The Best Digital Notebooks and Smart Pens
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
-Front-Screen-Ebooks-Handwritten-Notes-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Brenda-Stolyar.jpg)
.jpg)
Do you take a lot of notes? Whether it's daily to-do lists, notes for class, or just jotting down the various thoughts in our brains, it's nice to have somewhere to write everything down. Sure, you could just open your Notes app, but physically writing something down helps you remember and learn more. It also feels nice to stop typing for a minute and write out the thoughts in your mind. If you worry about losing those notes if they aren't digitized, then good news: We've got the best digital notebooks and more for you.
There are E Ink tablets, smart pens, and notebooks made to save digital files of your handwritten notes or drawings. You can save files as PDFs, images, and Word docs, or transcribe them to a text file in Google Docs to make all your notes searchable. Some of these devices can record too, which is great for lectures and interviews. If your notes need an upgrade, we recommend giving these a try. If you're looking for true paper options, don't miss our Paper Planners guide, and if you're looking for more home office upgrades, catch our guides to the Best Work-From-Home Gear, Best Computer Monitors, and Best Mechanical Keyboards.
If you're considering buying one of these, now is the time to do it. Supernote has already made a statement on Reddit that it plans to raise prices at the end of April due to the tariffs, and ReMarkable has also announced a price increase in May. We'll likely see similar action from other picks in this guide. There have been some increases already, with Kobo Libra up $10 since earlier this year. Don't miss your chance to get one of these before prices hike.
Updated April 2025: We've moved the Kindle Scribe (2nd Gen) up in this guide and included details about tariff pricing affecting Supernote and ReMarkable products (and possibly other picks in this guide). We've also removed the out-of-stock Boox Note Air3 C as a pick.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.
Do You Need a Digital Note-Taking Device?
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 over typing 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. We'll try it as soon as it's available. As of this writing, it's projected to start shipping in January 2025.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best Overall
reMarkable 2This is one of the most well-known names in the category. The ReMarkable 2's matte screen feels like paper, writing on it is quick and responsive, and battery life is exemplary. WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu has been using his ReMarkable for more than a year and found it can last for several weeks on a charge. You never have to recharge the stylus, which also magnetically sticks to the side of the tablet. There is also a keyboard attachment ($199) if you want to get some typing done, which is really satisfying to type on and doubles as a notebook cover when the keyboard isn't in use. The keyboard is on the small side, but it's easy to get the hang of. The tablet is $399 and includes the base Marker, ReMarkable's pen, or for an extra $50 you can get the Marker Plus, which has an eraser on the other end.
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. However, you may need a Connect subscription ($3 per month) to access syncing and unlimited cloud storage.
★ Price is rising soon: ReMarkable has announced that price increases will occur for its devices in May due to tariffs.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Runner-Up
Supernote A5 X2 MantaThe Supernote A5 X2 Manta (7/10, WIRED Review) 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 ($89) 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 ($75) 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.
★ Price is rising soon: Supernote has announced via Reddit that price increases will occur for its devices in May due to tariffs.
- Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
My Personal Favorite
Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024)Is the second-generation Amazon Kindle Scribe (8/10, WIRED Review) 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.
The ReMarkable 2 and Supernote Manta have more templates and compatibility, and Kobo's devices let you actually write notes on the book while 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 are 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.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
A Colorful Upgrade
ReMarkable Paper ProIf you prefer your notes to be color-coded, then the ReMarkable Paper Pro (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the digital notebook you need. It has everything we like about the ReMarkable 2 but 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 11.8-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.
If you're already a ReMarkable user, you'll unfortunately need to upgrade to all new accessories. The different screen requires a different Marker and Marker Plus (the Marker comes with the Paper Pro, but the Marker Plus costs an extra $50) specifically designed for the Paper Pro. The Paper Pro’s larger screen means you need a different cover ($179) to protect it or the larger keyboard folio ($229) if you want to type with it.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best for Books
Kobo Libra ColorKobo 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); 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. But if you're more of a fun to-do list kind of person and want a digital notebook and excellent e-reader all in one, the Libra Color is the way to go.
★ 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, and the Elipsa and Scribe are the same size.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best if You Want Real-ish Paper (With Digital Uploads)
Rocketbook Fusion PlusIf 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. 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.
The pages feel like something in between laminated paper and an extra-slim whiteboard. I found it easy to write on with the Frixion pen, and easy enough to erase. It was harder to erase, say, one word rather than an entire section of notes though. Rocketbook also makes the Rocketbook Pro 2.0 ($60), which has a more professional folio look to it, and I also really liked the reusable Sticky Notes ($24) since I tend to write a lot of quick lists and ideas down on anything nearby that's hand. I also like that you can get a colorful expansion pack ($14) that the Rocketbook app will recognize and upload to the right spot (email to your work address, add to a Trello board, etc.) based on the color.
-Reviewer-Photo-SOURCE-Nena-Farrell.jpg)
- Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
You May Prefer an iPad
Apple iPad (2025, A16)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, but still take notes and draw. An iPad is typically more intuitive to use than many of these digital notebooks too. 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 our 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 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.
- Photograph: Neo Smartpen; Illustration: Medea Giordano
Our Favorite Smart Pen
Neo Smartpen M1+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. This pen doesn't record audio, but if that's something you want, Neo sells a separate recorder ($69) that pairs with the pen. —Medea Giodiano
★ Alternative: The Neo Smartpen Dimo ($59) is the cheapest and uses replaceable batteries. It isn't compatible with Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook like our other picks.
- Photograph: Moleskine; Illustration: Medea Giordano
A Runner-Up Smart Pen
Moleskine Smart Writing SetMoleskine 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. —Medea Giordano
Note: We tried the $149 2018 version of the Smart Writing Set, which is no longer available. We haven't tried the latest 2022 version. They seem identical, but the price has jumped dramatically to $279.
Honorable Mention
Iskn Repaper Fabel-Castell Tablet for $199: This was our previous recommendation for digital artists, but this model appears to no longer be available as of December 2024. Iskn does have another other model, the xLite ($99), which I haven't tested yet but plan to soon.
Supernote A6 X2 Nomad ($299): 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!).
Wired Coupons
10% Off Wayfair Promo Code with sign-up
20% off Dyson Promo Code
$50 Off In-Person Tax Prep When You Switch From Your Tax Current Provider
Up to $500 off cameras at Canon
Save extra 10% Off TurboTax
Exclusive: Up To 50% Off 6 Boxes With Factor Promo Code