Short answer

Folio is best for students who study alone on a Mac and want notebooks, PDF annotation and spaced-repetition flashcards in one offline app, for €5 once with no account.

Pick Notion for group projects and shared workspaces, GoodNotes or Notability for handwriting with an Apple Pencil on iPad, Anki for free flashcards synced to your phone, Obsidian for linked Markdown notes with plugins, Apple Notes with Preview if you want something free and built in, RemNote for notes and flashcards on every device, and Quizlet for ready-made shared study sets.

Last checked: October 2026, against each app's official pricing and feature pages (see sources).

The comparison at a glance

Prices are for individual students as listed on each official page in October 2026. Prices change and vary by country and app store, so check the linked page before you buy.

Study apps for Mac compared: price model, platforms, offline use, account, PDF annotation, spaced repetition, AI and sync. Checked October 2026.
App Price model Platforms Offline Account required PDF annotation Spaced repetition AI Sync / collaboration
FolioMac study app €5 one-time; 24-hour free trial Mac only (macOS 26 Tahoe+) Yes, fully No Yes; annotations saved inside the PDF Yes, FSRS built in AI flashcards and quizzes (on-device Apple Intelligence free, or your own provider); Lio chat about your notes No sync, no collaboration
NotionAll-in-one workspace Free plan; Plus €9.50/member/month (free for students with a school email); Business €19.50 Mac, Windows, web, iOS, Android Partial: pages must be downloaded for offline use Yes No built-in markup (PDFs can be embedded and viewed) Not built in Notion AI: trial on Free and Plus, full on Business Yes: cloud sync, sharing, real-time collaboration
GoodNotesHandwritten notes Free (3 notebooks); Essential $11.99/year; Pro $35.99/year iPad and iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android, web Yes (offline editing) For Goodnotes Cloud, plan features and sync Yes, a core feature No scheduler listed; AI quiz generation from notes Handwriting spellcheck, Math AI, Q&A and quizzes (5/month free, unlimited paid) iCloud on all plans; cross-platform sync from Essential; real-time collaboration on Pro
NotabilityNotes and lecture audio Starter free (5 notes); Lite $11.99/year; Plus $15.99/year; Pro $79.99/year Mac, iPad, iPhone, Windows, Android, web Yes No on Mac and iPad (needed for cloud sync and link sharing) Yes AI quizzes and flashcards (limited on Plus, unlimited on Pro); algorithm not stated Transcription, summaries, chat with notes (Plus and Pro) iCloud or Notability Cloud sync; shared libraries on Business plans
AnkiFlashcards Free on Mac, Windows, Linux and Android; AnkiMobile for iPhone/iPad $24.99 one-time Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android Yes Only for AnkiWeb sync No Yes: FSRS (optional, since 23.10) or legacy SM-2 None built in (add-ons available) Free AnkiWeb sync across devices; add-ons
ObsidianMarkdown knowledge base Free app; Sync $4/month billed yearly; Publish $8/month billed yearly; 40% student discount on Sync and Publish Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android Yes (local files) No View built in; markup via community plugins Via community plugins Via community plugins Paid Obsidian Sync, or your own file sync
Apple Notes + PreviewBuilt into macOS Free with every Mac Mac, iPhone, iPad Yes Apple Account only for iCloud sync Yes, in Preview; saved in the PDF No Audio recording with searchable transcripts in Notes; no flashcard generation iCloud sync; shared notes and folders
RemNoteNotes plus flashcards Free (3 annotated PDFs); Pro $8/month ($96/year); Pro with AI $18/month ($216/year) Desktop, iOS, Android, web Yes in the desktop app, after first login Yes Yes (3 PDFs free, unlimited on Pro) Yes: SM-2 by default, FSRS as a beta option AI flashcards, quizzes, summaries and chat on Pro with AI (credit-based) Cloud sync across devices
QuizletShared study sets Free with ads and limits; Quizlet Plus subscription Web, iPhone, iPad, Android (no Mac app listed) Plus only Yes, to create and save sets No Learn mode (own adaptive rounds), not FSRS or SM-2 AI practice tests and study tools (usage limits on Plus) Cloud sync; public and shared study sets

Scroll the table sideways to see every column. The app names stay pinned on the left.

Where Folio fits

Folio is a native Mac app for studying, made by a solo indie developer. Each subject is a notebook on a bookshelf. Pages are rich text on lined, grid or dotted paper, with highlights, images and audio recordings. Lecture PDFs open as pages, and highlights, underlines, post-its, arrows and circles are written into the PDF file itself. Folio can write flashcards from a page or a PDF and schedules them with FSRS, then adds quizzes, exams, study tasks, streaks and a calendar. Lio, a small study assistant, answers questions about your own notes using on-device Apple Intelligence, free Gemini or local Ollama.

It costs €5 once, has a 24-hour free trial, needs no account and keeps everything on your Mac. Its limits are just as clear: it runs only on macOS 26 Tahoe or later, has no iPad, iPhone, Windows or web version, no sync between devices, no collaboration and no Apple Pencil handwriting. It is not notarized by Apple yet, so the first launch needs right-click, then Open.

Folio vs Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace for notes, wikis, databases and team projects. It has a free plan, and its Plus plan is free for students and educators who sign up with a school email. Notion has no built-in spaced repetition, and offline use requires downloading pages ahead of time.

Choose Notion if…

  • You work on group projects or share notes with classmates.
  • You need your notes on Windows, the web or your phone.
  • You like building databases, dashboards and templates.
  • You want a free plan (or free Plus with a school email).

