Alternatives
Best Simplenote alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best Simplenote alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/simplenote
6 direct alternatives to Simplenote, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- Evernote is the top alternative to Simplenote on our list, followed by Microsoft OneNote and Joplin.
- 5 of the 6 alternatives have a free plan, starting with Evernote.
- Highest rated: Bear, 4.5 out of 5 from 45 ratings, Sep 2026.
- 6 alternatives
- 5 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to Simplenote
Evernote
#1 Top pickThe original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years
Starting price
From $14.99 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 10,296 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Best overall
Digital notebook for organizing everything
Starting price
From $6.99 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.0 /5 across G2, Capterra and Trustpilot · 3,864 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Most reviewed
Joplin
#3Capture your thoughts and securely access them from any device with this open-source note-taking app.
Starting price
From $3.22 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.4 /5 across SourceForge, G2 and Trustpilot · 73 ratings, Oct 2026
Simplenote vs 6 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Nov 2026) | Free plan | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.2 out of 5, from 54 ratings across G2 and Capterra (54) |
| Price: $14.99/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.4 out of 5, from 10,296 ratings across G2 and Capterra (10,296) |
| Price: $6.99/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.0 out of 5, from 3,864 ratings across G2, Capterra and Trustpilot (3,864) | |
| Price: $3.22/mo | Free plan: No | 4.4 out of 5, from 73 ratings across SourceForge, G2 and Trustpilot (73) |
 | Price: $2.99/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.5 out of 5, from 45 ratings on G2 (45) |
 | Price: $7.5/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.3 out of 5, from 27 ratings across G2 and Capterra (27) |
 | Price: $0.99/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.1 out of 5, from 14 ratings on SourceForge (14) |
Why people consider alternatives to Simplenote
Simplenote is a lightweight, cross-platform note-taking application designed for speed and efficiency. It allows users to capture thoughts, ideas, and lists with minimal friction, focusing on the core functionality of note-taking without…
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- A feature or quota ceiling that a paid specialist covers and this free tool does not.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in note-taking.
The 6 alternatives below cover the same core job (note-taking) with different trade-offs.
Simplenote by the numbers
Toolradar data: It is listed as an alternative to 12 other tools on Toolradar, ranking #10 of 96 in Writing Apps. As of Nov 2026.
| Metric | Simplenote | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | 69% have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 12 tools | 1 | #10 of 96 |
| User rating | 4.2/5 (across the web, 54 ratings) | 4.5/5 | #16 of 22 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 84 visits | 35 | #6 of 33 (joint) tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Visitors most often compare Simplenote with Joplin, Evernote and Google Keep (last 30 days, Nov 2026).
Listed as an alternative to: #10 on 2026-10-16 to #10 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 96 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Writing Apps data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Simplenote by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Note-Taking leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Note-Taking tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 77 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ReadyTab | $0.58/mo, billed yearly |
| 2 | Apple Notes | $0.99/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | GoodNotes | $0.99/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | Fide Island | $1/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | SaidTrace | $1.50/mo, billed yearly |
Lowest entry price, per-user plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 15 tools priced per user, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noty.ai | $3.33/user/mo, billed yearly |
| 2 | Obsidian | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | XMind | $4.92/user/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | Dayboard | $5/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | WebCatalog | $5/user/mo, billed yearly |
Most visited, last 30 days
Distinct visitor sessions on the tool's Toolradar page over the last 30 days, with bots excluded by our analytics. A session counts once however many times it reloads the page.
Counted among 13 tools with 50+ visits.
| # | Tool | Visits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notion | 354 visits |
| 2 | Joplin | 314 visits |
| 3 | Obsidian | 293 visits |
| 4 | Simplenote | 280 visits |
| 5 | Logseq | 222 visits |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 92 of 213 Note-Taking tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Note-Taking leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Note-Taking statistics.
6 alternatives to Simplenote
Ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review, plus how directly they replace Simplenote.
- 1
Evernote
Free plan Higher rated by usersThe original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years
4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 10,296 ratings, Sep 2026
From $14.99/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 2
Microsoft OneNote
100% free Battle-tested at scaleDigital notebook for organizing everything
4.0 /5 across G2, Capterra and Trustpilot · 3,864 ratings, Sep 2026
From $6.99/mo, billed monthly
- 3
Joplin
Free plan Higher rated by usersCapture your thoughts and securely access them from any device with this open-source note-taking app.
4.4 /5 across SourceForge, G2 and Trustpilot · 73 ratings, Oct 2026
From $3.22/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 4
Bear
Free plan Higher rated by usersBeautiful markdown notes app for Apple devices
4.5 /5 on G2 · 45 ratings, Sep 2026
From $2.99/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 5
Standard Notes
Free planSecure, end-to-end encrypted note-taking with unparalleled privacy and cross-platform syncing.
4.3 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 27 ratings, Sep 2026
From $7.50/mo, billed yearly; free plan available
- 6
Apple Notes
100% freeFree note-taking for Apple users
4.1 /5 on SourceForge · 14 ratings, May 2026
From $0.99/mo, billed monthly
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Simplenote?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Simplenote are Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, Joplin. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Simplenote?
Simplenote is already 100% free (no paid upgrade path). Microsoft OneNote is another fully free option listed here (Digital notebook for organizing everything). Freemium tools on this list have a free tier plus paid plans; they are not the same as 100% free.
Why do people look for Simplenote alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Simplenote even though it is free: missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in note-taking. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with a different feature set.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Simplenote versus each alternative.
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