Alternatives to Drafts
An Apple-platform app for capturing text quickly and sending it elsewhere with actions. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Drafts
An Apple-platform app for capturing text quickly and sending it elsewhere with actions.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Drafts.
Tot
A small text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch that syncs through iCloud.
Tot is a minimal Apple scratchpad with iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch and Shortcuts actions, but it lacks Drafts' actions for sending text.
Apple Notes
Apple's built-in notes app with sync, sketches, and text recognition.
Apple Notes is free and preinstalled on Apple devices with sync and text recognition, but it does not open to a new page or send text through actions.
SideNotes
A Mac note-taking app that slides in from the side of the screen for quick notes.
SideNotes is a paid Mac-only app whose notes panel slides in from the screen edge for quick notes, with no iPhone app listed.
Google Keep
A note service from Google for quick notes, checklists and reminders that sync across devices.
Google Keep captures quick notes and checklists with reminders through a Google account on the web, moving notes onto Google's servers.
Bear
Apple-exclusive markdown notes app with tag-based organization and a polished editor.
Bear is an Apple-only Markdown notes app with tag-based organisation, aimed more at keeping notes than at capturing and routing text elsewhere.
Twos
An app for quickly writing down notes, to-dos, reminders and events organised by day.
Twos captures notes, tasks and reminders quickly in a daily view and runs on Windows, Linux, Android and web as well, though it is also closed source.
Simplenote
Minimal note app that syncs plain-text and Markdown notes across devices.
Simplenote is an open-source minimal app syncing plain-text notes free across Windows, Linux, Android and macOS, without Drafts' action system or iOS listing.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Drafts as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Napkin
An iPhone app for collecting quotes and ideas and resurfacing them for reflection.
Drafts opens straight to a new page for quick text capture on Mac and iPhone, with dictation and actions, but does not resurface saved ideas.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
iA Writer
Minimalist Markdown writing app focused on the text.
Ulysses
A focused writing app for Mac, iPad and iPhone with project management, sync and export.
Unclutter
A macOS pull-down panel that holds clipboard history, quick notes and a file drop zone.
NotePlan
A daily-note app that combines notes, tasks and Apple Calendar events for Mac, iOS and web.
Memos
A self-hosted, open-source note-taking service that keeps quick Markdown notes in a private timeline.
