Top Drafts Alternatives for Seamless Note-Taking and Text Capture
Drafts has long been lauded as a powerhouse for quickly capturing text and sending it almost anywhere. Its minimalist interface opens to a blank slate, ready for your thoughts, notes, tweets, or emails, without the hassle of navigating menus or folders. For iOS users, it's been a go-to for its flexibility and extensive output options. However, for those looking for a different approach, cross-platform compatibility, or specific features not offered by Drafts, exploring a Drafts alternative is a natural step.
Best Drafts Alternatives
Whether you're seeking a robust organization system, enhanced collaboration features, or simply a different user experience, there's a perfect note-taking app out there for you. Here are some of the top Drafts alternatives that offer unique strengths for various needs.
Google Keep
Google Keep is an excellent Drafts alternative for users deeply integrated into the Google ecosystem. It's a free, cross-platform tool available on Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, Android, and iOS. Google Keep shines with features like color-coding notes, inserting images, creating lists, location-based reminders, and real-time collaboration, making it ideal for visual organization and quick shared notes.
Evernote
Evernote is a comprehensive freemium Drafts alternative known for its powerful note-taking, organizing, and archiving capabilities across Mac, Windows, Web, Android, and iOS. It allows users to create rich notes with text formatting, hyperlinks, and even includes screenshot OCR, making it a robust option for those who need more than just plain text capture. Its cloud sync and cross-platform support are key advantages.
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote offers a digital notebook experience that serves as a strong Drafts alternative, especially for Microsoft users. Available as freemium software on Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS, it excels in hierarchical note organization, freehand writing with stylus support, and embedding media. Features like OCR, auto-saving, and real-time synchronization make it a versatile tool for students and professionals alike.
Joplin
Joplin is an excellent open-source and free Drafts alternative for those prioritizing privacy and markdown support. Available on Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS, Joplin boasts end-to-end encryption, cloud synchronization (including Dropbox and Nextcloud), and a web clipper. Its ability to write and save notes in Markdown, coupled with a hierarchical structure and offline access, makes it a powerful choice for developers and privacy-conscious users.
Standard Notes
Standard Notes is a simple yet highly secure and private Drafts alternative. As a freemium and open-source application available on Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, Android, and iOS, it emphasizes end-to-end encryption and a minimalist, distraction-free interface. Its extensible plugin architecture allows for rich text editing and other features, making it ideal for users who value security and cross-device syncing of their plain text notes.
CherryTree
CherryTree is a free and open-source Drafts alternative that excels in hierarchical note-taking. Available on Windows, Linux, and PortableApps.com, it stores data in a single XML or SQLite file, offering portability. Key features include rich text and syntax highlighting, encryption, and an infinite hierarchical depth, making it suitable for organizing complex information and code snippets.
NoteLedge
NoteLedge is a commercial Drafts alternative focused on multimedia note-taking. Available on Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS, it allows users to take notes, sketch, record audio and video, and organize content with drag-and-drop functionality. Its support for Apple Pencil, live screen recording, and export to PDF make it a versatile tool for creatives and visual learners.
Notezilla
Notezilla is a commercial Drafts alternative for Windows and mobile devices, specializing in colorful and powerful sticky notes. It offers features like reminder alarms, attaching notes to websites or documents, organizing with folders/tags, and cloud sync. Its intuitive interface and robust organization tools make it a great option for quick reminders and task management.
Trilium Notes
Trilium Notes is a free and open-source Drafts alternative for Windows and Linux, ideal for building a personal knowledge base. It allows notes to be arranged in an arbitrarily deep hierarchy and supports multiple parents for notes through cloning. Its tag-based organization and rich WYSIWYG editing make it a powerful tool for information management and complex note structures.
Cryptee
Cryptee is a freemium and open-source Drafts alternative focused on secure and encrypted storage for private documents, notes, files, and photos. Available on Web, Android, and iOS, Cryptee prioritizes end-to-end encryption and rich text editing. It's an excellent choice for users who need a private and secure home for their sensitive information, offering peace of mind alongside robust note-taking capabilities.
Each of these Drafts alternatives brings its unique strengths to the table, from robust organizational features to enhanced privacy and multimedia support. Consider your primary use case, desired platform compatibility, and budget to find the best fit for your note-taking and text-capture needs.