Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving NotePlan.
Want the closest match?
MorgenMost similar to NotePlan in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Morgen in a new tab)Need a free plan?
ObsidianHas a free plan, rated 4.6 out of 5. NotePlan has none.
Visit (opens Obsidian in a new tab)Want to pay less than NotePlan?
TrelloFrom $5/mo, against from $8.33/mo for NotePlan.
Visit (opens Trello in a new tab)Want the best rated?
AkiflowRated 4.4 out of 5 in our review, against 3.8 for NotePlan.
Visit (opens Akiflow in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than NotePlan, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 NotePlanBaseline | 3.8 | $8.33/mo | No | Notes, tasks and calendar app for Mac, iPhone and iPad built around daily notes and Markdown files, with Memo AI turning voice notes into structured insights. | |
| Morgen | 4.3+0.5 | $15/mo$6.67 more | No | Unifies every calendar account you have into one view | vs NotePlan |
 MeisterTask | 3.7−0.1 | Free | YesNotePlan has none | Kanban-based work management with a built-in Notes knowledge base and Meister AI for finding and drafting inside it, positioned on security. | vs NotePlan |
| Obsidian | 4.6+0.8 | $4/mo$4.33 less | YesNotePlan has none | Notes stored as plain local Markdown files, not a proprietary database | vs NotePlan |
 SelfManager.ai | 3.8Same | $6/mo$2.33 less | No | A task manager organised by date rather than by project, with an AI weekly review. | vs NotePlan |
 Workflowy | 3.9+0.1 | $6.99/mo$1.34 less | YesNotePlan has none | Outliner for notes and tasks built on one nested list, with optional Workflowy AI features that generate, edit, summarize and improve content inside documents using OpenAI and Anthropic models. | vs NotePlan |
| Akiflow | 4.4+0.6 | $19/mo$10.67 more | No | Pulls tasks from every other tool into one daily planning view | vs NotePlan |
| Trello | 4.5+0.7 | $5/mo$3.33 less | YesNotePlan has none | The kanban-board work management tool, now with Atlassian Intelligence AI built into every card | vs NotePlan |
 Auri | 3.5−0.3 | Free | YesNotePlan has none | AI keyboard and system-wide dictation for Apple devices - improve text in any app, on iPhone, iPad, Watch and Mac. | vs NotePlan |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches NotePlan.
Morgen
4.3$15/mo
vs NotePlan$6.67 more+0.5
Unifies every calendar account you have into one view.
- Unifies multiple calendar accounts (Google, iCloud, Outlook) in one view
- Integrated task list alongside the merged calendar
- No self-serve free tier
Genuinely solves multi-provider calendar fragmentation
No free tier to test before committing
MeisterTask
3.7Free
vs NotePlan−0.1Free plan
Kanban-based work management with a built-in Notes knowledge base and Meister AI for finding and drafting inside it, positioned on security.
- Kanban boards with task automation
- Notes - an integrated knowledge base beside the boards
- Ask Meister AI for search and drafting across Notes
Documentation lives next to the work rather than in a separate wiki
AI features are modest compared to competitors marketing on them
Obsidian
4.6$4/mo
vs NotePlan$4.33 less+0.8Free plan
Notes stored as plain local Markdown files, not a proprietary database.
- Notes stored as local, plain Markdown text files
- Extensive community plugin ecosystem
- Full functionality without requiring a cloud account
Genuine file-format portability and long-term data ownership
Plugin-heavy customization has a real setup learning curve
SelfManager.ai
3.8$6/mo
vs NotePlan$2.33 lessSame
A task manager organised by date rather than by project, with an AI weekly review.
- Daily workspaces with unlimited tables
- AI Plan generating editable task tables from a description
- AI Review summarising completed work and time allocation
Organised by day, which is the unit people actually plan in
A one-person company behind your planning system
Workflowy
3.9$6.99/mo
vs NotePlan$1.34 less+0.1Free plan
Outliner for notes and tasks built on one nested list, with optional Workflowy AI features that generate, edit, summarize and improve content inside documents using OpenAI and Anthropic models.
- Infinitely nested bullet list for notes and tasks
- Optional AI to generate, edit, summarize and improve content
- AI runs on OpenAI GPT and Anthropic Claude models
Free plan includes all features
Free plan is capped at 100 new nodes a month
Akiflow
4.4$19/mo
vs NotePlan$10.67 more+0.6
Pulls tasks from every other tool into one daily planning view.
- Aggregates tasks from email, Slack, calendar, and project tools
- One unified daily planning view
- No self-serve free tier
Genuinely solves task fragmentation across multiple existing tools
No free tier to test before committing
Trello
4.5$5/mo
vs NotePlan$3.33 less+0.7Free plan
The kanban-board work management tool, now with Atlassian Intelligence AI built into every card.
- Atlassian Intelligence writing assistant built into card descriptions and comments
- AI summarization that condenses long notes or meeting minutes into a short overview
- AI action-item extraction that turns messy notes into a structured checklist
Free plan is genuinely usable for individuals and small teams, not a limited-feature trial
AI features are recent additions layered onto an older product, not a ground-up AI-native design
Auri
3.5Free
vs NotePlan−0.3Free plan
AI keyboard and system-wide dictation for Apple devices - improve text in any app, on iPhone, iPad, Watch and Mac.
- AI keyboard working inside any app
- System-wide voice dictation on iOS and Mac
- Text improvement in place
Works where you already type rather than in a separate app
Apple only - nothing for Android, Windows or the web
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is NotePlan free?
NotePlan does not list a free plan. Paid plans start from $8.33/mo.
What is the best free alternative to NotePlan?
Obsidian is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.6 out of 5). Other free options: Trello, Workflowy, MeisterTask.
What is the cheapest alternative to NotePlan?
Among paid plans, Obsidian has the lowest starting price (from $4/mo). If you need it free, start with Obsidian.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.