The Quillpad Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Quillpad in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Quillpad
The Insider’s Guide
Open-source Android notes app with Markdown and task lists
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Quillpad’s own pages.
Made by Quillpad · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Quillpad’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Quillpad’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Quillpad is a free, open-source notes app for Android, continued by the community as a fork of the discontinued Quillnote. Notes are written in Markdown, grouped into notebooks and tagged, and can hold task lists, reminders, voice recordings and other file attachments. Notes are saved on the device, with optional sync to a folder of Markdown files or to a Nextcloud server.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Quillpad, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, so we go by the listing: install it from F-Droid or Play and start writing, with no account to make.
- 1
Best for free Markdown notes and checklists on Android
Quillpad is a free, open-source notes app for Android with Markdown notes, checklists, reminders, notebooks, tags and voice recordings, and no ads.
- 2
It is free
Quillpad has no paid plan at all. The whole app is free and open source, and the project says it will never show ads. F-Droid lists the license as GNU GPL v3.0 only.
- 3
It runs on Android
Android.
- 4
Markdown notes
Notes are written with Markdown support and can be pinned to the top of the list, archived when they are no longer needed, and found through search.
- 5
Task lists and reminders
A note can be a task list, and reminders can be set on notes for events that should not be missed.
- 6
Notebooks and tags
Related notes are grouped into notebooks, and tags can be added to notes as a second way to organize them.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 72 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Quillpad is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Quillpad at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Android
- Made by
- Quillpad
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
Best for free Markdown notes and checklists on Android
Quillpad is a free, open-source notes app for Android with Markdown notes, checklists, reminders, notebooks, tags and voice recordings, and no ads. Notes stay on your phone unless you set up sync yourself, the Nextcloud option is marked experimental, moving in from Google Keep takes separate scripts, and there's no app for anything but Android 7.0 or newer.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free outright, under GNU GPL v3.0 on F-Droid, with no paid tier and a promise never to show ads. Paid plans in this category sit at $6 a month in the middle, so there's nothing here to weigh against them. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The whole app is free from F-Droid, Google Play or GitHub, with no in-app purchases listed and no cap on notes, notebooks or anything else. Every feature is in from the start. |
| Features | C | Markdown notes, task lists, reminders, notebooks, tags, voice recordings and attachments, plus pinning, archiving, hidden notes and search. The gap the listing names is sync: there's no hosted service, so notes stay on the phone unless you wire up a folder or Nextcloud, and that option is experimental. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, so we go by the listing: install it from F-Droid or Play and start writing, with no account to make. Sync is the only thing to set up, and only if you want it. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | One operating system, Android 7.0 or newer. There's no iPhone, desktop or web version and no hosted sync service. Nextcloud is the one integration, and file sync writes plain Markdown other apps can read. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Quillpad is for
- Fits if you want a notes app on Android with no ads and no account
- Works for people who run their own Nextcloud and want their notes kept on it
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you have an iPhone or want a desktop or web app, as it's Android only
- Not for you if you want sync that works out of the box, because there's no hosted service
- Watch out: Nextcloud sync is labeled experimental and needs the Nextcloud Notes app installed on the server
- Tight if you're coming from Google Keep or Notally, since importing relies on separate scripts from the README
Good to know
Good for
- Android users who want a free notes app with no ads
- People who self-host Nextcloud and want their notes on it
- Keeping Markdown notes, checklists and reminders in one app
Worth knowing
- Android only: the downloads are F-Droid, Google Play and GitHub, and F-Droid lists Android 7.0 or newer as the requirement.
- Nextcloud sync is labeled experimental and needs the Nextcloud Notes app installed on the server.
- There is no hosted sync service: notes stay on the device unless file-system or Nextcloud sync is set up.
- Moving in from Notally or Google Keep relies on separate conversion scripts linked from the README.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Quillpad is free to use.
The whole app is free from F-Droid, Google Play or GitHub, with no in-app purchases listed and no cap on notes, notebooks or anything else.
Quillpad
$0
The full app from F-Droid, Google Play or the GitHub releases page, with no paid tier or in-app purchases listed.
The free plan
The whole app is free and open source, and the project says it will never show ads. F-Droid lists the license as GNU GPL v3.0 only.
Read from quillpad.github.io on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Android
Open-source Android notes app with Markdown and task lists. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, local-first, notes, Markdown, tasks.
Markdown notes, task lists, reminders, notebooks, tags, voice recordings and attachments, plus pinning, archiving, hidden notes and search.
- Markdown notes
- Notes are written with Markdown support and can be pinned to the top of the list, archived when they are no longer needed, and found through search.
- Task lists and reminders
- A note can be a task list, and reminders can be set on notes for events that should not be missed.
- Notebooks and tags
- Related notes are grouped into notebooks, and tags can be added to notes as a second way to organize them.
- Voice recordings and attachments
- Voice recordings and other files can be attached to a note so related material stays in one place.
- Hidden notes
- Notes can be hidden from the main list so they are not shown to other people looking at the device.
- File, Nextcloud and zip backup
- Notes can sync to the file system as Markdown files in a local or cloud folder, sync with Nextcloud, or be backed up to a zip file and restored later.
Where it runs
- Android
What it works with
- Nextcloud
Quillpad is made by Quillpad.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
72/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Quillpad's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 100 of 147) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Quillpad has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Quillpad’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- AFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Quillpad is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Quillpad is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown and tasks: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Quillpad’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
NotallyX, Fossify Notes, Markor, Google Keep and Joplin
The 5 tools Quillpad is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
NotallyX
Free
Minimal open-source Android app for notes and task lists.
- Quillpad also covers Markdown.
- 2.8GPA
Fossify Notes
Free
Open-source Android notes and checklists with no account.
- Quillpad also covers Markdown.
- 2.8GPA
Markor
Free
- 3.2GPA
Google Keep
Free plan · from $7/mo
Google's app for quick notes, lists and reminders.
- Only Google Keep lists a web app.
- Only Google Keep lists an iOS app.
- Only Google Keep lists a browser extension.
- 3.6GPA
Joplin
Free plan · from €2.40/mo
Open source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose.
- Only Joplin lists a web app.
- Only Joplin lists Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS apps.
- Only Joplin lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Quillpad free?
Yes. Quillpad is free to use.
How much does Quillpad cost?
Quillpad lists one plan. Quillpad: $0.
What platforms does Quillpad work on?
Quillpad is available on Android.
Does Quillpad have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Quillpad is listed for Android.
Does Quillpad have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Quillpad is listed for Android.
Is Quillpad open source?
Yes. Quillpad is open source, according to its own site.
What does Quillpad integrate with?
Quillpad's listing names Nextcloud. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Quillpad?
Quillpad is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Quillpad?
The closest alternatives to Quillpad in our directory are NotallyX, Fossify Notes, Markor, Google Keep and Joplin.
How does Quillpad compare with other note-taking apps?
Quillpad's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 72 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 34.
Is Quillpad good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Quillpad A for value for money. Quillpad has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Quillpad?
Quillpad is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: A real app for Android.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Quillpad’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Quillpad's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-24.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Quillpad. Prices change, so check quillpad.github.io before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Quillpad, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/quillpad
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Quillpad: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/quillpad
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/quillpad/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Quillpad, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Quillpad’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Quillpad is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Quillpad. Prices and plans change: check quillpad.github.io before you buy.