Supernotes
FreemiumCard-based note-taking app that organizes thoughts as small, linkable cards with tags and filters instead of long pages
What is Supernotes?
Supernotes is a small but beautifully designed note-taking app built around the idea that notes should be short, focused cards rather than long sprawling pages. Every card carries a soft limit of 1200 characters, which pushes you to atomize thoughts into small, discrete units, similar to the Zettelkasten slip-box method but with a modern UI and cross-platform sync. You can tag cards, link them to each other, nest cards as parents and children, and filter your collection by tag, date, or author. The card size constraint sounds limiting but is deliberate, it encourages clarity and linking rather than dumping. Supernotes is cross-platform with apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web, all with real-time sync and offline support. It also supports shared collections for small-team collaboration, making it one of the few note apps that is genuinely good for 2-5 person teams who want to share notes without the complexity of Notion. In 2025 Supernotes added some AI features including AI card rewriting and summarization, though the app remains lighter on AI than many competitors. Supernotes is built by an independent team and has a loyal user base drawn from academics, researchers, and Zettelkasten practitioners. The pricing is straightforward: a free Starter tier with 100 cards, and Unlimited at £6/month billed annually (£72/year), with a 4-year licence offered at 50 percent off. Supernotes charges in British pounds through Stripe and converts other currencies at the day's exchange rate, so there is no fixed US dollar list price. As of August 2026 the separate Premium tier no longer appears on the Supernotes pricing page; shared collections and real-time collaborative editing are now part of every plan, including the free one.
Supernotes demo video
Watch Supernotes's official demo to see Supernotes in action before reading our full review.
Official video by Supernotes via YouTube, embedded for reference. ToolChase does not host or claim this video.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Zettelkasten practitioners, academics, and anyone who wants small, atomic notes instead of long pages
Users who want long-form writing, rich databases, or heavy team collaboration features
Free Starter (100 cards) · Unlimited £6/mo billed annually (£72/year)
Yes, 100 cards, all features
Atomic card design enforces clarity and linking, making it excellent for serious note-takers
1200-character soft card limit can feel restrictive for long-form writing
Bottom line: Supernotes scores 4.2/5, The best card-based, Zettelkasten-style note app on the market. Free tier is enough to evaluate, Unlimited (£6/mo billed annually) is enough for most individuals.
Pricing
Starter, free: 100 cards, claimed by completing in-app achievements, plus all the essential features: tags, filters, desktop and mobile apps, offline editing, fast sync, heatmap calendar, and real-time sharing and publishing. Only cards you interact with count against the limit, and each referral adds 20 more.
Unlimited, £6/month billed annually (£72/year): Unlimited cards, the AI Superpowers features for smart proofreading and organisation, full API and integration access, early access to flashcards, tables, and maps, a supporter badge, and priority support. A 4-year licence is sold at 50 percent off.
Supernotes bills in British pounds through Stripe and converts other currencies at the day's exchange rate, so it publishes no fixed US dollar list price; App Store and Play Store prices are set separately and can differ.
Student discount: 50 percent off the Student Yearly plan and 63 percent off the Student 4-Year plan, applied automatically with a valid .edu or .ac.uk address. The Student Monthly plan has been discontinued, with existing subscribers grandfathered in. Lifetime deals were offered during Kickstarter but are no longer available.
Refunds: 14-day money-back guarantee. There is no separate free trial; the free Starter plan serves that purpose.
Update, August 2026: the Premium tier that previously sat above Unlimited no longer appears on the Supernotes pricing page. Shared collections with collaborative editing are now listed as a feature of the free Starter plan.
