An Apple Notes alternative for Mac, with charts, LaTeX and Word export
An Apple Notes alternative for Mac with charts drawn from a table, LaTeX, Word export and calls recorded into a note. Mac only, no sync, and not free. Compared.
Start here
What UpNote does well
UpNote is a clean notes app on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android that syncs everything and works offline. It has nested notebooks, hashtags, tables, LaTeX formulas drawn with MathJax, and export to text, PDF, HTML and Markdown. It's simple to pick up, which is most of its appeal.
It's also cheap. On its website, Premium is $1.99 a month or $39.99 once for life, and the free plan holds 50 notes. Tables and export are Premium features. App Store prices vary by country, as UpNote's own FAQ explains.
We make Koi, so read this with that in mind. Every fact about another app comes from its own site, help pages or App Store page, checked October 21, 2026. We didn't run tests. And to be fair to UpNote up front: on price and on devices, Koi can't match it.
Stay
Stay on UpNote if
Stay on UpNote if
- You take notes on your phone. Koi has no iPhone or Android app and no sync.
- You use Windows or Linux as well as a Mac.
- You want to pay $39.99 once for everything. Koi Lifetime starts at $59 and Pro is $20 a month.
- Notebooks and hashtags are how you find things. Koi has groups and search, not tags.
- You'd rather your notes app had no AI.
Why people look
Why people look for an UpNote alternative
People who outgrow UpNote usually want one of four things. Word export: UpNote lists text, PDF, HTML and Markdown, not Word. Notes as plain files they own, rather than a library behind a sign-in. Open source. Or more than notes: voice, meetings or an AI that can write. None of that is a flaw in UpNote; it just isn't what it's for.
The list
6 UpNote alternatives for Mac
1. Koi
Best for: Notes you can talk into, with Word export, charts and recorded calls, on one Mac
Koi's editor covers what UpNote users use most, headings, lists, to-dos, pictures, tables and LaTeX, and adds tables with spreadsheet formulas and column totals, 11 chart types drawn from a small table, and flashcards with spaced repetition. Every page exports to Word or PDF on the paper size you pick, and Export All as Markdown writes every page to a folder.
The bigger difference is voice. Tap Fn + ⌥ and Koi types what you say, on your Mac, offline, in any app (more on dictation). Tap Fn + ⌃ to record a call or a class into a page, transcribed on your Mac with no bot joining. Tap Fn + ⌘ and ask Koi to write a page or find what someone said; that part uses Koi's AI, which is online.
What you give up: phone apps, sync, Windows and Linux, tags, and UpNote's price. Pro is $20 a month after a 3-day trial, or Lifetime from $59 once. Our list of notes apps you can buy once compares the one-time options.
2. Apple Notes
Best for: Free notes on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with nothing to pay
Apple Notes is free, syncs through iCloud, and has folders, tags, simple tables and shared notes. On macOS Tahoe it imports and exports Markdown, and exports PDF. No LaTeX and no Android or Windows app. More in our Apple Notes alternative page.
3. Bear
Best for: Polished Markdown notes with Word export, on Apple devices
Bear has tags, links between notes and LaTeX, and Pro adds iCloud sync and export to Word, PDF, ePub, HTML, Markdown and more. Pro is $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 7-day trial. Mac, iPhone and iPad only.
4. Obsidian
Best for: Free notes as Markdown files you own, on every platform
Obsidian keeps notes as Markdown files in a folder, with backlinks and plugins, on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. The app is free; Sync is $4 a month billed yearly or $5 monthly. It takes more setting up than UpNote.
5. Joplin
Best for: Free, open source, on every platform, with sync you choose
Joplin is the closest open-source match to UpNote: notebooks, tags, to-dos, Markdown or rich text, on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. It syncs through Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or Joplin Cloud with end-to-end encryption; Cloud Basic is €2.99 a month. It looks plainer.
6. Craft
Best for: Polished documents with Word export, on Apple devices, Windows and the web
Craft builds documents from blocks, with links, Collections and an AI assistant, and exports to Word, PDF and Markdown. Free covers 1,500 blocks; Plus is $8 a month or $6.40 billed yearly. See our Craft alternatives.
