Best Highlights alternatives: apps like Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes

10+ similar apps compared and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
10 free apps
Updated November 2026

Highlights is great, but it's not the only option. Explore 10+ similar apps for iPhone and iPad, each reviewed and rated by real users. Find free alternatives, premium upgrades, and hidden gems.

KobCard

KobCard by KOB MARKETING

Gift Card Information Platform
4.1(387 ratings)
Free
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KobCard is a comprehensive gift card information platform that offers real-time exchange rates, price calculations, and the latest news on gift cards. It serves as a one-stop destination for individuals looking to buy, sell, or stay informed about the world of gift cards.

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Top Alternatives to Highlights

LiquidText#1

LiquidText by LiquidText, Inc.

Annotate & review documents
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.6😐(6.4K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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This app provides a powerful way to review, organize, and connect information from documents and webpages. It allows users to pull out key facts, compare sections, and build upon ideas for reports, research, or study. Advanced features enable linking concepts across multiple sources and creating visual mind maps.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Powerful annotation and organization features
  • 📚 Excellent for academic and research work
  • 💡 Innovative concept and workflow
  • 🤖 Responsive and helpful customer support
  • 🖼️ Smooth integration with Apple Pencil

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Expensive, especially for the subscription model
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
  • 🤯 Steep learning curve and unintuitive interface
  • 🔗 Lack of seamless cross-device sync and integration
  • 🔍 Navigation and file management issues
Allume — for focused thinking#2

Allume — for focused thinking by Milestone Made, LLC

Formerly Muse Canvas for Ideas
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
4.6😊(339 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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This app provides a digital canvas for organizing thoughts and ideas. It allows users to create nested boards, link content, and combine various media types like text, images, and PDFs. Collaborate with others in real-time on shared workspaces.

What We Love

  • 👍 Organize ideas and information
  • 🚀 Unique and very cool features
  • 👍 Indispensable app - incredibly well designed
  • 👍 Great thinking and creative tool
  • 👍 Exceptional app
  • 👍 Multipurpose & flexible
  • 👍 Game changing app for business and life
  • 👍 Spatial notes and organization
  • 👍 Completes iPad workflow with direct outlet for creativity

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Too expensive subscription price
  • 🔒 Lack of privacy of user data
  • 🔒 Requires email to try
  • 🐛 Bugs are prevalent
  • 🔒 Outrageous pricing
  • 🔒 No substantial difference to OneNote, Evernote etc.
Agenda: Notes meets Calendar#3

Agenda: Notes meets Calendar by Momenta B.V.

Project notes on a timeline
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.6😊(3.7K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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This app organizes notes by placing them on a timeline alongside your calendar. Capture decisions, prepare for meetings, and review past events in a single view. It offers a robust text editor and allows attaching files and photos to notes.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Powerful features
  • 📅 Excellent calendar integration
  • 💻 Seamless sync across devices
  • 🗓 Date-focused note-taking
  • 🔍 Helpful search and tagging
  • 🔒 Secure with iCloud sync
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🤔 Steep learning curve for some
  • 🔍 Difficult to find specific notes
  • 💰 Expensive premium subscription
  • 🖌 Lack of Apple Pencil support

More apps like Highlights

4
PDF Viewer by Nutrient
PDF Viewer by Nutrient
PDF Viewer by Nutrient
Fill Forms, Sign, Edit, Redact
Free

Easily view, search, and annotate PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Access files from cloud services, fill out forms, add signatures, and organize your documents. Advanced features are available through a subscription.

View, search, and annotate PDFsCloud service integrationFill out forms and add signatures
📊 Productivity
(9.1K)
freemium
5
MarginNote 3
MarginNote 3
MarginNote 3
E-reader Redefine your Study
Free

This app redefines studying by integrating e-reading with powerful annotation, mind mapping, and flashcard tools. Organize knowledge, connect ideas with hashtags, and enhance memory retention through spaced repetition. It offers a seamless workflow across multiple documents and devices.

Integrated PDF/EPUB readerAdvanced annotation toolsMind mapping and outline organization
📊 Productivity
(5K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Notes Writer: PDF, AI, Markup
Notes Writer: PDF, AI, Markup
Notes Writer: PDF, AI, Markup
Docs,Flashcards,Voice Recorder
Free

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF editing solution for mobile devices. It allows users to write, format, and organize notes, annotate PDFs, fill forms, and scan documents. The app offers advanced editing tools, powerful search, and seamless sharing and export options.

Write and format notesAnnotate PDFs and fill formsOrganize with unlimited notebooks
📊 Productivity
(7.3K)
free with in-app purchases
7
Craft: Notes, Documents, AI
Craft: Notes, Documents, AI
Craft: Notes, Documents, AI
Task, Schedule & Reminder
Free

This app helps you organize your thoughts, manage tasks, and boost productivity with an AI assistant. Create structured documents, plan your day, and connect with other tools for a seamless workflow across all your devices.

AI Assistant for research and writingStructured document creationNative task management system
📊 Productivity
(6.6K)
free with in-app purchases
8
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
Viewer, Editor, Notes, Planner
Free

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for note-taking, PDF editing, and digital journaling. It allows users to annotate documents, record audio, and organize study materials with intuitive gesture controls and Apple Pencil support. Enhance your productivity and creativity with this all-in-one study companion.

Edit and annotate PDF pagesGesture-based highlighting and image captureRecord and playback audio notes
📊 Productivity
(413)
free with in-app purchases
9
QuickNotes X: Notes, AI & PDF
QuickNotes X: Notes, AI & PDF
QuickNotes X: Notes, AI & PDF
Note-Taking, Made Easy.
Free

This app offers a fluid and precise note-taking experience with a custom vector ink engine, voice recording synced to writing, and ML-powered shape recognition. Organize notes with notebooks and folders, protect them with passwords and biometrics, and sync seamlessly across devices via iCloud. Mark up PDFs and presentations, and customize your notes with various tools and templates.

Vector ink engine for fluid writingVoice recording synced to notesML-powered shape recognition
📊 Productivity
(3.8K)
free with in-app purchases
10
PDF Reader – PDFelement
PDF Reader – PDFelement
PDF Reader – PDFelement
PDF Editor & Viewer, PDF Maker
Free

This app offers a superior PDF reading experience with its innovative Liquid Mode, which optimizes documents for mobile screens. It also provides robust tools for annotating, signing, managing, and sharing your PDF files, catering to both work and study needs.

Liquid Mode for optimized mobile readingAnnotation tools (pencil, text, highlighting)Handwritten signature insertion
📊 Productivity
(3.9K)
free