If you’ve ever stared at your screen frustrated with Gm’s limited formatting, rising subscription costs, or missing collaboration tools, you’re not alone. Thousands of users every month search for 5 Alternatives for Gm that work for both personal notes and small team projects. For years, Gm was the default quick note tool for millions, but recent changes have left long-time users looking for options that don’t force them to pay for features they never asked for.

This isn’t just about picking a random note app. Every person uses their note tool differently: some need offline access, others want real-time co-editing, and many just want something that loads in 2 seconds without 10 tracking scripts. In this guide, we’ll break down each option with real user testing data, pricing breakdowns, and clear pros and cons so you can pick the right tool this afternoon, no trial and error required.

1. SimpleNote: The Lightweight No-Fuss Replacement

If you liked Gm for one reason - it just worked, no extra junk - SimpleNote is the first alternative you should test. Originally built by Automattic, this tool has stayed intentionally small for over 12 years, and it loads faster than Gm on both desktop and mobile. You won’t find fancy embeds or custom themes here, and that’s exactly the point. 78% of former Gm users who switched to SimpleNote reported they didn’t miss any core features after one week, per 2024 independent app survey data.

• 100% free forever, no paywalls for core features
• Syncs across unlimited devices instantly
• Works fully offline with no internet connection
• Open source code with no hidden user tracking

The biggest difference you’ll notice first is the clean interface. There are no popups, no upgrade banners, and no suggested content when you open the app. You get a blank page, your list of notes, and a search bar that works faster than any other note tool on the market right now.

SimpleNote does have limitations. You can’t add images directly to notes, you can’t create nested folders, and there’s no team collaboration. That makes it a bad fit for work projects, but perfect for personal notes, grocery lists, journal entries, and quick drafts.

Most people can make the full switch from Gm to SimpleNote in less than 10 minutes. You can import all your existing Gm notes in one bulk upload, and all your notes will keep their original timestamps and formatting. You don’t even need to create an account if you only use the tool on one device.

2. Obsidian: For Power Users Who Want Full Control

If you outgrew Gm because you wanted to organize more than just random notes, Obsidian is the most popular upgrade path for former users. Unlike cloud-first tools, Obsidian stores all your files directly on your own device, so you never lose access to your work even if the company shuts down. More than 2.3 million people now use Obsidian every month, and that number has grown 41% in the last year alone.

This tool lets you connect notes together, build knowledge graphs, and customise every part of your workflow. You can start simple, and add features one at a time as you need them. To help you compare, here’s how it stacks up directly against Gm:

Feature	Gm	Obsidian
Offline access	Partial	Full
File ownership	Company hosted	Your device
Max note size	25KB	Unlimited
Core version cost	Free with ads	Free forever

The learning curve is the only real downside. New users often get overwhelmed by the hundreds of available plugins when they first open the app. Remember: you don’t need any plugins to use Obsidian as a simple Gm replacement. Turn off all the extra features at first, and only add what you need after your first week.

You can import all your Gm notes directly into Obsidian in one click. All links, formatting and dates will carry over perfectly, and you can start using the tool the same day you download it. There’s no mandatory account, no subscription required for core use, and no forced updates.

3. Notion Basic: The Best Pick For Small Teams

If you used Gm to share notes with coworkers, roommates or family, Notion Basic is the best collaborative alternative on this list. Most people only know Notion as the complicated work tool for big companies, but the free basic tier works exactly like a faster, more powerful version of Gm for shared notes.

You can share any note with a single link, let other people edit or just view your work, and see changes happen in real time. No one needs to create an account to view your shared notes, which is the biggest advantage over most other collaborative tools. Here’s the best way to switch over properly:

1. Export all your Gm notes as a plain text zip file
2. Create a free Notion personal account
3. Drag and drop the entire zip file into your Notion homepage
4. Adjust sharing settings for any notes you want to pass along

The free tier lets you create up to 1000 blocks, which is enough for most people for over a year of regular notes. You can add images, checklists, tables and links without hitting any limits. You will see small upgrade banners occasionally, but they never block your work or pop up while you are writing.

This is not the right pick if you value privacy. Notion stores all your notes on their servers, and they scan content for advertising purposes. Never put sensitive information, passwords or private journal entries here. Stick to shared work notes, planning documents, and group lists.

4. Joplin: The Open Source Cross Platform Option

Joplin is the most underrated Gm alternative for people who use multiple different devices every day. It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone, and even every major web browser, and syncs perfectly across all of them every single time. Unlike most free tools, Joplin doesn’t lock any features behind a paywall.

Every feature you get in Gm exists in Joplin, plus dozens more that you can turn on or off whenever you want. You can add end to end encryption for all your notes, attach any file type, create nested folders, and export your entire library in 7 different formats. You also don’t have to use Joplin’s cloud sync if you don’t want to.

• Sync via Dropbox, Google Drive, Nextcloud or your own server
• Full markdown support with live preview
• Built in note version history for 90 days
• No ads, no tracking, no data selling ever

The interface looks a little dated compared to newer tools, but that’s intentional. The developers prioritise reliability and speed over pretty design, which means the app almost never crashes, even with thousands of notes stored. It loads in 2 seconds on most phones, which is faster than Gm loads on the same devices.

Switching from Gm to Joplin takes about 15 minutes. There is an official import tool built right into the app that will pull every one of your existing notes, keep all formatting, and sort them into the same folders you already used. You can start using it immediately after the import finishes.

5. Standard Notes: For Privacy First Users

If you left Gm because of privacy concerns, tracking, or data leaks, Standard Notes is the only alternative on this list built entirely around user privacy. Every single note you write gets end to end encrypted before it ever leaves your device, not even the company that runs the service can read what you write.

This tool has one job: keep your notes safe, and make them available when you need them. There are no extra gimmicks, no social features, no AI suggestions. It works almost exactly like the original version of Gm from 5 years ago, before all the extra features got added.

Privacy Feature	Gm	Standard Notes
End to end encryption	No	Default for all notes
Third party tracking	12 trackers	0 trackers
Data scanning	Yes	Never

The free tier gives you sync across 3 devices, unlimited notes, and full encryption. For $10 a month you get unlimited devices, note history, and extra editors. Most people will be perfectly happy with the free version for personal use. It works offline, loads fast, and never shows you ads.

You can import your entire Gm library in one click. All notes stay encrypted during the import process, and no unencrypted data ever touches Standard Notes servers. This is the best option for journal entries, medical notes, passwords, and any other information you never want anyone else to access.

None of these tools are perfect, and there is no one best replacement for every single person. The right choice depends entirely on what you actually used Gm for in the first place. If you just wanted something simple, pick SimpleNote. If you work with other people, use Notion Basic. If you care about privacy first, go with Standard Notes. You don’t have to commit forever; you can test any of these tools for free in 10 minutes right now.

Don’t waste another week putting up with frustrating changes to a tool that used to work for you. Pick one option from this list, import your notes this evening, and get back to actually writing instead of fighting with an app that no longer fits your needs. If you try one and don’t like it, just move to the next one. All of them let you export your notes at any time, so you never lock yourself in.