Do you take a lot of notes? Whether it's daily to-do lists, notes for class, or just jotting down thoughts, I've found the best digital notebooks to keep them organized. Sure, you could just open your Notes app, but physically writing something down helps you remember and learn more. Plus, I just love to write things down, and these digital notebooks keep me from burning through paper or losing a great idea I wrote down.
These tablets use E Ink technology to give you a more paperlike experience to write your ideas and notes on. I've tried almost every digital notebook available, and my favorites are the ReMarkable Paper Pro ($629) for a color screen and great accessories and the Amazon Kindle Scribe (2nd Gen) ($400) for the best battery life and convenience.
Updated May 2026: I've added the ReMarkable Paper Pure as a new pick, and the ReMarkable 2 has been moved to Honorable Mentions. I've also ensured up-to-date links and prices.
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The reMarkable Paper Pro has everything we like about the reMarkable 2—a matte screen feels like paper, quick and responsive writing experience, and a great battery life—and adds a few cool new features like colorful pen options and a gentle built-in screen light that uses ambient light from the room. It's got an 10.8-inch screen, making it an extra inch and a half bigger than the reMarkable 2. It's especially handy if you're taking notes or writing down ideas somewhere a little dark, like a dimmed classroom or on a late flight. Like the reMarkable 2, it's easy to organize your notes in various ways, from different notebooks to tags and folders. It's easy to access notes off the device, too, especially if you have ReMarkable's Connect subscription ($3 per month) for unlimited cloud storage. The stylus charges on the device, too.
There are many ways to organize your work into different notebooks or quick sheets, and you can sort them with tags and folders. You also upload PDFs and ebooks to the slate via the company's app or website, and ReMarkable has a Chrome extension that lets you send any webpage to read on the tablet, and a desktop app that lets you upload PDFs, like a blank Dungeons & Dragons character sheet to fill in on your next game night. You can integrate your notes into Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive, though you'll want the Connect subscription for unlimited cloud storage. You can also join the beta program for reMarkable Methods as a Connect subscriber, which introduces a new library of templates and workbooks you can add to your reMarkable device. There's also a beta program (that again you'll need to be a subscriber to join) for the new Handwriting Search, which will scan your notes to learn what you've written and allow you to search for it.
The Paper Pro does have its own set of accessories, including covers ($179) to protect it and a keyboard folio ($229) if you want to type with it, since it's a different size than the reMarkable 2. It has its own set of styluses as well, the Marker and Marker Plus—the Marker Plus is a $50 upgrade, but I find the eraser to be well worth it.
Is the second-generation Amazon Kindle Scribe the best digital notebook? No. It's a bit of a hybrid. I'd describe it as an extra-large Kindle that happens to have some digital notebook abilities. But time and time again, I find myself reaching for my Kindle over the other digital notebooks in my house. I'm a big reader, and a Kindle user at that, so having one device that already has all my books that can also serve as my personal doodle pad has been really convenient. It also helps that it has the best battery life of up to 12 weeks, so I almost never need to charge it before using it.
ReMarkable and Supernote have more templates and compatibility, and Kobo's devices let you actually write notes on the book. Kindle only lets you write on Post-It-like pop-ups, called Active Canvas, and an expanded sidebar margin that can pop up and take up a third of the page for you to write on. If you're looking to actually annotate a book, the Kobo Libra (more on that below) is a better choice. Both the Kobo Elipsa and Libra give you more freedom to actually write on book pages, and the Libra gives you the option of color.
The Scribe does now come with new generative AI features (Summarization and Refined Writing), but they’re subtle. You're able to sync the notebooks on your Scribe to the Kindle app, but these don't sync as seamlessly as the ReMarkable app does. And yet, since I'm already a Kindle user, I find myself always grabbing this notebook to read my latest library book or jot down ideas on a notepad. It's serving me well for my minimalist needs—I use my notebook for doodling ideas and writing lists rather than taking notes for class or uploading PDFs to edit—but our recommendations above are more powerful with better accessories. There are two new Scribe devices out as of December 2025 (including a color version!), but my favorite is still this second-gen model.
