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Best Curio Alternatives in 2026

Freemium#44 of 214 in Note-Taking Apps

The top Curio alternatives are Microsoft OneNote, Notion and Evernote: 15 Note-Taking apps our editors would look at instead of Curio, in our ranking order.

4.9/10Editor score
Curio4.9 Visit Curio

Curio: Curio gives Mac users a flexible visual workspace for notes, research, PDFs, and tasks. Where it falls short: available only on macOS.

Switching from Curio? For most note-taking apps buyers the best Curio alternative is Microsoft OneNote, built for microsoft-focused users and collaborative teams. On a budget, Notesnook starts at $1.67/mo, against $5/mo for Curio.

Why People Look for a Curio Alternative

  • Available only on macOS
  • Advanced use requires a paid license or subscription
  • The free plan limits projects to 5 idea spaces
  • Paid from $5/user/mo — Notesnook is $1.67/user/mo

Quick Picks by What You Need

All 15 Curio Alternatives, Ranked

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

  1. Best forMicrosoft-focused users and collaborative teams

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 9.3 vs 4.9

    A broad, collaborative note system with strong Microsoft integration and a capable free option.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    9.3/10★★★★★
    Visit site
  2. Notion

    Best forCollaborative notes and knowledge bases

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 9.2 vs 4.9

    A flexible workspace for teams that want notes and knowledge bases alongside databases and collaboration.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    9.2/10★★★★★
    Visit Notion
  3. Evernote

    Best forFeature-rich personal and business note taking

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 9.0 vs 4.9

    A broad note-taking workspace for organizing information, tasks, calendars, and documents.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    Free plan · 7-day trial Our Evernote verdict → Visit Evernote
    9.0/10★★★★☆
    Visit Evernote
  4. Goodnotes

    Best forHandwritten notebooks and PDF annotation

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.8 vs 4.9

    A broad note-taking app for handwriting, PDFs, collaboration, and AI across five platforms.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    Free plan · 7-day trial Our Goodnotes verdict → Visit Goodnotes
    8.8/10★★★★☆
    Visit Goodnotes
  5. Best forStudents using handwriting, PDFs, and recordings

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.7 vs 4.9

    A flexible notes app for handwriting, PDFs, recordings, and AI study tools.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    Free plan · 30-day trial Our Notability verdict → Visit Notability
    8.7/10★★★★☆
    Visit Notability
  6. Joplin

    Best forOpen-source, privacy-conscious note takers

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.6 vs 4.9

    A privacy-focused Markdown notebook that works across desktop, mobile and web.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    Free plan · 14-day trial Our Joplin verdict → Visit Joplin
    8.6/10★★★★☆
    Visit Joplin
  7. Best forUsers wanting free notes with broad integrations

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.5 vs 4.9

    A flexible free note-taking app with broad platforms, integrations, and content types.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    8.5/10★★★★☆
    Visit Zoho Notebook
  8. Obsidian

    Best forNetworked-note and knowledge-management users

    • Better than Curio:
    • Paid from: $4/user/mo vs $5/user/mo
    • Editor score 8.4 vs 4.9

    A flexible local-file workspace for connected notes, research, and personal knowledge.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    8.4/10★★★★☆
    Visit Obsidian
  9. Craft

    Best forPolished collaborative documents and notes

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.3 vs 4.9

    Craft brings polished notes, documents, tasks, collaboration, and AI into one workspace.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    Free plan Our Craft verdict → Visit Craft
    8.3/10★★★★☆
    Visit Craft
  10. Best forSimple, free notes and shared lists

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.2 vs 4.9

    A free, approachable choice for notes, lists, reminders, and lightweight collaboration.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    8.2/10★★★★☆
    Visit Google Keep
  11. Notejoy

    Best forCollaborative team note libraries

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.1 vs 4.9

    A flexible note library with real-time collaboration, offline access, and broad capture options.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    8.1/10★★★★☆
    Visit Notejoy
  12. Best forHandwriting, PDF annotation, and study sets

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 8.0 vs 4.9

    A strong choice for handwritten notes, PDF annotation, and study materials.

