The best Notion alternatives in 2026
For personal notes and tasks, the best Notion alternatives are Caddie (notes that sort themselves plus tasks, calendar and meeting notes on a Mac), Obsidian (your notes as files you own), Capacities (structure without databases), Anytype (open source and encrypted), Craft (the most refined design), Evernote (mature capture and scanning) and Apple Notes (free and built in). If you need a team wiki with databases, Notion is still the strongest choice.
The 7 picks at a glance
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Caddie | Best for notes, tasks, calendar and meetings in one app | Mac (Apple silicon); notes, tasks and calendar in any browser; iPhone in beta | Everything, while in beta | Free while in beta, then $10 a month for everything |
| 2. Obsidian | Best for owning your notes as files | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android | The app is free, including for work | Sync $4 a month billed yearly ($5 monthly) |
| 3. Capacities | Best for structure without databases | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android | Unlimited notes and objects | Pro $11.99 a month, or $9.99 a month billed yearly |
| 4. Anytype | Best for privacy and open source | Desktop and mobile | 100 MB of sync storage; self-hosting free | Plus from $4 a month |
| 5. Craft | Best design | Mac, iPhone, iPad, web | 1,500 blocks, 1 GB | Plus (price varies by country); Team $5 per user a month |
| 6. Evernote | Best for clipping and scanning | Mac, Windows, web, iPhone, Android | 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 device | Starter $14.99 a month, or $99 a year |
| 7. Apple Notes | Best free option on Apple devices | Mac, iPhone, iPad | Free with your Apple devices | Free |
Why people look for a Notion alternative
People leave Notion for personal use because it's a system you have to build and keep up, Notion AI's full features need the $20 Business plan, and it's cloud-first.
How we picked
We looked at how much setup each app needs, whether it works offline, what AI is included, and the price, from each product's site on 31 October 2026.
1. Caddie
Best for notes, tasks, calendar and meetings in one app
Notes sort themselves into smart folders, search finds any word, and a journal zooms from a year to a day. Tasks, calendar, meeting notes and dictation are in the same app, with AI throughout.
- Platforms
- Mac (Apple silicon); notes, tasks and calendar in any browser; iPhone in beta
- Free plan
- Everything, while in beta
- Paid from
- Free while in beta, then $10 a month for everything
- Watch out for
- Mac only for meetings and dictation (Apple silicon; macOS 26 to record and dictate). No Windows or Android app.
- Source
- usecaddie.app
2. Obsidian
Best for owning your notes as files
Your notes are plain Markdown files you own, with thousands of plugins.
- Platforms
- Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android
- Free plan
- The app is free, including for work
- Paid from
- Sync $4 a month billed yearly ($5 monthly)
- Watch out for
- Sync costs extra, there's no built-in AI, and no real-time collaboration.
- Source
- obsidian.md/pricing
3. Capacities
Best for structure without databases
A generous free plan, and structure (people, books, ideas) without building databases.
- Platforms
- Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android
- Free plan
- Unlimited notes and objects
- Paid from
- Pro $11.99 a month, or $9.99 a month billed yearly
- Watch out for
- The object model takes learning, and AI is limited on Pro.
- Source
- capacities.io/pricing
4. Anytype
Best for privacy and open source
Open source, local-first and end-to-end encrypted.
- Platforms
- Desktop and mobile
- Free plan
- 100 MB of sync storage; self-hosting free
- Paid from
- Plus from $4 a month
- Watch out for
- Little free sync storage, and a steeper learning curve.
- Source
- anytype.io/pricing
5. Craft
Best design
The most refined design of any notes app, with AI built in.
- Platforms
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, web
- Free plan
- 1,500 blocks, 1 GB
- Paid from
- Plus (price varies by country); Team $5 per user a month
- Watch out for
- The free plan fills quickly, and there's no Windows or Android app.
- Source
- www.craft.do/pricing
6. Evernote
Best for clipping and scanning
Mature capture: web clipper, document scanning and search.
- Platforms
- Mac, Windows, web, iPhone, Android
- Free plan
- 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 device
- Paid from
- Starter $14.99 a month, or $99 a year
- Watch out for
- A very small free plan, and paid plans cost more than most.
- Source
- evernote.com/compare-plans
7. Apple Notes
Best free option on Apple devices
Free, fast, built in, with audio transcripts in recent versions.
- Platforms
- Mac, iPhone, iPad
- Free plan
- Free with your Apple devices
- Paid from
- Free
- Watch out for
- Apple devices only, and weak export.
- Source
- support.apple.com/guide/notes/welcome/mac
How to choose
- You want it to organise itself: Caddie.
- You want plain files and plugins: Obsidian.
- Privacy and self-hosting matter most: Anytype.
- Your team needs a shared wiki with permissions: stay on Notion.
Questions people ask
What is the best free Notion alternative?
Obsidian (free, local files), Capacities (a generous free plan), Apple Notes (built in) and Caddie (free while in beta).
Is there a Notion alternative with AI built in?
Caddie, Craft and Capacities include AI. Obsidian relies on community plugins for AI.
Can I move my notes from Notion?
Most apps here import a Notion export. Caddie imports from Notion, Obsidian, Mem, Evernote and Apple Notes.