What it does
Openote is a young open-source notebook for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its official repository describes notebooks with sections and pages, a freeform canvas, Markdown, pressure-sensitive ink, math, tables, PDF annotation, flashcards, and OneNote import. Notes remain in a documented local format; the project warns that updates may temporarily break features and that macOS testing is limited.
Combine handwriting and structured pages in a local notebook
Openote takes a notebook-and-page approach, but its canvas allows content to be placed freely rather than forcing every entry into a linear document. The project lists Markdown, pressure-sensitive ink, shapes, math, tables, PDFs, flashcards, and OneNote import. That mix may suit students who switch between typed explanations, diagrams, and handwritten calculations while keeping the underlying notes on disk.
The official repository describes the file format as documented and independent of the app, and the project has a GNU AGPL-3.0-or-later license. Its latest release is 1.0.1, published on 2026-10-01. The same repository cautions that the project is young, updates may break features, development is on Windows, Linux receives occasional testing, and macOS is largely untested. I did not install the app, import a OneNote notebook, write with a stylus, or test recovery of local notes.
Strengths
- The canvas, pages, and sections support both freeform placement and a familiar notebook hierarchy.
- Markdown, handwriting, math, tables, PDF annotation, and flashcards cover several study-note formats.
- The documented local format is intended to remain readable independently of the application.
Watch out for
- The project warns that updates can temporarily break features and that macOS is largely untested.
- The app is described as young, and the repository notes that Linux receives only occasional testing.
Best for
- Students who want typed notes, freeform ink, diagrams, and math in one local notebook
- People evaluating an open-source alternative to OneNote who are comfortable with a young project
Sources
- Openote — your notes, your format, every platform (Oct 25, 2026)
- Openote | Official Repository (Oct 25, 2026)
- Openote 1.0.1 Release | GitHub (Oct 25, 2026)
- GNU Affero General Public License v3 | Openote (Oct 25, 2026)