Compare software

GoodNotesLinwood Butterfly
Freemium

Free tier available; full features require a subscription or one-time purchase.

 Free

Free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence.

macOS, iOS Linux, Android, Web
  • OCR makes handwritten notes searchable like typed text
  • Strong PDF annotation alongside free-form handwriting
  • Infinite canvas instead of fixed pages
  • Strokes and elements stay editable after placing them
  • Best experience depends on owning an iPad with Apple Pencil
  • Full feature set requires a subscription or one-time purchase
  • Freeform canvas suits handwriting more than structured text notes
  • Infinite canvas documents can be harder to navigate than linear notes
Downloadable app Downloadable app, Web application
Closed source Open source
License not stated License: AGPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline Not stated if it works offline

Checked September 22, 2026

Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.