Comparing Our Favorite Digital Books
Our Favorite Smart Pens
Neo Smartpen M1+ for $129: Skip the tablet and write directly on paper with a smart pen instead. The Neo Smartpen M1+ is the thinnest and lightest pen I’ve tried, making it feel like your average pen. Importantly, it is comfortable to hold and use. You should be able to find any size and style of notebook and planner you need. The Neo Studio app (iOS, Android) is great, with an easy-to-use notebook program and the ability to search pages by page number or date. You can change the ink color and line thickness right on the page as you go, or you can change them over time and edit the colors of your writing. — Medea Giodiano
Moleskine Smart Writing Set for $279: Moleskine has amassed a devoted following for its vintage books and journals, but it has also ventured into the intellectual realm. The Smart Writing Set gets you a notebook and a bunch of pens, so this is the best option for most beginners. Write in the book, and it will appear in the companion app! But you can buy the pen itself, as well as smart notebooks and planners in various sizes. The Moleskine Notes 2.0 app (iOS, Android) was easy to use once I settled into it. The old version of the app is available for download, but version 2.0 has been simplified. A pop-up lets me know that 2.0 is still a work in progress and I may have to downgrade to an older version if my device has a problem, but my iPhone 11 had no problems. I tested the $149 2018 version of the Smart Writing Set, which is no longer available, but we plan to test the latest version soon. — Medea Giordano
Honorable Mentions
Boox Note Air3 C for $450: This model was a solid all-rounder. It has a more complex ecosystem than our top picks, but also more power compared to a regular tablet. This version is discontinued, but there is a new version, i Note Air4 C ($530)which we now recommend above.
Kindle Scribe Colorsoft ($630) and Kindle Scribe (3rd generation) ($500): The newer versions of the Kindle Scribe are still solid all-around devices with a nice combination of e-reader and digital notebook features, but I still prefer the older model. While the new Scribe Colorsoft is a great option if you’re looking for color, I think both are overpriced for what they are. The value comes from all the AI features packed into the device, but I don’t think any reader or digital blogger was asking for more than that. Our pick above is a better number of the same features, though the Scribe has the most impressive battery life of any digital notebook device I’ve tried (and that’s still true of the older model I recommend above, too, so you don’t need the newest model for the best battery life).
Montblanc Digital Paper for $905: Yes, that Montblanc, the one with the famous pens, now has its own digital notebook. No wonder I can call its digital pen one of the best. It has a super-lightweight feel while sporting three different buttons, two of which you can customize. (There is no eraser, but I will offer it so that the end of the pen is the home button). I really like this device overall, but it’s a bit pricey for what you get—besides the customizable pen buttons, there’s not much I can distinguish in my preferences.
Neo Smartpen Dimo for $59: This is the cheapest option for a smart pen and uses replaceable batteries. It’s not compatible with Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook like our other options.
Rocketbook Fusion Plus for $38: If you really like paper information and don’t want something you need to charge for, Rocketbook is for you. Rocketbook makes many reusable textbooks, organizers, and accessories like index cards and sticky notes. I love Rocketbook Fusion Plus as it comes with a bunch of different template styles, from your regular monthly and weekly pages to project management planners and meeting notes, making it feel close to the variety a digital notebook has to offer. Take notes with the erasable Pilot Frixion Pen (one comes with any purchase), scan images of pages in the Rocketbook app, and wipe everything with a damp microfiber cloth (also included). The app is designed to keep everything organized and easily send things to Google Drive, Slack, Trello, OneNote, and a handful of other options.
Supernote A6 X2 Nomad for $394 (with Standard Pen): This is a smaller version of the Supernote A5 X2 Manta, measuring about 6 inches on one side and 7.5 inches on the other. Supernote is designed with travel in mind, but I find it’s a good size for a daily to-do list or for jotting down quick notes from a meeting. It’s a little too small for anything big, but if you’re looking for something compact, this is a great option with Supernote’s software (and equally nice pens!). Like the Manta above, this model has gone up in price due to cost, though only $30 more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Need a Digital Note Taking Device?
The short answer is no. These devices are expensive, often costing several hundred dollars where a simple notebook and pen cost a few bucks. But if you like the physical act of writing but need to have digital copies, it’s worth considering.
Good:
- Digital notebooks are small and light but hold hundreds of notes.
- You can write your notes into text files, make them easy to read and manage.
- Depending on the device, you can export files like PDFs, Google Docs, Evernote files, and more.
- It makes your art digital instantly.
Disadvantages:
- It’s expensive.
- It needs to be charged.
- Have a learning curve.
- Most smart pens need to be paired with a notebook. The upcoming Nuwa Pen promises smart notes anywhere paper.
E-ink notebooks are easy on the eyes and feel closer to paper than a glass screened tablet. But in some cases, you might want to spend a little more money to get an iPad and an Apple Pencil (and a keyboard if you want to type sometimes). And you can do more with them thanks to the thousands of apps in the App Store. The iPad is intuitive if you’re familiar with the Apple ecosystem (although both ReMarkable and Supernote’s ecosystems are also very intuitive). Former WIRED reviewer Jaina Gray recommended using her 11-inch iPad Pro with the GoodNotes and Nobility apps when writing, but there are other models that should work just as well, including our top pick, the 2025 iPad. Check out our guide to the best iPads for more advice on which to buy.
I also have an iPad, and I will say that the downside to a digital notebook is that the battery tends to last longer, especially if you’re the type to use it for a day or two and then forget about it for a few days. My trusty Kindle Scribe usually manages to have plenty of battery available whenever I feel the urge, even if it’s been a week or two since I last touched it.
Why Are Digital Books So Expensive?
Just because these devices look like paper doesn’t mean they’re cheap to make like paper. Like any tablet or smart phone, these devices are full of features, a special ecosystem, and E Ink technology is not a small thing for efficiency, and a feeling like writing on paper. An impressive piece of technology.
Prices are still not cheap in this segment due to the prices causing the technical costs to increase. ReMarkable recently increased the price of our top pick, ReMarkable Paper Pro. Another favorite of ours from Supernote has gone up a little over $50, and Kobo has also raised its prices, although the $10 increase is relatively small compared to other increases we’ve seen. We will continue to monitor prices and flag any further price changes.
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