$11.99 /yr Essential Verified on goodnotes.com, Oct 17, 2026 2 alternatives Replaces it Active Open source · GPL-3.0 Linux unverified
⚠ No handwriting search, and Goodnotes notebooks only come across as flat PDFs.
⇢ Imports your data: annotate PDFs exported from Goodnotes; notebooks don't convert
Partly replaces it Active Open source · GPL-2.0 Linux Arch/AUR
⚠ Desktop only (Windows, Mac, Linux): no iPad app, which is where most Goodnotes users write.
⇢ Imports your data: annotate PDFs exported from Goodnotes; notebooks don't convert
Install $ sudo pacman -S xournalppCopy
$ flatpak install flathub com.github.xournalpp.xournalppCopy
At a glance Free alternatives to Goodnotes compared Alternative Verdict License Linux AUR Self-host Stars Saber Replaces it GPL-3.0 open source Unverified — No 4.9k★ Xournal++ Partly replaces it GPL-2.0 open source Yes Yes No 15.5k★
Goodnotes alternatives: questions
Is there a free alternative to Goodnotes? Yes. The 2 free alternatives are Saber (open source, GPL-3.0) and Xournal++ (open source, GPL-2.0).
How much does Goodnotes cost? Goodnotes's Essential plan costs $1 a month, which is $11.99 a year (yearly (Pro $35.99/yr is the "most popular" tier)). Source: the official pricing page at goodnotes.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.
Which Goodnotes alternatives run on Linux? Xournal++ (Arch extra: xournalpp; Flathub: com.github.xournalpp.xournalpp).
Can you self-host a Goodnotes alternative? There's nothing to host: Saber is a mobile and Xournal++ is a desktop app.
Are these Goodnotes alternatives open source? Yes. All 2 use OSI-approved open-source licenses: Saber (GPL-3.0) and Xournal++ (GPL-2.0). Built or know a better alternative to Goodnotes? Suggest it free , or get it featured on this page .