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Zoho Notebook alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Zoho Notebook: basic formatting, and no backlinks or knowledge-base features. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Zoho Notebook, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Microsoft OneNote currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Microsoft OneNote logoMicrosoft OneNoteFreeNoWeb, Windows, macOS +21 of 367.4
2Evernote logoEvernoteFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +22 of 365.3
3Google Keep logoGoogle KeepFreeNoWeb, Android, iOS +14 of 462.6
4UpNote logoUpNoteFree plan + paidNoWeb, macOS, Windows +34 of 459.6
5Notesnook logoNotesnookFree plan + paidYesWeb, Windows, macOS +45 of 555.3
  1. Microsoft OneNote logo

    1. Microsoft OneNoteTop pick

    Best for: Handwritten and free-form notes inside the Microsoft ecosystem

    FreeWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    67.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zoho Notebook

    Free notebooks with freeform pages and inking.

    Pros

    • Free with a Microsoft account
    • Great pen and handwriting support
    • Tight Microsoft 365 integration

    Cons

    • Notebook structure can get messy
    • Exporting to other apps is awkward
    Visit Microsoft OneNote Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1553
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Microsoft OneNote a good Zoho Notebook alternative?

    Verified facts

    1 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free with a Microsoft account
    Checked Oct 24, 2026onenote.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Sync
    Through OneDrive
    Not checked yetonenote.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
    Not checked yetonenote.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Evernote logo

    2. EvernoteAcquired

    Best for: Capturing web clippings, scans and mixed media in one searchable archive

    Free plan + paidWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android

    65.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zoho Notebook

    More powerful search, clipping and organisation for large archives.

    Pros

    • Excellent web clipper
    • Search inside images and PDFs
    • Mature apps on every platform

    Cons

    • Free tier is restrictive
    • Frequent plan changes since the acquisition
    Visit Evernote Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Evernote a good Zoho Notebook alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, with limits
    Checked Oct 24, 2026evernote.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Web clipper
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026evernote.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    Bending Spoons
    Not checked yetevernote.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Google Keep logo

    3. Google Keep

    Best for: Google users who want quick notes, lists and reminders that sync across phone and browser

    FreeWeb, Android, iOS, Browser extension

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zoho Notebook

    Similar card layout and free, with tight Google integration.

    Pros

    • Free with any Google account
    • Very fast capture of notes, lists, photos and voice notes
    • Real-time sharing for shopping lists and shared notes
    • Works with Docs, Gmail and Calendar

    Cons

    • Basic formatting and no nested notebooks
    • Not suited to long documents or linked notes
    • No desktop apps, only the web and mobile
    Visit Google Keep Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google Keep a good Zoho Notebook alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Note types
    Notes, lists, photos, drawings, audio
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Reminders
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Real-time collaboration
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026workspace.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. UpNote logo

    4. UpNote

    Best for: Former Evernote users who want simple, synced notes at a low one-off price

    Free plan + paidWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zoho Notebook

    Cleaner rich-text editor with notebooks and a lifetime licence.

    Pros

    • Clean, fast interface
    • Lifetime licence option
    • Apps on every major platform
    • Offline access with automatic sync

    Cons

    • Free version stops at 50 notes
    • No end-to-end encryption
    • No real-time collaboration
    Visit UpNote Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is UpNote a good Zoho Notebook alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Up to 50 notes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getupnote.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium price
    $1.99/month or $39.99 lifetime
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getupnote.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getupnote.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026getupnote.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Notesnook logo

    5. Notesnook

    Best for: Privacy-conscious users who want an encrypted, Evernote-style notes app

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Zoho Notebook

    Free notes with end-to-end encryption.

    Pros

    • End-to-end encrypted by default
    • Apps and sync server are open source
    • Free plan with unlimited notes and devices
    • Rich editor with attachments

    Cons

    • Limited real-time collaboration
    • Storage and notebooks capped on lower plans
    • Fewer integrations than mainstream apps
    Visit Notesnook Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Notesnook a good Zoho Notebook alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Unlimited notes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026notesnook.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    14 days on paid plans
    Checked Oct 25, 2026notesnook.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, web
    Checked Oct 25, 2026notesnook.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open-source server
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026notesnook.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Zoho Notebook alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Microsoft OneNote logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for most people

Microsoft OneNote

Free notebooks with freeform pages and inking.

Google Keep logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for a free option

Google Keep

Similar card layout and free, with tight Google integration.

Evernote logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Evernote

More powerful search, clipping and organisation for large archives.

Notesnook logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for open source

Notesnook

Free notes with end-to-end encryption.

Notesnook logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for self-hosting

Notesnook

Free notes with end-to-end encryption.

UpNote logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for Mac

UpNote

Cleaner rich-text editor with notebooks and a lifetime licence.

Microsoft OneNote logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for Windows

Microsoft OneNote

Free notebooks with freeform pages and inking.

UpNote logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for Linux

UpNote

Cleaner rich-text editor with notebooks and a lifetime licence.

Microsoft OneNote logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for iPhone and Android

Microsoft OneNote

Free notebooks with freeform pages and inking.

Microsoft OneNote logo

Best Zoho Notebook alternative for working in the browser

Microsoft OneNote

Free notebooks with freeform pages and inking.

Zoho Notebook alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Zoho Notebook?

Microsoft OneNote ranks first right now. Free notebooks with freeform pages and inking. Evernote and Google Keep follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Zoho Notebook?

Yes. Microsoft OneNote (free), Evernote (free plan + paid), Google Keep (free) and UpNote (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Zoho Notebook?

Yes: Notesnook. Notesnook can also be self-hosted.

Which Zoho Notebook alternatives work on Linux?

UpNote and Notesnook run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Zoho Notebook?

The complaints we hear most: basic formatting; no backlinks or knowledge-base features; no Linux app.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Zoho Notebook, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.