Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Pinboard VS NotePlan

Compare Pinboard VS NotePlan and see what are their differences

Pinboard logo Pinboard

Pinboard is a personal archive for things you find online and don't want to forget.

NotePlan logo NotePlan

Make plans inside an individual markdown note for every day in your calendar. Use it as a journal for your daily tasks and plan todos in advance. For Mac, iPhone and iPad.
  • Pinboard Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-16
  • NotePlan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-06-25

Pinboard features and specs

  • Simplicity
    Pinboard offers a clean, minimalist interface, making it easy to use without unnecessary complexities or distractions.
  • Speed
    The service operates quickly, with fast loading times and efficient bookmarking processes.
  • Privacy
    Pinboard values user privacy and does not serve ads. They also avoid tracking user activity across the web.
  • Data Portability
    Pinboard allows easy export of your bookmarks, enabling you to retain control of your data and migrate it to other platforms if needed.
  • API Availability
    Pinboard provides a robust API, enabling users to integrate their bookmarking activities with other applications and services.
  • Archiving Feature
    For a fee, Pinboard offers an archiving feature that saves a copy of the bookmarked page, ensuring you can access the content even if it gets taken down.
  • No Algorithmic Feeds
    Pinboard does not use algorithmic feeds, so users see an unfiltered, chronological list of their bookmarks.

Possible disadvantages of Pinboard

  • Cost
    Pinboard is not free; it requires a one-time fee for new users, which might deter those looking for completely free solutions.
  • Outdated Interface
    The user interface, while simple, can appear outdated compared to modern web applications, possibly affecting user experience.
  • Limited Social Features
    Pinboard has limited social features and community engagement options, which may not appeal to users seeking more community involvement and sharing capabilities.
  • Learning Curve for API
    While the availability of an API is a pro, it may present a learning curve for users not familiar with APIs, reducing its accessibility to non-developers.
  • Basic Search Functionality
    The search functionality is relatively basic compared to other bookmarking services that offer more advanced search and filter options.
  • No Mobile Apps
    Pinboard does not have official mobile apps, which could be less convenient for users who prefer native mobile applications for bookmarking.

NotePlan features and specs

  • Markdown Support
    NotePlan supports Markdown, allowing users to write notes in a clean and easy-to-format manner.
  • Calendar Integration
    It integrates seamlessly with your calendar, providing a consolidated view of notes, tasks, and events.
  • Task Management
    Users can manage tasks and to-do lists directly within the app, making it great for productivity.
  • Cross-Platform Sync
    NotePlan offers cross-platform syncing, enabling access to notes on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices.
  • Daily Notes
    The concept of daily notes helps in journaling and keeping track of daily activities.
  • Tagging System
    An efficient tagging system helps in organizing and finding notes quickly.
  • Quick Capture
    The quick capture feature enables jotting down thoughts and tasks swiftly.

Possible disadvantages of NotePlan

  • Price
    NotePlan is not free and may be considered expensive for casual note-takers.
  • Learning Curve
    The extensive features might require some time for new users to learn and adapt.
  • Limited Platform Availability
    It’s only available on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, leaving out Windows and Android users.
  • No Web Access
    There is no web access, which can be a limitation for some users who prefer browser-based tools.
  • No Collaboration Features
    NotePlan lacks robust collaboration features, which makes it less suitable for team projects.

Analysis of Pinboard

Overall verdict

  • Pinboard is a highly regarded bookmarking service, especially for those who appreciate simplicity and privacy. However, it may not be suitable for users seeking more interactive or collaborative features found in social bookmarking platforms.

Why this product is good

  • Pinboard is a minimalist bookmarking service valued for its simplicity, speed, and ad-free experience. It offers features like saving bookmarks with tags, full-text search, easy import/export of links, and archival of saved pages. The platform is favored by users who prefer a straightforward, reliable tool for managing their online bookmarks without the distraction of social networking features.

Recommended for

  • Users who prefer a minimalist design and fast performance.
  • Individuals looking for a bookmarking tool with strong privacy features.
  • Researchers and digital scholars who need archival capabilities.
  • People who want an ad-free and straightforward bookmarking experience.

Analysis of NotePlan

Overall verdict

  • Overall, NotePlan is a good choice for those who prefer a minimalist yet powerful tool for managing notes and tasks. It effectively caters to individuals looking for a cohesive system that integrates note-taking with scheduling, making it a viable option for personal and professional productivity needs.

Why this product is good

  • NotePlan is a well-regarded productivity tool because it combines the functionalities of note-taking, to-do lists, and a calendar in a single application. Its strengths include seamless integration with macOS and iOS, Markdown support for note formatting, and an intuitive interface that makes it easy to manage tasks and notes. Users appreciate its focus on personal productivity and the ability to link notes with tasks and calendar events, which aids in organizing projects and daily plans efficiently.

Recommended for

    NotePlan is particularly recommended for users who are deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem and prefer using apps that offer robust integrations with iOS and macOS. It is ideal for people who like using Markdown for note-taking and those who want a lightweight app that can manage tasks and notes simultaneously in a linked manner. Additionally, individuals who value a clean, distraction-free interface for productivity will likely find NotePlan to be a good fit.

