The first thing you need to know is that this type of digital planner does not work on its own. You need a note-taking app that opens it, allows you to write on it with a stylus or keyboard, and keeps the hyperlinks active so navigation works properly. That app is not included with the planner; it is a separate purchase, and choosing the right one makes the difference between a smooth experience and a frustrating one.
There are more and more options available in app stores. You can try whichever one you prefer and see if it fits what you are looking for. Here, I mention the most commonly used and well-known ones for different operating systems.
I also have a guide on this topic where I share my impressions after testing 18 note-taking apps and the things I personally take into account when choosing a note-taking app for digital planning. You can access it for free and get a 10% discount on your first purchase by filling out the form below.
Apps for iPad, iPhone, and Mac
The iPad is the device most digital planners are designed for, and where the writing experience with Apple Pencil is best. These are the main apps:
GoodNotes
It is the most widely used app in the digital planning community. It has a free version, but for some time now, they have limited not only the number of files but also their size, so if you want to test one of the more complete planners without paying, you probably will not be able to because the limit is 5MB. For a notebook or a basic planner without too many pages, it works perfectly fine.
Noteful
It is somewhat newer and less well-known but very similar to GoodNotes, with many interesting options such as layers. In addition, its price is quite good, and it is a one-time payment, not a subscription (for now), which is very appreciated nowadays. Its free version allows you to use everything except iCloud synchronization to have your planner on other devices. Without a doubt, it is a very good option and one of my favorites.
Noteshelf
It is a solid alternative with a very good writing experience. The stroke feel with its different pencil types is one of my favorites. It is available for both Apple and Android devices.
Apps for Android
The options for Android have improved in recent years, although they still do not reach the level of iOS apps. According to comments from people who use BY INMA planners on Android, these are the most reliable ones for digital PDF planners:
Noteshelf
As I mentioned above, it is a well-established app with a pretty good user experience.
Penly
It is designed specifically for Android, with good compatibility with hyperlinked PDFs and a carefully designed writing experience. It is paid and does not have a free version.
Samsung Notes
It comes preinstalled on Samsung tablets and is free. It is a very good option to start with and then move to a more complete paid app later if you want.
Apps for Windows
Xodo
It is practically the only well-established option for Windows. It is free.
The ones that do not work
OneNote and Evernote are not compatible with hyperlinked PDF planners. They are designed for a different type of use.
Ebook readers such as Kindle or Kobo are designed for reading, not for writing on interactive documents.
Can a digital planner be synced across different operating systems?
This is one of the most common questions because one of the advantages of digital planners is being able to access them from different devices, for example, writing in them on an iPad and checking them on your phone when you are away from home or the office.
But unfortunately, as of today, doing this with devices from different operating systems, for example, an iPad and an Android phone or a Windows computer, is not possible.
This functionality depends on the note-taking app used with the digital planner and not on the planner itself, which is nothing more than a PDF template, and as of today, none of the main note-taking apps offer it.
At the moment, the only option to have your planner on different devices is to have an iPad, iPhone, and Mac, or an Android phone and tablet. And always verify that the note-taking app offers this functionality.