later license. The project takes donations through GitHub Sponsors and Liberapay. | The app is free on every platform, and each account on the official Saber Nextcloud server gets 5 GB of storage by default. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Felix Zwettler | Adil Hanney |
| Price read from | rnote.flxzt.net | raw.githubusercontent.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Rnote
- Students and teachers who write by hand with a stylus or drawing tablet
- Annotating PDFs and pictures on a Linux desktop
- People who want a free, GPL-licensed handwriting app
Saber
- Students and others who take notes by hand on a tablet
- Marking up PDFs and printouts in a dark room
- People who want an open-source handwriting app on every device
Worth knowing
Rnote
- The site warns that the file format is still unstable and may break compatibility between versions.
- Installs are listed for Linux, macOS and Windows only; there is no phone or tablet app or web version.
- The macOS app bundle is packaged by a community contributor and downloaded from a separate GitLab project.
Saber
- Syncing needs an account on a Nextcloud server: the official Saber one, another provider's, or your own.
- Extra storage is bought by sponsoring the developer on GitHub Sponsors, then emailing him to have the account upgraded by hand.
- The server owner cannot read notes but can see sign-up details, connecting devices and metadata such as the size of each note.
- On Linux the developer recommends the Flatpak, since the AppImage does not work on all systems.
Key features
Rnote
- Stylus-focused input
- Pressure-sensitive stylus input with several configurable stroke styles, stylus button shortcuts that can be reassigned, and optional pen sounds.
- Page and canvas layouts
- A document can use fixed pages, a continuous vertical layout or a canvas that is infinite in every direction, with custom background colors, patterns and page formats.
- Shapes and selection tools
- A shape tool creates many kinds of shapes, and a selection tool moves, rotates, resizes and modifies content already on the page.
- PDF and image import
- PDFs, bitmap images and SVGs can be brought in for annotation, with drag and drop and clipboard support.
- Export to open formats
- Documents export to SVG, PDF and Xopp, and single pages or selections to SVG, PNG and JPEG. Files are saved in the native .rnote format, which a command-line tool can also handle.
- Workspace browser and tabs
- A built-in workspace browser gives quick access to related files, and tabs keep several documents open at once. Autosave and printing are included.
Saber
- Highlighter that keeps its color
- The highlighter does not darken where a stroke crosses itself, and it is drawn underneath the ink, so the writing below stays clear.
- Dark mode that inverts notes
- Dark mode darkens the notes as well as the interface, giving light ink on a dark page. Images and PDFs are inverted too, so printouts and textbooks match.
- Nested folders
- Notes are organized in folders that can be nested without limit, and the most recent notes are listed on the home screen.
- Encrypted sync
- Notes are encrypted with a randomly generated key before upload, so the server owner cannot read them. The key stays in secure storage on the device.
- Choice of Nextcloud server
- Sync runs on Nextcloud: the official Saber server hosted in the Netherlands, another Nextcloud provider, or a server you host yourself.
- Apps on five platforms
- Saber is on Google Play and F-Droid for Android, the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Mac, Flathub or an AppImage for Linux, and has a Windows installer.
Plans
Rnote
Rnote$0
The full app as a Flatpak for Linux, an app bundle for macOS and an installer for Windows.
Saber
Free$0
The full app, plus 5 GB of storage for every account on the official Saber Nextcloud server.
StandardAny amount
per month, as a GitHub Sponsors sponsorship
10 GB of storage on the Saber server for a monthly sponsorship of any size. Free for students who email proof of status.
Premium$5
or more per month, as a GitHub Sponsors sponsorship
50 GB of storage on the Saber server.
Hoarder$7
or more per month, as a GitHub Sponsors sponsorship
100 GB of storage on the Saber server.
Ways to pay less
Rnote
No public discounts listed.
Saber
- Education
Standard storage plan free for students
The pricing page gives students the 10 GB Standard plan free. They email the developer their Nextcloud username and proof of student status, such as a UNiDAYS ID.