Kobo makes some of our favorite e-readers, and the Kobo Libra Color takes its e-reader software and not only adds digital notebooks, but color annotating too. You can write in the margins and underline your favorite quotes using eight different colors (plus black and gray, giving you 10 choices total), and you can hold down the button on the Stylus 2 ($70) to enter highlight mode. You can only highlight books in yellow, but there are four highlighter colors in notebook mode. The Stylus 2 also has an eraser on the back that works as an object eraser, so one tap to the highlighted area or on-page doodle and the whole thing will vanish from your book's page.
The Libra also has a separate notebook section, where you can create different digital notebook pages. You can choose from a variety of layouts for each page (click the three dots and choose “change page background”) in a notebook, plus three different pen styles, a highlighter, and a paintbrush to use with the eight colors and two neutrals in the Libra's digital palette. It is a small size, so good for taking quick notes but not ideal for, say, writing down everything from an intense lecture. My handwriting also didn't appear as clearly as it did on reMarkable and Scribe devices. But if you're more of a quick-list or idea kind of person and mainly want to annotate your e-books with color, the Kobo Libra Color will be perfect for you.
★ Larger, but no color: We previously recommended the Kobo Elipsa 2E ($400) for readers, and while it's still a great device, I think it's just a little too large for frequent readers (I much prefer the smaller Libra to bring books with me on the go), and missing out on color is a huge bummer. But I prefer both Kobos to the Kindle Scribe for annotating while I read, and the Elipsa and Scribe are similar sizes.
This is the same price as the second-generation Kindle Scribe I adore, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see that one go away soon, since new Kindle Scribe models are out (you might also see the older Kindle Scribe on sale, which is a perfect opportunity to snag it). If you're looking for a powerful digital notebook without spending the better part of a grand, ReMarkable's new Paper Pure is its new basic digital notebook with a black-and-white screen, a lightweight feel, and a great writing experience that is one of the closest things you'll get to writing on actual paper.
The Paper Pure replaces the ReMarkable 2 from 2020 and offers noticeable upgrades, including better contrast and a crisper white screen, but it still skips features like a front light and color, which would make it cost more. There's a protective folio you can add that comes in a couple of fun colors, but there's no keyboard folio for this device (unlike the ReMarkable 2 and Paper Pro), so you can't transform it into a makeshift e-paper laptop for faster note-taking or writing. Still, it's an all-around great device for a great price. Note that the Paper Pure is available to order starting today, but will begin shipping in early June.
The reMarkable Paper Pro Move is similar in size to a reporter's notebook, which turns out to be a pretty great size for most daily tasks. There's room for a multilevel to-do list and brainstorming, and it's a nice small size with just a 7.3-inch screen. There are other small options on the market, but this is the only one designed like a long notebook rather than a square, e-reader-like design. I like this size a lot better to layer on top of a paper planner or slip into a bag.
It can do everything the larger Paper Pro can, and honestly feels like you sliced off a bottom third of the device and kept using it. You'll still get a great writing experience with a matte screen and paper-like feel, and my handwriting looked better than ever on both the regular and Move version of the Paper Pro. The Move does have its own smaller page size that it'll create with new notebooks. Notebooks made on the larger reMarkable devices will still work on this one, and vice versa, though you may notice some gray bars on the sides or tops where the sizing doesn't perfectly match. If you turn the Move to landscape mode, though, it becomes the same aspect ratio as the larger Paper Pro, so it's a good way to review larger notebooks and documents.
It's a great size and option if you're more of a list writer than a detailed notetaker, and don't want to use it to type, since it doesn't have a typing attachment like the larger reMarkable devices. It does have a convert-to-type button, though, if you want to turn your notes into a typed format.
The Supernote A5 X2 Manta is the second generation of Supernote's A5 digital notebook, and it's a great option with new upgrades like a dual slider bar, upgraded RAM, and FeelWrite 2 film covering the screen to give it a feeling similar to paper. You can also expand the storage with a microSD chip, and there's a modular design under the hood so that you can easily upgrade the motherboard or put in a new battery.
The software is easy to use and has a design similar to ReMarkable’s. There’s also a cloud website and app you can use to send PDFs to the digital notebook to edit. You can also integrate it with apps like Google Drive and Dropbox. You can also add on the app Atelier to get a digital sketchbook option (though it's only in shades of grayscale), and you can choose a document type that will convert your handwriting into a typed document.
