Switching to Noteastic: Real Stories from OneNote, Goodnotes & Nebo Users
Introduction
Choosing a note-taking application is an important decision. You spend considerable amounts of time with this kind of software, and switching from one to another is not easy. Your notes, your workflows, and your muscle memory are all tied to the app you use every day. So when people actually make the switch, it means a lot.
Since releasing Noteastic, we have received hundreds of messages from students and professionals around the world telling us why they switched to Noteastic from various other apps. They shared their story not because we asked them to, but out of genuine excitement.
And this is no coincidence. On the contrary, we meticulously follow our convictions about what makes a good note-taking app.
Switching from OneNote
OneNote is the default note-taking application on Windows. It comes pre-installed on most Windows machines, is backed by Microsoft, and has an enormous feature set. But when it comes to handwritten note-taking, some users tell us they were looking for something different.
Here is what users told us after switching from OneNote:
“I’ve been using the app for 3 days now and it’s amazing! Significantly better than OneNote and elevates the whole Surface experience to another level. The only reason for an iPad (Goodnotes) has been wiped out by Noteastic. Thank you for this incredible program!”
Original: “Ich nutze das Programm jetzt seit 3 Tagen und es ist super! Extrem viel besser als Onenote und hebt die ganze Surface Experience auf ein anderes Level. Der einzige Grund für ein Ipad (Goodnotes) wurde durch Noteastic ausradiert. Vielen Dank für dieses super tolle Programm!”
— 🇩🇪 · In-App Feedback
“I study civil engineering in Aachen. From the start I used OneNote, and after about a year I began searching for alternatives. Today I came across Noteastic through a comment and immediately turned on my laptop. I’m very positively surprised! The app is clean, minimalistic, organized and has (almost) everything you need. […] In my opinion, OneNote can pack it up.”
Original: “Ich studiere Bauingenieurwesen in Aachen. Seit Anfang an habe ich OneNote benutzt und nach ca. einem Jahr habe ich schon angefangen nach Alternativen zu suchen. […] Heute bin ich durch einen Kommentar auf Noteastic aufmerksam geworden und sofort schaltete ich meinen Laptop an. Ich bin sehr positiv überrascht! Die App ist clean, minimalistisch, übersichtlich und hat (fast) alles was man braucht. […] OneNote kann meiner Meinung nach einpacken.”
— 🇩🇪 Aachen · Contact Mail
“It’s a really cool tool and the best alternative I’ve found for OneNote so far. It’s clear, easy to use and intuitive.”
Original: “Es ist ein wirklich cooles Tool und die beste Alternative, die ich bis jetzt gefunden habe für OneNote. Es ist übersichtlich, leicht zu bedienen und intuitiv.”
— 🇦🇹 Linz · In-App Feedback
“OneNote was frustrating and I couldn’t use it, but the PDF file was imported without any trouble. I think it’s an app that takes care of the essentials so well. It’s even better that the core features will remain free. Willing to use the sync function or cloud backup function even if it is provided for a fee in the future.”
Original: “OneNote는 답답해서 못쓰겠던데 PDF파일도 버벅임없이 Import됨. 필수적인것을 너무도 잘챙긴 앱이라 생각됨. 핵심기능은 계속 무료로 제공한다고해서 더좋음. 추후에 동기화 기능이나 클라우드 백업기능이 유료로 제공되어도 사용할 의향있음.”
— 🇰🇷 · 재훈 · Microsoft Store
“I recently started using Noteastic and really like how simple and clean it is — it definitely feels like the right fit for me compared to OneNote.”
— 🇩🇪 · Contact Mail
“Hello everyone, first of all thank you for this great app! I searched for a long time after turning my back on OneNote. The app runs smoothly on my Surface and is clean, no bells and whistles. I like it a lot.”
Original: “Hallo zusammen, erstmal vielen Dank für diese tolle App! Ich habe sehr lange nach sowas gesucht nachdem ich OneNote den Rücken gekehrt habe. Die App läuft Smooth auf meinem Surface und ist sehr schlicht und ohne Schnick Schnack. Gefällt mir sehr gut so.”
— 🇩🇪 · In-App Feedback
“I love the app and have been transitioning from OneNote to it, as I often have a lot of problems with OneNote, especially when exporting files.”
— 🇺🇸 New York · Contact Mail
“It’s been a great change so far coming from OneNote. I love the simplicity and minimal UI.”
— 🇺🇸 · In-App Feedback
A recurring theme in these messages is PDF workflows — many users report friction when importing or exporting in other apps. Noteastic’s page-based system and clean interface seem to resonate with people who want an intuitive, distraction-free note-taking experience.
Switching from Goodnotes
Goodnotes is widely regarded as one of the best handwritten note-taking apps on iPad. However, several users who loved Goodnotes on iOS told us they are searching for a similar experience on their Surface or Windows laptop.
“I have tried many and none have come as close to my expectations as yours. Even the paid apps like Goodnotes — which was a great disappointment — and Inkodo all had very limiting functionality or missed the response time of the stylus. However Noteastic succeeded in all of these categories like it was nothing.”
— 🇧🇪 Ghent · Contact Mail
“I’m used to using Nebo and Goodnotes on Windows, but I often have bugs. I regret not discovering Noteastic sooner — it’s free and even better than both paid apps! The app is fluid and fast, no issues writing or importing PDFs, even large ones.”