Choose Folio if…

  • You study alone on a Mac and want to start writing, not set up a system.
  • You want to annotate lecture PDFs and turn them into flashcards.
  • You want spaced repetition built in, fully offline.
  • You prefer no account and a single €5 payment.

Many students use both: Notion for shared group work, Folio for their own notes and reviews. Read more in our Notion alternative for students on Mac guide.

Folio vs GoodNotes

GoodNotes is a handwriting-first notes app, strongest on iPad with an Apple Pencil, and now also available on Mac, Windows, Android and the web. Its free plan allows three notebooks; paid plans are annual subscriptions, with real-time collaboration and cross-device sync on Pro. Its AI can generate quizzes from your notes.

Choose GoodNotes if…

  • You take handwritten notes with an Apple Pencil.
  • You want the same notebooks on iPad, iPhone and Mac.
  • You collaborate on notebooks in real time.

Choose Folio if…

  • You type your notes on a Mac rather than write by hand.
  • You want flashcards scheduled with FSRS spaced repetition.
  • You want a one-time price instead of an annual subscription.

Folio vs Notability

Notability combines handwriting, typed notes, PDF markup and lecture audio recording, with AI transcription, summaries, quizzes and flashcards on its higher tiers. The free Starter plan is limited to five notes; Plus and Pro are annual subscriptions.

Choose Notability if…

  • You record lectures and want audio synced with handwritten notes.
  • You use an iPad, or need Windows or Android too.
  • You want unlimited AI transcription and summaries.

Choose Folio if…

  • You want unlimited notes, PDFs and flashcards without a subscription.
  • You want a known, open scheduling algorithm (FSRS) for reviews.
  • You want notebooks organised on a bookshelf, all on your Mac.

Folio vs Anki

Anki is the reference flashcard app: free on Mac, Windows, Linux and Android, with a paid iPhone app, free AnkiWeb sync and a large add-on ecosystem. It supports FSRS as an option alongside its legacy SM-2 scheduler. It is a flashcard tool, not a notes app, and cards are written by hand unless you add an add-on.

Choose Anki if…

  • You want flashcards for free, synced to your phone.
  • You use shared decks or need add-ons and deep customisation.
  • You only need flashcards, not notes or PDFs.

Choose Folio if…

  • You want flashcards written for you from your notes and PDFs.
  • You want notes, PDFs and cards in one place on your Mac.
  • You want FSRS without configuring deck options.

Folio exports cards as tab-separated text that Anki's plain-text import reads, so you can try both. See spaced repetition flashcards on Mac for how Folio's reviews work.

Folio vs Obsidian

Obsidian is a free, local-first Markdown app for linked notes, on every desktop and mobile platform, with no account needed. Much of its study power, such as spaced repetition, PDF highlighting and AI, comes from community plugins. Sync is a paid add-on, with 40% off for students.

Choose Obsidian if…

  • You want a free app and plain Markdown files.
  • You like linking ideas and building a personal knowledge base.
  • You enjoy customising with plugins and themes.
  • You need Windows, Linux or mobile apps.

Choose Folio if…

  • You want PDF annotation and flashcards working out of the box.
  • You prefer styled pages and paper over raw Markdown.
  • You don't want to assemble a study setup from plugins.

Folio vs Apple Notes and Preview

Apple Notes and Preview are free and already on your Mac. Notes syncs through iCloud to your iPhone and iPad, supports shared notes and folders, and can record audio with searchable transcripts. Preview annotates PDFs and saves the annotations in the file. Neither has flashcards or spaced repetition.

Choose Apple Notes and Preview if…

  • You want something free and built in.
  • You need notes on your iPhone and iPad through iCloud.
  • You only need quick notes and occasional PDF markup.

Choose Folio if…

  • You want notes, PDFs and flashcards in one study app.
  • You want reviews scheduled for you with spaced repetition.
  • You want quizzes, exams and a study streak alongside your notes.

For a step-by-step look at both options, read how to annotate a PDF on Mac.

Folio vs RemNote

RemNote is the closest match in spirit: notes and flashcards in one app, with PDF annotation. It runs on desktop, mobile and the web, uses SM-2 by default with FSRS as a beta option, and offers AI features on its most expensive plan. The free plan limits annotated PDFs to three; Pro is a subscription.

Choose RemNote if…

  • You need your notes and cards on Windows, the web or your phone.
  • You like outline-style notes where any line can become a card.
  • You want a free plan for notes and flashcards.

Choose Folio if…

  • You want unlimited PDF annotation without a subscription.
  • You want AI flashcards included, without buying credits.
  • You want a native Mac app with no account.

Folio vs Quizlet

Quizlet is a flashcard and practice platform with a huge library of shared study sets, on the web, iPhone, iPad and Android. The free plan has ads and limited rounds; Quizlet Plus is a subscription that also unlocks offline studying. Its Learn mode adapts to your answers but is not a spaced-repetition scheduler like FSRS.

Choose Quizlet if…

  • You want ready-made study sets made by other students.
  • You study on your phone or in a browser.
  • You share sets with a class.

Choose Folio if…

  • You want cards made from your own notes and PDFs.
  • You want true spaced repetition and offline study without a subscription.
  • You want no ads and no account.

Try Folio free for 24 hours

Every feature, no card, no account. If it fits how you study, keep it for €5, once.

Download free trial Buy for €5

Requires macOS 26 Tahoe. Mac only. First launch: right-click Folio in Applications and choose Open.

Sources

Competitor details were checked on these official pages in October 2026. Where an official page did not state something (for example Notion's PDF tools or Quizlet's exact prices), the table says so or describes the app's documented behaviour.

Spotted something out of date? Reply to any Folio email and we will correct it.