But where Supernote really shines is that it has, in my opinion, the best pens in the game. Right now it has a special clear LAMY Safari Vista EMR ($99) pen that looks so realistic I keep grabbing it to write in my paper planner, and it feels great to write with. The Heart of Metal ($83) pen is also a fantastic pen, with a little more weight to it thanks to the metal body. If you're a bit of a pen and stationery nerd (and don't need a keyboard attachment, which Supernote doesn't offer), then you'll get your heart's fill with Supernote's pen lineup paired with its great digital notebook.
If you're looking for something a little more powerful than just taking notes and annotating, but still want the E ink screen experience, then a Boox device is what you need. The Boox Note Air4 C has an e-paper screen and is primarily described as an “epaper notebook,” but runs on Android 13 and has access to the Google Play Store, giving it more of a tablet feel that happens to have a colorful e-paper screen instead of your usual brightly lit iPad or Android tablet. You're able to easily access the web (called NeoBrowser) right from the Boox homepage, which usually takes several steps and is incredibly slow on a true digital notebook. You'll also access apps that remind me of a tablet, including an image gallery, calendar, music, and tools like a clock, recorder, and calculator.
The Note Air4 C does come with a stylus, and the feel of it on the screen is very paperlike, with a soft resistance and texture to each stroke. It also has a larger range of colors than other e-paper devices I've tested, with 11 different colors, three shades of gray, and black and white. This list isn't shortened for the highlighter-like pen tool, either, which usually gets fewer colors than the regular pen and pencil tools. There's no eraser, though, which is a bummer. Another downside of this device is the battery life; Boox doesn't list an official battery life, but it isn't great. Though that isn't surprising given all the features the battery supports.
Neo Smartpen M1+ for $129: Skip the tablet and write directly on paper with a smart pen instead. The Neo Smartpen M1+ is the thinnest and lightest of all the pens I tried, which makes it feel a bit more like your standard pen. Importantly, it's comfortable to hold and use. You should be able to find whatever size and style of notebook you need as well as planners. The Neo Studio app (iOS, Android) is nice, with an easy-to-navigate notebook system and the ability to search for pages by page number or date. You can change the color of the ink and thickness of the lines right on the page as you go, or you can switch them up later and edit the colors of what you've written. —Medea Giodiano
Moleskine Smart Writing Set for $251: Moleskine has garnered a devoted following for its classic notebooks and journals, but it has also moved into smart territory. The Smart Writing Set gets you a notebook and pen bundle, so this is the best option for most people starting out. Write in the notebook, and it'll appear in the companion app! But you can buy the pen on its own, as well as the smart notebooks and planners in various sizes. The Moleskine Notes 2.0 app (iOS, Android) was easy to use once I settled into it. An older version of the app is available for download, but the 2.0 version is more streamlined. A pop-up let me know that 2.0 is still a work in progress and I might need to switch back to the older version if my device is having trouble, but my iPhone 11 didn't have any issues. I tested the $149 2018 version of the Smart Writing Set, which is no longer available, but we plan to test the latest version soon. —Medea Giordano
Honorable Mentions
The 3rd Gen Kindle Scribe (left) and the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft.
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($630) and Kindle Scribe (3rd Gen) ($500): The new versions of the Kindle Scribe are still solid all-around devices that have a good mix of e-reader and digital notebook features, but I still prefer the older model. While the new Scribe Colorsoft is a nice option if you want color, I think both are too expensive for what they are. The price comes from all the AI features packed into the device, but I don't think any reader or digital notetaker was asking for more of those. Our picks above are a better price for similar features, though the Scribe does have the most impressive battery life of any digital notebook device I've tried (and that's still true for the older model that I recommend above, too, so you don't need the newest model for the best battery life).
Montblanc Digital Paper for $935: Yes, that Montblanc, the one with the famous pens, now has a digital notebook of its own. It's no surprise that I'd call its digital pen one of the best. It's got a super-lightweight feel while sporting three different buttons, two of which you can customize. (There's no eraser, but I'll give it up for that end of the pen to instead be a home button). I really like this device overall, but it's pricey for what you get—aside from the customizable pen buttons, there's not much to differentiate it from my top picks.