Original: “J’ai l’habitude d’utiliser Nebo et Goodnotes sur Windows, mais j’ai souvent des beugs. Je regrette de ne pas avoir découvert Noteastic plus tôt, elle est gratuite et même mieux que les deux apps payantes! L’appli est fluide et rapide, aucun soucis pour écrire ou importer des pdf, même volumineux.”
— 🇧🇪 · Lily · Microsoft Store
“Thank you so much for your program, it’s really amazing! Goodnotes has gotten bad and I simply had to switch.”
Original: “Vielen lieben Dank erst einmal für euer Programm, wirklich mega! Goodnotes ist schlecht geworden und ich musste einfach wechseln.”
— 🇩🇪 Stuttgart · In-App Feedback
“Enough of Goodnotes and its webapp ‘application’ lags, enough of Samsung Notes and its weirdness on PC, I decided to try you.”
— 🇮🇹 Pescara · In-App Feedback
“The truth is that the app is very complete and has many features. I’m thinking of migrating from Goodnotes to this app — besides having many features, it’s free, and it has everything I use in Goodnotes.”
Original: “La verdad esque es muy completa la aplicación y tiene muchas cosas, estoy pensando en migrar de goodnotes a esta aplicación, aparte que tiene muchas cosas es gratis, tiene todo lo que uso en goodnotes.”
— 🇲🇽 · David · Microsoft Store
“Excellent software — I used to use Goodnotes, but the Windows version of Goodnotes is simply a disaster. Moreover, this app is very well maintained by its developer; it’s currently at version 1.4.4, and its common features and handwriting experience are already excellent. Definitely worth trying.”
Original: “之前一直在用Goodnotes，但是windows上的Goodnotes简直就是灾难。而且这个软件的开发者维护的很好，目前是1.4.4版本，常用功能以及手写体验已经非常棒了，值得大家尝试。”
— 🇨🇳 · 木 · Microsoft Store
“No other app gives you a Goodnotes-like UI the way Noteastic does! The writing feel is fantastic.”
Original: “Man bekommt mit keiner anderen App ein Goodnotes ähnliches UI, wie es bei Noteastic der Fall ist! Das Schreibgefühl ist fantastisch.”
— 🇨🇭 · Stefan · Microsoft Store
These users came to Noteastic looking for the kind of clean, responsive handwriting experience they enjoyed on iPad — and based on their feedback, it seems like they found it.
Switching from Nebo, Drawboard PDF & Others
Not everyone who switches to Noteastic comes from the big names. Some users arrive from Nebo, Drawboard PDF, Microsoft Journal, or other tools. Their reasons for switching vary, but the search is always the same: something that just works.
“For a long time, I’ve been using Samsung Notes as my absolute go-to app for studying. But then, I bought a laptop, and that app kind of lost its value to me. So I began researching something that would match the quality of Samsung Notes on the laptop. And WOWWWWW. This app has exceeded my favourite app by far. It is just so intuitive and kind in use! I could not love it more.”
— 🇺🇦 · In-App Feedback
“I am a biology teacher. I always use Drawboard PDF for annotating a PDF file. I found some annoying energy consumption that made my Microsoft Surface Go 2 suddenly freeze. I just discovered a new PDF annotating app by accident on Microsoft Store. That is your app ‘Noteastic’. I take about 1 hour to understand functions and decided to use this app as the main annotating PDF. Because this app is very fast. It is fluent, perfect for my Microsoft Surface Go 2.”
— 🇹🇭 Bangkok · In-App Feedback
“Hello, I found Noteastic after researching many other digital note-taking apps, and just becoming frustrated with them. My ‘requirements’ are: easy-to-use UI, importing and exporting PDFs, customizable paper templates, document management. So far, Noteastic fulfills these requirements. It looks very promising, good work!”
“Migrated to Noteastic from Nebo and it’s great! Contributed to a good start into the upcoming semester today haha”
“Noteastic is truly a fabulous app and so far I haven’t found a comparably good one that is also free. The app runs beautifully smooth and the design is nicely compact.”
Original: “Noteastic ist wirklich eine fabelhafte App und bisher habe ich keine vergleichbar gute gefunden, die auch noch kostenlos ist. Die App läuft schön flüssig und ist vom Design her schön kompakt.”
— 🇩🇪 Cologne · In-App Feedback
“I recently downloaded this app after being frustrated by some of Microsoft Journal’s features, and I already love it so so much! And to be honest, it could stay this way without changing anything forever and I’d be satisfied with it.”
— 🇺🇸 Marlborough · In-App Feedback
What stands out across these messages is how much smooth PDF workflows and a responsive UI matter to people — and how often they feel those basics are missing elsewhere.
What They All Have in Common
Users come from different apps, different countries, and different workflows. Some are engineering students in Germany. Some are biology teachers in Thailand. Some are creatives in Belgium who tried every app on the market. But the pattern is the same: they wanted something clean and fast that ‘simply’ does the job — and I am happy that they finally got it.
Noteastic doesn’t try to be everything. We are doing the fundamentals right: smooth inking, a page-based system, an organized library, and a UI that stays out of your way. From here we can start building into the future to make a truly excellent application out of this gem!
I hope you will join us on this journey. Go give Noteastic a try!
-Lukas
Co-Founder and CEO of Noteastic
All quotes in this blog are real messages from Noteastic users, received through our in-app feedback system, contact email, Reddit community, and Microsoft Store reviews. Non-English quotes are shown in their original language alongside an English translation. We are grateful to every user who took the time to share their thoughts.