Notebooks & Journals
5 Moleskine Alternatives, and What Each One Does Better
Almost everyone who searches for an alternative is after the same two things: heavier paper, or a lower price. Very few want to give up the shape - so nothing here is a radical departure.
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The short answer
If you want the paper, buy the Clairefontaine clothbound. If you want the whole object done better, buy the LEUCHTTURM1917. The first publishes 90 gsm and usually costs less than the book you are replacing; the second publishes 80 gsm with 251 numbered pages and every fitting the Moleskine has.
How we judged these, before any ranking
People do not search for an alternative at random - they search because something specific annoyed them. Three complaints account for almost all of it, and the ranking is built on which book fixes which. This site has handled none of these notebooks; every figure is the maker's published one.
- Published paper weight. The top complaint by a distance. Moleskine publishes 70 gsm, the lightest paper on this site, and anybody who writes with a gel or fountain pen notices it on the reverse of the page. An alternative that does not publish a heavier figure is not an alternative, it is a different cover.
- Price against the same job. The second complaint. Any replacement that costs more has to earn it on something published, not on taste.
- Whether it keeps the shape. A5-ish, hard or firm cover, elastic, something that lives in a bag. The people asking this question generally like the format - they just want it built better.
- What it gives up. Every book here loses something against the Moleskine, and the honest ones lose recognition. That column is stated for each pick rather than buried.
The comparison that decides it
| Notebook | Paper | Pages | What it gives up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clairefontaine clothbound A5 | 90 gsm brushed vellum | 192 | No ribbon, elastic or pocket; cover color ships at random |
| LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 | 80 gsm | 251, numbered | Costs more; slightly wider than a Moleskine Large |
| Rhodia Webnotebook A5 | 90 gsm brushed ivory vellum | 160 | Fewest pages here; binding not published |
| Field Notes 3-pack | 60 lb / 90 gsm, acid free | 48 per book, 3 books | Pocket size only - not a Large replacement |
| Moleskine Classic Large | 70 gsm, FSC, acid free | 240 | The baseline: lightest paper, no page numbers |
Quick picks
Ranked for the person doing the buying. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Clairefontaine Clothbound Notebook, A5, 90 gsm, Blank Ninety gsm brushed vellum in a clothbound A5, which is heavier paper than any hardcover here and usually costs less than the 80 gsm ones. | 90 gsm, the heaviest weight published here | $13.48 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
| 2 |  LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook 80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum. | The bullet-journal standard | $25.50 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
| 3 |  Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot 90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum - the heaviest weight published anywhere on this site, in a book with a ribbon, an elastic and a pocket. | A fountain-pen user, without qualification | $31.44 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
| 4 |  Field Notes Original Kraft 3-Pack, Ruled Three 48-page memo books on 90 gsm acid-free stock - the only pocket notebook here that states a paper weight at all. | A pocket book that publishes its paper | $12.95 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
| 5 |  Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover The notebook everyone knows by sight, on 70 gsm paper that is lighter than its main rival and honest about it. | The recognizable one |
1. 90 gsm, the heaviest weight published here
Clairefontaine Clothbound Notebook, A5, 90 gsm, Blank
Ninety gsm brushed vellum in a clothbound A5, which is heavier paper than any hardcover here and usually costs less than the 80 gsm ones.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
Ninety gsm is the number that makes this notebook interesting. On this site the heavy-paper argument usually stops at 80 gsm, and the books that publish 90 - the Rhodia Webnotebook, this one - are the two a fountain-pen user should look at first.
The finish matters as much as the weight. Clairefontaine's brushed vellum is a smooth, closed surface, which is why ink sits on top of it and dries slowly rather than sinking in and feathering. That is a genuine trade: cleaner lines, longer to dry.
What you give up is fittings, not paper. There is no ribbon, no elastic and no pocket, and the cover color arrives at random. If those things matter to the person opening it, this is the wrong book and the price gap explains itself.
| Paper weight | 90 gsm, brushed vellum finishTen grams above the Leuchtturm1917 and twenty above the Moleskine Classic.Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
|---|---|
| Sheets | 96 sheets, 192 pagesSource: Goulet Pens - Clairefontaine Classic Clothbound A5 Notebook |
| Size | A5Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Ruling | Plain (blank)Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Cover | Film-coated card cover with a cloth spineThe listing states the cover color ships at random from the assorted pack.Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Page markers and pocket | Not publishedNo ribbon, elastic or rear pocket is listed. This is a plain book, and the hardcovers that cost more are buying you those fittings. |
What it does well
- 90 gsm published, the heaviest paper weight on this site.
- Brushed vellum surface, the reason fountain-pen ink does not feather on it.
- Costs less than most 80 gsm hardcovers.
What it does not
- No ribbon, elastic or rear pocket.
- The cover color is not chosen by the buyer - it ships at random from the assorted pack.
- Card cover, not a hard board, so it does not survive a bag the way a hardcover does.
- Blank only in this reference, which suits drawing more than lists.
Skip this: Skip this as a gift if the unwrapping matters. A random-color card-covered notebook is an excellent writing instrument and a flat present; buy it for yourself and give a journal gift set instead.
2. The bullet-journal standard
LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook
80 gsm paper, 251 numbered pages and a printed contents page, which is why this is the default recommendation in every journaling forum.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
Numbered pages plus a printed contents page is the whole reason bullet journaling settled on this book. An index needs page numbers, and printing them saves the user writing 251 of them.