Neo Smartpen Dimo for $59: This is the cheapest smart pen option and uses replaceable batteries. It isn't compatible with Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook like our other picks.
ReMarkable 2 for $569 (with Marker Plus and Book Folio): This is the older ReMarkable digital notebook from 2020, and it's still a great device with a great range of accessories (while they're still available, that is). It feels similar to real paper with its matte screen, and works on the same platform as ReMarkable's newer tablets. But the performance isn't as snappy as newer models, and ReMarkable is no longer making it after launching the ReMarkable Paper Pure. I do really like using it with a Keyboard Folio as an e-paper tablet, though.
Rocketbook Fusion Plus for $30: If you really prefer the paper experience and don't want something you need to charge, then Rocketbook is for you. Rocketbook makes several reusable notebooks, planners, and accessories like index cards and sticky notes. I like the Rocketbook Fusion Plus since it comes with a ton of different template styles, from your classic monthly and weekly pages to project management layouts and meeting notes, making it feel closer to the variety a digital notebook can offer you. Take notes with an erasable Pilot Frixion Pen (one comes with whichever item you buy), scan photos of the pages into the Rocketbook app, and erase the whole thing with the damp microfiber cloth (also included). The app is designed to keep everything organized and easily send things off to Google Drive, Slack, Trello, OneNote, and a handful of other options.
Supernote A6 X2 Nomad for $394 (with Standard Pen): This is a smaller version of the Supernote A5 X2 Manta, measuring almost 6 inches on one side and 7.5 inches on the other. Supernote designed it with travel in mind, but I find it to be a great size for a daily digital to-do list or writing down quick notes from a meeting. It's too small for anything major, but if you're looking for something compact, this is a good option with Supernote's software (and with the same fantastic pens!). Like the Manta above, this model rose in price due to the tariffs, though it only went up $30.
FAQs
Do You Need a Digital Note-Taking Device?
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The short answer is no. These devices are expensive, usually costing several hundred dollars when a simple notebook and pen costs a few bucks. But if you like the physical act of writing but need to have digital copies, they're worth considering.
Pros:
Digital notebooks are thin and light but hold hundreds of notes.
You can transcribe your notes into text files, making them easier to read and manipulate.
Depending on the device, you can export files as PDFs, Google Docs, Evernote files, and more.
Instantly digitizes your art too.
Cons:
Expensive.
Need to be charged.
Have a learning curve.
Most smart pens need to be paired with an accompanying notebook. The upcoming Nuwa Pen promises smart notes on any paper.
What About an iPad?
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E Ink notebooks are easier on the eyes and feel closer to paper than a glass-screened tablet. But in some cases, you might spend less getting an iPad and an Apple Pencil (and a keyboard if you also want to type sometimes). You can also do more on them thanks to the thousands of apps in the App Store. An iPad is pretty intuitive if you're familiar with the Apple ecosystem (though both ReMarkable and Supernote's ecosystems are also very intuitive). Former WIRED reviewer Jaina Grey recommended using her 11-inch iPad Pro with the GoodNotes and Notability apps for her writing, but there are other models that should work fine, including our top pick, the 2025 iPad. Check out our guide to the Best iPads for more advice on which to buy.
I also have an iPad, and I'll say the upside of a digital notebook is that the battery tends to last longer, especially if you're the type to use it for a day or two and then forget about it for a few days. My trusty Kindle Scribe usually manages to have plenty of battery available for whenever I feel the note-taking itch, even if it's been a week or two since I last touched it.
Why Are Digital Notebooks So Expensive?
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Just because these devices look like paper doesn't mean they're as cheap to make as a sheet of paper. Like any tablet or smartphone, these devices are packed with features, a special ecosystem, and the E Ink technology is no small feat to perfect, along with a sensation similar to writing on paper. It's an impressive piece of technology.
Prices haven't gotten cheaper for this category in the wake of tariffs' causing technology prices to rise. ReMarkable recently raised the price of our top pick, the ReMarkable Paper Pro. Another favorite of ours from Supernote has gone up a little less than $50, and Kobo also slightly raised its prices, though the $10 increase is pretty minor compared to other increases we’ve seen. We'll continue to monitor prices and flag if more price changes are to come.