Free/Low cost Note Taking Options

We have Livescribe Echo Smart Pen's available to ASC students with note taking accommodations throughout the semester on a first come first serve basis, this serves students very well who need digital note taking assistance. You can drop by the ASC to check one out at no cost if available.

What is a Livescribe Echo Smart Pen?

A Livescribe Echo Smart Pen is a smart pen that records audio and links it to your handwritten notes, allowing you to replay audio directly from your notes.

Good Notes 6

AI Tools: Math help, spellcheck, word completion and Q&A
Colored folders, customizable template to promote study habits
Exam Prep: AI hints and practice materials
Extras: Audio recording (limited with free version) and notebooks for real time note taking

Free version available but Subscription is $1 per month ($11.99 for the year)

https://www.goodnotes.com/

Notability

Note-Taking: Typing, Handwriting, and Audio
AI Tools: Summarizes, quizzes and flash cards
Organization: Planners, worksheets and subject folders
Advanced Audio: Record and Link audio to notes
Works on iOS and macOS ONLY

Free version available but Subscription is $14.99 per year for Notability LITE, $19.99 per year for Notability PLUS and $99.99 per year for Notability Pro

https://notability.com/

Messenger Pigeon

Capture & Organize: Record, transcribe, and take notes in one app.
AI Study Assistant: Generates summaries, keywords, and quizzes.
Paid Services: Access note-takers and captions.
Works on mobile, desktop, and web.
Boosts engagement, retention, and accessibility.

Free version available but Subscription is $19.99 per month

https://www.messengerpigeonapp.com/

Ever Note

Note-Taking: Add text, images, PDFs and website clips
Organization: Notebooks, tags, and search
Works across multiple devices
Study tools such as, task management and sharing
Premium plan allows for more advanced AI tools

Free version available but Subscription is $14.99 per month

https://evernote.com/

Microsoft One Note / macOS Notes / Google Docs / Google Keep

Microsoft One Note: Notetaking, organization, real time collaboration if needed and handwriting recognition on tablet devices.
macOS Notes: Handwriting across handheld devices, smart folders for organization, supports attachments, real time collaboration across devices and voice typing.
Google Docs: Real time collaboration, voice typing, accessible anywhere and saved on a cloud not the device, supports attachments, rich formatting and version history tracking.
Google Keep: Create text, lists, images, voice notes, organize notes, set time based reminders, share and collaborate with others and easily integrates with google services like calendar, docs and drive.

MS OneNote

macOS Notes

Google Docs

Who do these note taking options benefit?

These note-taking tools benefit a wide range of learners, especially:

Students with accommodations, such as those with ADHD, dyslexia, or processing disorders, who benefit from flexible, multimodal learning.
Students who miss class due to illness, scheduling conflicts, or other reasons.
Auditory learners who benefit from listening back to lectures.
Students who need support with organization and retention, especially in fast-paced or content-heavy courses.
Any student looking to enhance study efficiency with tools like summaries, flashcards, and searchable notes.

For any questions or assistance regarding alternative media formats, please contact Bianca Hernández, the Alternate Media Specialist, email: bihernan@cabrillo.edu. Who can provide guidance and support for all inquiries related to alternate media resources at the Accessibility Support Center.