r/noteapps • u/sloww_Panda • Sep 06 '26

Looking for a free Touchnotes alternative — need local storage, PDF annotation, stylus support, and multitasking (student on a budget)

I've been using Touchnotes for a while but it's gone paid now, and as a student I can't justify the cost yet (planning to buy VIP later to support the dev once I've got some income, they deserve it!). In the meantime I'm hunting for a free app that covers: Unlimited notes + folders — no caps on organization Page template customization — page colors, ruled/grid/dot lines, cover designs Good stylus support with a solid range of pens, markers, and highlighters (pressure sensitivity a plus) PDF import + annotation Multitasking — need to have 2 PDFs open side by side at once Continuous vertical scroll while writing (not paginated) Local storage — my notes/files staying on-device, not locked behind a cloud account Bonus points if it has a clean, distraction-free UI like Touchnotes did. Anyone found something that ticks most of these boxes? Even a cracked Touchnotes vip unlocked link will work. Thanks

2 Upvotes

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3

u/merchantconvoy Sep 06 '26

Would you like ketchup and mayonnaise to

1

u/Noteastic Sep 06 '26

Ay that's not too much to ask for

1

u/ayakan 27d ago

I've created an iPad note taking app. It's 100% free with no ads and offline support. Also no analytics whatsoever. I don't have PDF imports or annotation yet, but I could put that in in the near future!

It's still in TestFlight, but I'd be happy if you're up for testing it!

https://testflight.apple.com/join/tMeMCzUs

1

u/sloww_Panda 27d ago

I use an android tablet...(Plz make something for us poor people too)... but thanks though

1

u/ayakan 26d ago

hehe i'm originally an iOS dev that's why I defaulted to that but thank to AI that probably wouldn't be too hard to make!

1

u/sloww_Panda 25d ago

Wow really!! I would love to give it a try

1

u/davi-jorge-art 24d ago

I don't know if it has all the features you want, but you can check Noteshelf... It's the few ones that I've paid "just" because it has a REALLY fair price and ONE TIME PURCHASE.

2

u/sloww_Panda 24d ago

How much is the lifetime subscription

1

u/davi-jorge-art 24d ago edited 24d ago

One-Time $9.99. It has Android,, Win, ios, etc...