Pinboard videos

Pinboard Bookmarking Review - Part 1

More videos:

  • Review - Using Pinboard to save your digital breadcrumbs as you read online
  • Review - Pinboard Bookmarking Review - Part 2

NotePlan videos

NotePlan 3 Review

More videos:

  • Review - Noteplan 3 - Link your Notes with Apple's Reminder and Calendar App
  • Review - Walkthrough of NotePlan 3 — Notetaker, calendar, digital bullet journal all in one app
  • Review - The Best Bullet Journal App | NotePlan 3 Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Pinboard and NotePlan)
Bookmarks
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
55 55%
45% 45
Bookmark Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
45 45%
55% 55

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Pinboard and NotePlan

Pinboard Reviews

  1. Simple but effective

    While all the other bookmarking sites have died, pinboard.in remains and is a reliable and handy place to save all those links you love but are sure to otherwise forget.


Pinboard vs. Raindrop: Two bookmark apps enter…
I don’t think Pinboard’s added a feature in ten years. It certainly hasn’t added a feature useful to me in that space of time. A year or so ago I got some Twitter DMs from someone (not Cegłowski) indicating that a refactoring and new features were on the way, but I have heard nothing since and don’t particularly expect to. Its documentation is similarly stale, and so are its...
Source: dsalo.info
11 Pocket Alternatives You Must Try Out!
With this tool, you can organize your pile of links into a clean space. With an easy tag option, finding your bookmarks becomes easier with Pinboard.
Source: blog.elink.io
XMarks is Dead on May 1st, 2018 : firefox
pinboard, $11/yr. It says it's a social bookmarking service but everything is private unless you make it public. I don't think bookmarking pages is done through the browser, though, but you can import your bookmarks and just use pinboard instead.
Source: www.reddit.com
Del.icio.us is closing down. Time for a roundup of alternative bookmark managers.
And as of recent events it was sold again to competing service Pinboard which plans - as I've foreseen this - to shut it down almost completely. Today (June 15, 2017) it will be set to read-only mode without ability to save new bookmarks as to preserve the "fascinating piece of web history" that contains around 1 billion of bookmarks.
Source: serafin.io

NotePlan Reviews

We have no reviews of NotePlan yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pinboard should be more popular than NotePlan. It has been mentiond 76 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Pinboard mentions (76)

  • How to Record and Retrieve Anything You've Ever Had to Look Up Twice
    Shout out to Pinboard for making bookmarking pages and adding notes incredibly easy. They have a bookmarklet that sits on my bookmarks toolbar and if I like a page/tweet/video etc I just hit the "Add pin", enter some tags and hit enter. This works so well that I went through and bookmarked and tagged all of my LinkedIn connections as well (inspired by a post from Derek Sivers [1]). People are generally amazed at... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Tabs Later: A Tab Hoarder's Journey to Sanity
    I switched to using Pinboard [0] for all bookmarking and never looked back. The real unlocks were: - using the bookmarklet that pops open a small browser window with the page title, suggested tags - doing the same on my iphone - have a couple in browser bookmarks that point to the tags for important things It's so good I even used it to track all of my LinkedIn connections tagged by location, job function etc... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Ask HN: What operating systems, apps, etc. had your favorite UI designs?
    Https://pinboard.in Simple, usable, timeless. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Google Shifts Goo.gl Policy: Inactive Links Deactivated, Active Links Preserved
    Pinboard.in. Also pay the $20/yr for archiving if the links rot https://pinboard.in/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Mozilla shutdown Pocket on July 8, 2025
    The classic https://pinboard.in/, maybe? I haven't used it, but it tempts me a few times per decade. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

NotePlan mentions (36)

  • Ask HN: YAML or Markdown for Personal Notes?
    Https://noteplan.co, if you're on a macOS/iOS device. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What Process/Applications Do You Use for Todo/Knowledge Management?
    I'm using NotePlan (https://noteplan.co) and loving it. It's a macOS/iOS app (there's a somewhat limited Web version). IMO, the best balance between PKM and task manager/calendar management. I've also tried Amplenote (https://amplenote.com) that has some of the features you want but the tagging concept lost me. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: How do you manage ideas, tasks, notes and other stuff?
    I've been using NotePlan (https://noteplan.co) with the Projects + Reviews plugin. It's been a game changer for me. The (almost) perfect combination of tasks + notes. I also manage my personal stuff with it. It's a paid macOS app but, IMO, worth every penny. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Information flow - how I capture the notes
    Noteplan and Plume - not a Markdown, more Apple notes competitors. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Twenty, a modern CRM alternative to Salesforce
    Consider https://legendapp.com/ or https://noteplan.co/ for nice note integration with your calendar. You could easily create a list of contacts in these systems and trigger various events (singular and recurring). - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Pinboard and NotePlan, you can also consider the following products

Raindrop.io - All your articles, photos, video & content from web & apps in one place.

Obsidian.md - A second brain, for you, forever. Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files.

Diigo - Diigo is a powerful research tool and a knowledge-sharing community

Evernote - Bring your life's work together in one digital workspace. Evernote is the place to collect inspirational ideas, write meaningful words, and move your important projects forward.

Tagpacker - A free tool to quickly collect, organize, and share your favorite links.

Bear - Bear.app is a note-taking and content writing app that helps you boost productivity with its intuitive tools.