Notability vs QOwnNotes
Notability
notability.com
QOwnNotes
qownnotes.orgSide by side
| Figure | Notability | QOwnNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Note-taking apps | 9.2 (#10) | 8.5 (#53) |
| Spec score · Notes apps | 8.8 (#15) | 8.1 (#44) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | The privacy policy identifies Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive as optional third-party backup services, and Apple iCloud as a notes sync service. | Nextcloud,ownCloud,Nextcloud Notes,QOwnNotesAPI,Nextcloud Deck,CalDAV,Dropbox,Syncthing,Seafile,BitTorrent Sync,Git |
| Note sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | web,windows,macos,ios,android | web,windows,macos,linux,android,chrome_extension |
| Support | The business page directs users to the Help Center and says custom-contract teams can receive dedicated support. | The project directs users with package or repository problems to its GitHub issues page and invites community discussion in its Telegram group. |
Plans
Notability
- StarterFree
- Pro$19.99 a month
- Classic$49.99 a month
- Lite$11.99 a year
- Plus$15.99 a year
- Business$60 a year
- Pro$79.99 a year
- Business Pro$180 a year
- Custom ContractPriced on request
In their own words
Notability
Notability brings handwritten notes, typed text, recordings, images and imported documents into one workspace. It supports offline access, note sharing and real-time collaboration across Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. Notability Learn offers audio transcription, note summaries, Smart Notes, quizzes, flashcards and chat with notes; YouTube videos can also be turned into notes with a transcript and summary. Integrations include iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box and WebDAV. The Starter plan is free and includes five notes, editing tools and content, PDFs and documents, 20,000+ templates and seven-day version history. Pro costs $19.99 a month, billed monthly. Business Pro costs $180 a year per user. Notability describes its audience as students and professionals. The iOS and iPadOS apps require version 17 or later, while Android requires version 12 or later.
QOwnNotes
QOwnNotes is a free, GPL-licensed note-taking application built around plain-text Markdown files. Notes stay in a folder on your computer, and the app does not sync notes or media itself; you can choose a separate sync client such as Nextcloud or ownCloud. Those services can also provide note sharing, task lists, note history, and access to trashed notes. The editor offers Markdown highlighting and preview, hierarchical tags and subfolders, wiki-style links, Vim mode, and portable mode. Optional encryption includes built-in AES-256 and custom methods such as PGP. You can import from Evernote or Joplin, or work with existing text and Markdown files directly. QOwnNotes is available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and the web, with a browser extension for clipping selected text, screenshots, and bookmarks. A web companion sends phone photos to the current desktop note. Integrations include Nextcloud, ownCloud, Dropbox, Syncthing, Seafile, CalDAV, and Git. The software is open source, with no paid plans stated.