Comparison
UpNote alternatives compared
From each app's own site, checked October 21, 2026: UpNote, Bear, Obsidian, Joplin, Craft.
| Platforms | Sync | Word export | LaTeX | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UpNote | Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android | Yes | No (text, PDF, HTML, Markdown) | MathJax | $1.99 a month or $39.99 once |
| Koi | Mac | None | Yes, and PDF | Yes | $20 a month, or Lifetime from $59 |
| Apple Notes | Apple devices | iCloud | No (PDF, Markdown) | No | Free |
| Bear | Mac, iPhone, iPad | iCloud, with Pro | Yes, with Pro | MathJax | $29.99 a year |
| Obsidian | Every platform | Paid add-on | With plugins | MathJax | Free; Sync from $4 a month |
| Joplin | Every platform | Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Joplin Cloud | Not listed | Not listed | Free; Cloud from €2.99 |
| Craft | Apple devices, Windows, web | Craft's cloud | Yes | Yes | Free to 1,500 blocks |
Head to head
UpNote vs Koi
- Devices: UpNote is on five platforms with sync. Koi is one Mac.
- Price: UpNote is $39.99 once for life. Koi costs more, monthly or once.
- Export: Koi exports Word and PDF on the paper size you pick. UpNote exports text, PDF, HTML and Markdown.
- Tables and charts: Koi's tables have spreadsheet formulas and column totals, and it draws 11 chart types. UpNote has tables on Premium.
- Math: both draw LaTeX.
- Voice: Koi dictates offline in any app and records calls and classes into pages. UpNote has none of its own.
- AI: Koi's assistant, online, writes and edits pages when you ask. UpNote doesn't list AI.
Moving
How to bring UpNote notes into Koi
- In UpNote, export the notes or notebook you want as Markdown. Export is a Premium feature.
- In Koi, choose File, then Import…, or Import in the Documents window, and pick a .md file.
- Koi makes a page of its words, read on your Mac. Import takes one file at a time, so start with the notes you use now.
- Sort the pages into groups. Hashtags come in as words, not tags.
Privacy
What stays on your Mac, and what goes online
UpNote syncs your notes between devices, and Premium sync needs you signed in to an UpNote account. Koi works the other way: there's no sync, so your documents, pictures and recordings are kept on your Mac and nowhere else. Writing, dictating, transcribing a recorded call and exporting all work with no connection.
Koi still goes online for some things: signing in, since it needs an account and a plan, and its AI, which is online. With “Let Koi write and edit for me” on, the page open in Koi's window goes along with each question so Koi can change it, and our server keeps none of it. The flip side of no sync: back up your Mac, because Koi keeps no copy anywhere else.
Choosing
Which UpNote alternative should you pick?
- Free and on your iPhone? Apple Notes.
- Markdown notes with Word export on Apple devices? Bear.
- Your own files, free, everywhere? Obsidian.
- Open source on every platform? Joplin.
- Polished documents? Craft.
- Notes you talk into, with Word export, charts and recorded calls, on one Mac? Koi.
Studying from your notes? Koi turns any page or imported PDF into a summary, flashcards and a quiz; see the study page. Plans are on the pricing page.
Keep exploring
The best Bear alternatives for Mac
Looking for a Bear notes app alternative on Mac? Koi, Apple Notes, Obsidian, Craft, Typora and iA Writer compared on files, iPhone, LaTeX, charts and price.
Notes apps for Mac you can pay for once
Notes apps for Mac you can buy once: Koi Lifetime, iA Writer, Typora, Agenda and Ulysses, plus free Apple Notes and Obsidian, with what each licence covers.
Notes on your Mac, with tables, charts and math
Koi for Mac is an offline notes app with tables, 11 chart types, LaTeX, to-dos and flashcards. Export to Word or PDF, and start by typing or by talking.
Support
Frequently asked questions
On UpNote's website, Premium is $1.99 a month or $39.99 once for life, at the time of writing. The free plan holds 50 notes, and App Store prices vary by country.
UpNote lists export to text, PDF, HTML and Markdown, not Word. Bear, Craft and Koi export Word files.
Yes. UpNote draws LaTeX formulas with MathJax, inserted from the formatting bar, with a shortcut, or typed between $$.
No. UpNote is $39.99 once, and Koi is a monthly plan or a Lifetime that costs more. Koi adds dictation, recorded calls, charts and an AI assistant, on one Mac.