Open-source, cross-platform note-taking app with an endless canvas for mixing handwriting, text, Markdown, shapes, images and PDFs.
2.1K153DartAGPL-3.0Updated 4 days ago
saber-notes/saber
A cross-platform, open-source notes app built for handwriting, with sync across devices and optional self-hosting.
Open-source alternative to:GoodNotes
Notability
- Stars
- 4,929
- Forks
- 398
- Open issues
- 411
- Last commit
- 2 days ago
What is it?
Saber is a handwriting-focused notes app available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux. It aims to be simple to use while offering features tailored to writing by hand, and notes sync between your devices.
In dark mode, Saber can invert notes so you write with white ink on a black background, and images and PDFs are inverted as well, which suits dim environments and digital textbooks. The highlighter is rendered with canvas compositing so overlapping strokes keep a consistent color and do not obscure the text beneath.
Notes are protected by a dual-password system, and they can be stored on the official Saber server, another server, or a self-hosted Nextcloud instance. Folders can be nested without a limit, and recent notes appear on the home screen. The entire app is open source.
Key features
- 01Handwriting-focused note editor with a highlighter that handles overlapping strokes.
- 02Dark mode inversion for notes, images and PDFs.
- 03Cross-device sync, with support for the official server, other servers or self-hosted Nextcloud.
- 04Dual-password protection for notes.
- 05Unlimited nested folders with recent notes on the home screen.
Use cases
- Taking handwritten notes in lectures or meetings on a tablet.
- Annotating digital textbooks and PDFs in low-light settings.
- Keeping handwritten notes on a self-hosted server for privacy.
Topics
FAQ
- What is saber?
- A cross-platform, open-source notes app built for handwriting, with sync across devices and optional self-hosting. Saber is a handwriting-focused notes app available on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux. It aims to be simple to use while offering features tailored to writing by hand, and notes sync between your devices.
- Is saber free to use? What license does it have?
- saber is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
- Is saber still maintained?
- Actively maintained. The last commit to saber was on Oct 19, 2026.
- What can I use saber for?
- Taking handwritten notes in lectures or meetings on a tablet. Annotating digital textbooks and PDFs in low-light settings. Keeping handwritten notes on a self-hosted server for privacy.
- Where can I get saber?
- The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/saber-notes/saber
Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.
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