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Zoho Notebook

Privacy-focused, card-based note-taking app for personal and team productivity

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  • Overview
  • Features
  • Pricing
  • Pros
  • Cons
  • Reviews

Zoho Notebook Overview

  • Updated March 9, 2026

Zoho Notebook is a secure, cross-platform note-taking app designed to help individuals and teams capture, organize, and collaborate on ideas. It uses a unique card-based system for text, audio, photos, sketches, and files.

With strong privacy principles, offline access, and optional AI-powered writing and transcription tools, it suits students, professionals, and businesses seeking a clean, distraction-free workspace.

Key Features

  • Card-Based Notes: Different cards for text, checklists, audio, photos, sketches, and files.
  • Cross-Platform Sync: Access notes seamlessly across web, desktop, and mobile devices.
  • Organization Tools: Tags, notebooks, nested collections, and reminders keep content structured.
  • Collaboration: Share notebooks with read-only or edit access for teams and students.
  • Notebook AI: AI-powered transcription, writing assistance, summaries, and content generation.
  • Privacy & Security: Ad-free experience with strong data protection and encryption focus.

Price

Plan Price Featured
Notebook Essential $0 (Free) Cross-device sync, 2GB storage (personal), Basic sharing (read-only)
Notebook Pro $19.99/year (Billed Annually) 100GB storage, Advanced search (OCR), Edit & co-owner sharing
Notebook for Business Custom Quote / Contact Sales Team workspaces, Admin controls, 1TB shared storage (up to 10 users)
Notebook AI Add-on Paid Add-on (Per User) AI transcription, Writing assistant, Mind maps & summaries

Price details: https://www.zoho.com/notebook/pricing.html

Pros

Competitor

Pros
Evernote Zoho Notebook is significantly more affordable and offers a generous free plan without ads. Its clean, card-based interface is easier for casual users, and privacy practices are clearer, making it appealing to users who want simplicity without aggressive upselling.
Notion Notebook is far easier to learn and faster for pure note-taking. It avoids complex databases and setup, letting users write immediately while still supporting collaboration, which suits individuals and small teams better.
Microsoft OneNote Zoho Notebook provides a more visually modern experience with structured cards and better mobile consistency. It also offers clearer privacy positioning and a lighter interface compared to OneNote’s heavier layout.
Google Keep Notebook supports richer note types, larger files, and long-form organization through notebooks and tags, making it better suited for research, journaling, and team use beyond quick reminders.
Standard Notes Zoho Notebook offers a more polished UI and broader multimedia support at a lower cost, appealing to users who want creative flexibility without paying high fees for basic features.

Cons

Competitor

Cons
Evernote Compared to Evernote, Zoho Notebook lacks some advanced productivity features like deep integrations and complex task management, which power users may rely on for large-scale knowledge bases.
Notion Notebook does not match Notion’s flexibility for databases, wikis, or custom workflows, limiting its usefulness for teams needing highly structured project management systems.
Microsoft OneNote OneNote offers deeper integration with Microsoft 365 tools, while Zoho Notebook may feel isolated for organizations already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem.
Google Keep Zoho Notebook is heavier and less instant for ultra-quick notes compared to Google Keep, which excels at fast capture and tight Google Workspace integration.
Obsidian Notebook lacks advanced backlinking, graph views, and markdown-centric workflows that knowledge management enthusiasts value in Obsidian.

Verified Customer Reviews

  • Reddit r/Evernote: Offline access sparked debate, with a Zoho team member stating that once logged in all notes and files remain accessible offline if they were downloaded beforehand. One user confirmed older text notes opened fine without internet but said images failed to load, while another criticized the HTML export for dumping everything into a single file with “gibberish filenames” and no notebook structure.
  • Forbes Review (Rating: 3.5/5): The feature set earns praise for collaboration and sharing options, plus extras like a web clipper, tags, audio memos, and document support, giving Zoho Notebook solid versatility for different note styles.
  • Software Advice Review (Rating: 4.5/5): The color code system helps organize documents clearly, and many highlight how easily Zoho Notebook transfers notes from other applications while supporting multimedia notes and cross-device sync. Complaints target the weak email share button, the lack of a full list view that forces extra scrolling, and a user experience that lacks templates and depth compared to OneNote.
  • cloudwards.net Review: Strong privacy protections stand out, with two-factor authentication, passcode and Touch ID support, and encryption both in transit and at rest. The app stays fully ad-free and promises not to read or sell note data, and European accounts keep data on European servers, which reassures privacy-conscious users.
  • TechRadar Review (Rating: 4.5/5): A straightforward way to store notes and access them anytime makes it a smart pick for everyday use, though the lack of advanced features found in rival apps limits its power for heavy users.
  • Capterra Review (Rating: 4.5/5): The low learning curve and ease of use attract newcomers, and the ability to transfer notes from other applications draws many to Zoho Notebook in the first place.
  • Google Play Review: Long-time users complain that features such as personalized notebook covers and custom note order moved behind a paywall, and one reviewer reported messy sync on a new phone with duplicate notebooks and “wonky” fonts. Another described the paid subscription as a downgrade, citing broken features, an unresponsive customer service team, and a confusing knowledge base.