Key Features
- Card-based notes with a 1200-character soft limit that encourages atomization
- Tags, filters, and saved views for organizing cards
- Card nesting, parent/child relationships for hierarchical organization
- Bidirectional links between cards with inline previews
- Real-time collaborative editing on shared collections (all plans, including free)
- Markdown support with rich text editing and code blocks
- Offline support on desktop and mobile with automatic sync
- AI Superpowers for smart proofreading and organisation, on the Unlimited plan
- Cross-platform, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, web
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Beautiful, minimal UI that makes note-taking feel enjoyable
- 1200-character soft limit genuinely encourages clearer thinking
- One of the only note apps with good real-time collaboration for small teams
- Fair pricing, £6/month billed annually unlocks everything for individuals
Cons
- Character limit can feel restrictive for users who prefer long-form notes
- AI features are basic compared to Notion, Mem, or Capacities
- Smaller community than Obsidian or Notion
FAQ
What is the 1200-character limit in Supernotes?
Every card in Supernotes carries a soft limit of 1200 characters, and Supernotes lets you overflow for longer content when you need to. The limit is deliberate: it enforces the Zettelkasten principle that notes should be atomic, with one idea per card. If you need to write more, you create linked cards. Some users love this constraint; others find it frustrating. If you want to write essays and documents inside your notes, Supernotes is probably not for you. If you want to build a personal knowledge base through atomic linked ideas, the limit is a feature, not a bug.
Is Supernotes good for teams?
For small teams (2-5 people), yes. Supernotes includes shared collections with real-time collaborative editing on every plan, the free Starter tier included, which is unusual for note apps outside of Notion. Larger teams with complex permission needs, nested workspaces, or enterprise SSO will find Notion or ClickUp more appropriate. Supernotes shines in small trusted teams that want to share research, reading notes, or project documentation without overhead.
How does Supernotes compare to Obsidian?
Different mental models. Obsidian is local-first markdown with unlimited note length and plugin-based customization. Supernotes is cloud-first with a 1200-character soft limit and a beautiful built-in UI that needs no configuration. Obsidian wins on privacy, longevity, and flexibility. Supernotes wins on polish, team features, and enforced atomic thinking. Pick based on whether you value control (Obsidian) or simplicity (Supernotes).
Is the free plan actually useful?
For evaluation, yes. For ongoing use, only if you keep fewer than 100 cards at a time, which is tight. The free plan includes all core features so you can genuinely test the card-based workflow before paying. Most serious users upgrade to Unlimited (£6/month billed annually) within a week or two, since 100 cards fills quickly once you start atomizing your thinking. Only the cards you actually interact with count toward the 100, and referrals earn 20 more.
Does Supernotes support markdown?
Yes, with rich text editing on top. You can write cards in markdown syntax and Supernotes will render them visually, including headings, lists, code blocks, links, and images. You can also paste rich text from the web and it converts automatically. The editor is a hybrid, it supports markdown for power users who prefer typing syntax, and rich text toolbars for users who don't want to learn markdown.
What AI features does Supernotes have?
As of August 2026, Supernotes groups its AI features under the name AI Superpowers, covering smart proofreading, card rewriting, and AI-assisted organisation, and they sit on the paid Unlimited plan rather than the free Starter tier. These are useful but not as extensive as the AI chat and semantic search in Notion, Mem, or Capacities. If AI is central to your note workflow, other tools offer more today.
Is Supernotes good for Zettelkasten?
Yes, arguably the best consumer Zettelkasten app. The atomic card format, linking, tags, and filtering match the Zettelkasten method almost perfectly. Traditional Zettelkasten on paper or in tools like Zettlr or The Archive require more setup. Supernotes is the closest thing to a turnkey Zettelkasten experience with a modern UI and mobile sync. Researchers and knowledge workers influenced by Sönke Ahrens' "How to Take Smart Notes" often gravitate toward it.
📋 Good to know
Sign up at supernotes.app, install desktop and mobile apps, start writing cards. Import from Notion, Obsidian, or plain markdown supported.
GDPR compliant. Data encrypted in transit and at rest, stored on EU servers. AI features use OpenAI but content is not used for training. Export at any time.
Unlimited (£6/mo billed annually) when you hit 100 cards on the free Starter plan. Collaborative editing in shared collections no longer needs a separate tier.
Low to moderate. Basic card-taking is obvious. Zettelkasten-style linking and tagging workflows take a few days to develop.
