Type or write by hand
A clean rich-text editor for lectures, and a paper editor to write and sketch by hand like in a notebook. Equations, tables, images and code blocks included.
Note-taking app
The note-taking app built for students
Take notes in class, import your lecture PDFs and slides, then let Noto turn them into flashcards, quizzes and revision sheets. One app from the first lecture to exam day.
- Unlimited notes on the free plan
- No credit card
- Any browser, installable on Mac and PC
Why students take their notes in Noto
Everything a good note-taking app does, plus what students actually need to pass their exams.
Import PDFs, Word and slides
Drop in your lecture PDF or Word file and annotate it right on the course. Turn PowerPoint slides into structured notes in one click.
Voice notes, transcribed
Record a thought or a part of the lecture and get it transcribed into your note, so nothing the teacher says gets lost.
Organized by course and chapter
Notebooks, folders and chapters that mirror your syllabus, with a calendar and tasks in sync so deadlines live next to the notes.
An AI that knows your notes
Highlight any passage to explain it, fact-check it, correct it or rephrase it. Ask the Noto assistant questions about your own course.
Notes become study tools
One click turns a note into flashcards, a practice quiz, graded exercises, a revision sheet or even an audio podcast.
Know when you are ready
Spaced repetition schedules your reviews, and a readiness score per chapter shows what to revise before the exam.
Share and study together
Share a note with classmates, revise in study rooms, publish to the student library. Dyslexia-friendly mode and 12 languages.
From lecture notes to exam day
- 1
Take or import your notes
Type in class, write by hand, record a voice note or import the teacher's PDF and slides.
- 2
Turn them into study tools
Generate flashcards, quizzes, exercises and revision sheets from your own notes, not from generic content.
- 3
Revise what matters
Spaced repetition and the readiness score per chapter tell you exactly what to review, and when.
Noto vs Notion, Goodnotes, OneNote, Evernote and Obsidian
Great note-taking apps exist. Here is what each one does natively for students.
| Feature | Noto | Notion | Goodnotes | OneNote | Evernote | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan with unlimited notes | Built in | Built in | Not built in | Built in | Not built in | Built in |
| AI that summarizes and answers questions about your notes | Built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Not built in |
| Flashcards generated automatically from your notes | Built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in |
| Quizzes generated from your notes | Built in | Not built in | Built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in |
| Spaced repetition reviews | Built in | Not built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in |
| Calendar or tasks built in | Built in | Built in | Not built in | Not built in | Built in | Not built in |
| Exam readiness tracked per chapter | Built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in |
Built in Built inPartial: paid tier, add-on or limited Partial: paid tier, add-on or limitedNot built in Not built in
Based on each app's official pricing and help pages, checked on October 23, 2026. Community plugins and third-party add-ons are not counted. Features change: if something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it. Sources: Notion, Goodnotes, OneNote, Evernote, Obsidian.
When another app may suit you better
- Goodnotes if you mostly write by hand on an iPad with an Apple Pencil.
- Notion if you want a wiki and databases shared with a whole team or club.
- Obsidian if you want plain-text files stored only on your own computer.
- OneNote if your school already runs everything on Microsoft 365.
If your goal is to understand your courses and pass your exams, Noto is built for exactly that.
What Noto does best
Notes and revision in one place
No copy-pasting between a note app, a flashcard app and a planner. Your notes are the source of every study tool.
Study tools made from your course
Flashcards, quizzes and revision sheets come from your own notes and lecture files, so they match what will be on the exam.
You see your progress
Readiness per chapter, weak spots and study time show where you stand before the exam, not after.
Free to start, built for students
Unlimited notes, notebooks, calendar, tasks and sharing on the free plan. AI study tools from $9.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial.
AI
Noto vs ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot
AI chatbots are great at explaining a concept. Here is what they do, and don't do, for your whole semester.
| Feature | Noto | ChatGPT | Gemini | Gemini Notebook (ex-NotebookLM) | Claude | Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A real notes editor to write and organize your courses | Built in | Not built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Not built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited |
| Answers based on your own course files | Built in | Built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Built in | Built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited |
| Interactive flashcards from your material | Built in | Built in | Built in | Built in | Not built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited |
| Interactive quizzes from your material | Built in | Built in | Built in | Built in | Not built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited |
| Spaced repetition that schedules your reviews | Built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in | Not built in |
| Progress and exam readiness per chapter | Built in | Not built in | Not built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Not built in | Not built in |
| Study calendar or tasks built in | Built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Not built in | Not built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited |
| Your content is not used to train AI models by default | Built in | Not built in | Not built in | Built in | Partial: paid tier, add-on or limited | Not built in |
Based on each tool's official help, pricing and privacy pages, checked on October 23, 2026. A cross means we found no official mention of the feature. Partial: paid tier, education licence only, or limited. Sources: ChatGPT, OpenAI data, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Claude, Copilot.
Why not just use ChatGPT for studying?
- A chat is a conversation, not a course: once it scrolls away, your explanations, flashcards and quizzes are hard to find again. In Noto they live in your notes, organized by course and chapter.
- Chatbots answer when you ask. Noto plans what to review and when, with spaced repetition and a readiness score per chapter, so you know where you stand before the exam.
- You don't have to choose: Noto's AI uses leading models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, right inside your notes, and your content is never used to train them.
Questions about the Noto note-taking app
What is the best note-taking app for students?
It depends on how you study. For handwriting on an iPad, Goodnotes is excellent; for team wikis, Notion. If you want one app that takes your notes and then helps you revise them with flashcards, quizzes, spaced repetition and a readiness score per chapter, Noto is built for that.
Why use Noto instead of ChatGPT to study?
ChatGPT and other chatbots are excellent for explaining a concept on the spot, and some now make flashcards and quizzes. Noto is where your course lives: you write and organize your notes there, the AI works on them, reviews are scheduled with spaced repetition and your readiness is tracked per chapter until the exam. Your content is not used to train AI models.
Is Noto a free note-taking app?
Yes. The free Starter plan gives you unlimited notes and notebooks, the calendar and tasks, PDF and Word annotations, the handwriting editor, sharing and study rooms. AI study tools are part of Noto Plus and Scholar, with a 7-day free trial.
Can Noto turn my notes into flashcards and quizzes?
Yes. Open a note and generate a flashcard deck or a practice quiz in one click. Flashcards are reviewed with spaced repetition so you see each card at the right time.
Can I import my lecture PDFs and PowerPoint slides?
Yes. Import PDF and Word files and annotate them directly, and turn PowerPoint slides into structured notes (slides import is part of Noto Plus).
Can I take handwritten notes in Noto?
Yes. The paper editor lets you write and draw by hand like in a notebook, next to your typed notes.
Is Noto an alternative to Notion for students?
Yes, if you mainly use Notion for course notes. Noto keeps the notes and adds what Notion does not do natively for studying: flashcards and quizzes generated from your notes, spaced repetition and exam readiness per chapter.
On which devices does Noto work?
In any web browser on computer, tablet and phone, and it can be installed as an app on macOS and Windows. Your notes sync across devices.
Are my notes private?
Your notes are visible only to you unless you share them. When you use an AI feature, the content is processed by our AI providers and never used to train their models. Details are in our privacy policy.
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