    • Note sharing
    Free plan · 7-day trial Our MyScript Notes verdict → Visit MyScript Notes
    8.0/10★★★★☆
    Visit MyScript Notes
  13. Logseq

    Best forOutliners, linked journals, and task-focused notes

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 7.9 vs 4.9

    A flexible local-first workspace for connected notes, tasks, journals, and research.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    7.9/10★★★★☆
    Visit Logseq
  14. Notesnook

    Best forAffordable encrypted notes across many devices

    • Better than Curio:
    • Paid from: $1.67/user/mo vs $5/user/mo
    • Editor score 7.8 vs 4.9

    A privacy-focused note app with broad platform support and low-cost paid plans.

    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    Free plan · 14-day trial Our Notesnook verdict → Visit Notesnook
    7.8/10★★★★☆
    Visit Notesnook
  15. Amplenote

    Best forPower users combining notes, tasks, and calendars

    • Better than Curio:
    • Editor score 7.7 vs 4.9

    A broad productivity workspace for connecting notes, tasks, calendars, and linked information.

    • Real-time collaboration
    • Note sharing
    • Offline access
    Free plan · 15-day trial Our Amplenote verdict → Visit Amplenote
    7.7/10★★★★☆
    Visit Amplenote

Curio Alternatives: Common Questions

What is the best alternative to Curio?

Microsoft OneNote: #1 in our Note-Taking Apps ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. A broad, collaborative note system with strong Microsoft integration and a capable free option.

Is there a free alternative to Curio?

Yes. Microsoft OneNote, Notion, Evernote, Goodnotes and Notability have a free plan or a free tier (15 of the 15 alternatives on this page).

What is the cheapest paid alternative to Curio?

Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Notesnook starts lowest, at $1.67/mo.

Why do people look for Curio alternatives?

Available only on macOS; Advanced use requires a paid license or subscription; The free plan limits projects to 5 idea spaces.

Which Curio alternative has the most storage limit?

Microsoft OneNote, with 5 GB.

How do I switch from Curio?

Export your data from Curio (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Curio.

How to Switch from Curio

  1. Export your data from Curio (most tools have an export in their settings).
  2. Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
  3. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
  4. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Curio.

Curio vs Each Alternative

#ToolFree planPaid fromOffline accessSupported platformsNote sharingReal-time collaborationScore
44CurioYes$5/moYesmacosYes4.9
1Microsoft OneNoteYes$99.99/yrYesweb, windows, macos, ios, androidYesYes9.3
2NotionYes$10/user/moYesweb, windows, macos, ios, android, chrome_extensionYesYes9.2
3EvernoteYesYesweb, windows, macos, ios, android, chrome_extensionYesYes9.0
4GoodnotesYesYesweb, windows, macos, ios, androidYesYes8.8
5NotabilityYes$14.99/user/yrYesweb, windows, macos, ios, androidYesYes8.7
6JoplinYes€2.40/moYesweb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extension, APIYesYes8.6
7Zoho NotebookYesYesweb, windows, macos, linux, ios, androidYesYes8.5
8ObsidianYes$4/user/moYesWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Chrome extensionYesYes8.4
9CraftYes$6.40/user/moYesweb, Windows, macOS, iOS, AndroidYesYes8.3
10Google KeepYesFreeYesweb, ios, android, chrome_extensionYesYes8.2
11NotejoyYes$5/moYesweb, windows, macos, ios, android, chrome_extensionYesYes8.1
12MyScript NotesYesiOS, Android, Windows, macOSYesNo8.0
13LogseqYesFreeYesweb, windows, macos, linux, ios, androidYesYes7.9
14NotesnookYes$1.67/moYesweb, windows, macos, linux, ios, androidYes7.8
15AmplenoteYesYesweb, windows, macos, linux, ios, android, chrome_extension, apiYesYes7.7

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026

Last updated · How we research and update