1
Open source
Butterfly supports handwritten note-taking, drawing, and organizing ideas in an open-source endless workspace.
Alternatives
The Best Butterfly Alternatives in 2026
12 alternatives1 free · 2 open source
Looking for something like Butterfly? Here are 12 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 1 are free or have a free plan and 2 are open source.
Linwood Butterfly provides an endless workspace for handwriting, sketching, annotating, taking notes, and organizing ideas.
Top picks at a glance
First suggestionButterflyButterfly supports handwritten note-taking, drawing, and…Free or freemium optionTolariaTolaria organizes notes as Markdown files and describes…Another optionTriliumTrilium Notes is an open-source app for taking notes and…
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Butterfly | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | Trilium | — | Not stated | Web |
| 3 | Xournal++ | — | Not stated | Linux, macOS, Web |
| 4 | Open Notebook | — | Not stated | Web |
| 5 | Noteshelf | — | Not stated | iOS, Web |
| 6 | Tolaria | Free | Not stated | Web |
| 7 | SigmaNote | — | Not stated | Web |
| 8 | Mem | — | Not stated | Web |
| 9 | QOwnNotes | — | Not stated | Linux, macOS, Web |
| 10 | Edna | — | Not stated | Web |
All Butterfly alternatives
2
Trilium
triliumnotes.orgSame kind of online tool
Trilium Notes is an open-source app for taking notes and organizing a personal knowledge base locally or through synchronization.
3
Xournal++
xournalpp.github.ioSame kind of online tool
Xournal++ is open-source software for handwritten notes, sketching, and annotation.
4
Open Notebook
open-notebook.aiSame kind of online tool
Open Notebook provides a private workspace for learning, research, and organizing knowledge.
5
Noteshelf
noteshelf.netSame kind of online tool
Handwriting, document annotation, diaries, and journals are among the features of Noteshelf note-taking app.
6
Same kind of online tool · free
Tolaria organizes notes as Markdown files and describes itself as a second-brain app.
7
SigmaNote
sigmanote.appSigmaNote organizes PDFs, voice notes, webpages, and videos into a searchable knowledge base for AI-assisted learning and work.
8
Mem
mem.aiMem organizes meeting notes, projects, and knowledge bases for teams with searchable AI features.
9
QOwnNotes
qownnotes.orgQOwnNotes supports Markdown note-taking on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and works with Nextcloud Notes.
10
Edna
edna.arslexis.ioTake notes in Edna, which the supplied page describes as a note-taking application with added features.
11
Open source
Standard Notes is an end-to-end encrypted note-taking app for capturing notes and files, according to its repository description.
12
Joplin
github.com/laurent22/joplinTake notes and sync them across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS using Joplin, the privacy-focused note-taking app.
No alternatives match this filter.
Alternatives to similar tools
Butterfly24 alternativesOpen Notebook8 alternativesNoteshelf18 alternativesTolaria20 alternativesApp24 alternativesTrilium24 alternatives
TopicNotes & Knowledge Management · 92 sites Best-of listBest Free Note-Taking Apps for Offline Use ListingButterfly details
What is the best alternative to Butterfly?
Based on features, tags and platforms, the closest alternatives to Butterfly are Butterfly, Trilium, and Xournal++.
Is there a free alternative to Butterfly?
Yes. Tolaria is free or offer a free plan.
Are there open-source alternatives to Butterfly?
Yes: Butterfly and App.
Alternatives are suggested from the purpose and features described in our listings. Different pages for the same product appear once. Read each description to check whether it fits your task. How we choose alternatives · Suggest an alternative