80 gsm against the Moleskine Classic's published 70 gsm is a 14 percent difference in paper weight, and it is the difference most people notice as ghosting on the reverse of a page.
Two ribbons is not decoration in a journal that has an index. One marks the index, one marks today.
| Paper weight | 80 gsmSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
|---|---|
| Pages | 251 numbered pages, with 8 perforated detachable sheetsSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.75" x 8.25" (145 x 210 mm)Source: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Fittings | Blank table of contents, two page markers, gusseted rear pocket, elastic band, archival stickersSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
| Binding | Thread bound, opens flatSource: Amazon listing - LEUCHTTURM1917 Notebook Hardcover Medium A5, Dotted |
What it does well
- 251 pre-numbered pages and a blank contents page, ready for an index.
- 80 gsm published, the heaviest of the three mainstream hardcovers here.
- Thread bound, so it lies flat from the first page.
What it does not
- Still not fountain-pen-proof; 80 gsm reduces show-through, it does not eliminate it.
- The dot grid is fainter than some users want for straight-line work.
Skip this: if the recipient has never mentioned journaling. A 251-page dotted notebook handed to a non-journaler is 251 blank pages of obligation. See how to pick a journal as a gift.
3. A fountain-pen user, without qualification
Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot
90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum - the heaviest weight published anywhere on this site, in a book with a ribbon, an elastic and a pocket.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
90 gsm is the number to buy this for. Against 70 gsm Moleskine paper that is roughly 29 percent more paper between one page and the next, and that is where fountain-pen show-through stops being a problem.
The trade is page count. 160 pages against 251 for the Leuchtturm1917 at a similar size - heavier paper in a book of the same thickness means fewer sheets. That is physics, not a cost saving.
Ivory rather than white is a real preference axis. It is easier on the eye under a desk lamp and it flattens the contrast of a photograph, which matters if anyone is posting pages.
| Paper weight | 90 gsm Clairefontaine brushed ivory vellum10 gsm above the Leuchtturm1917 and 20 above the Moleskine Classic.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot, Black |
|---|---|
| Pages | 160 (80 sheets)Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.5" x 8.25"Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook - A5 |
| Fittings | Leatherette cover, inner pocket, ribbon page marker, elastic closureSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Page numbers | Not publishedNot numbered. Rhodia does not target the indexed-journal use case. |
What it does well
- 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper, the heaviest weight published here, and the safe choice for fountain-pen ink.
- Ivory stock is comfortable under artificial light.
- Soft leatherette cover, pocket, ribbon and elastic as standard.
What it does not
- 160 pages, roughly two thirds of the Leuchtturm1917's count.
- No page numbers or contents page.
- Less recognizable as a brand than the other two, which matters in a gift.
Skip this: if the recipient keeps an indexed bullet journal. No page numbers means hand-numbering, and at 160 pages they will run out sooner than they expect.
4. A pocket book that publishes its paper
Field Notes Original Kraft 3-Pack, Ruled
Three 48-page memo books on 90 gsm acid-free stock - the only pocket notebook here that states a paper weight at all.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
Ninety gsm in a pocket notebook is genuinely unusual and it is the entire reason this is the first pick. Pocket books are normally where paper quality goes to die - thin stock, because nobody expects to check. This one publishes the same weight class as the site's top full-size recommendation.
Forty-eight pages per book sounds slight and is the correct size for the format. A pocket notebook is a capture device; it gets filled in a few weeks and replaced, which is why they are sold in threes.
Acid-free matters more here than the page count. These are the notes you transcribe later, and a saddle-stitched book that yellows in a drawer defeats the purpose of having captured anything.
| Paper weight | 60 lb (90 gsm) Finch Opaque, acid freeThe same weight class as the Rhodia Webnotebook, in a book a fraction of the size.Source: Amazon listing - Field Notes Original Kraft 3-Pack |
|---|---|
| Size | 3.5" x 5.5"Source: Amazon listing - Field Notes Original Kraft 3-Pack |
| Pages | 48 per book, ruledThree books in the pack, so 144 pages in total.Source: Amazon listing - Field Notes Original Kraft 3-Pack |
| Printing | Soy-based inkSource: Amazon listing - Field Notes Original Kraft 3-Pack |
What it does well
- 90 gsm published, which no other pocket notebook in this comparison states.
- Acid-free, so a filled book survives being kept.
- Three to a pack, which matches how the format is actually used.
What it does not
- 48 pages goes fast if you write more than a few lines a day.
- Ruled only in this pack - no dot grid option here.
- Saddle-stitched rather than bound, so it will not lie flat when new.
Skip this: if what you want is one book that lasts a year. This is a consumable bought three at a time, and somebody expecting a single durable journal will find it slight. Buy an A5 hardcover instead - see notebooks for writers.
5. The recognizable one
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover
The notebook everyone knows by sight, on 70 gsm paper that is lighter than its main rival and honest about it.
70 gsm versus 80 is the entire technical argument between this and the Leuchtturm1917, and it is a real one: lighter paper shows more of what is on the reverse. Whether that matters depends entirely on what the recipient writes with.
What Moleskine has that its rival does not is recognition. For a gift that is worth something concrete - the recipient knows what it is before they open the card.
No page numbers and no contents page. For freeform notes that is irrelevant; for an indexed journal it is 240 numbers to write by hand.
| Paper weight | 70 gsmMoleskine publishes this, and it is 10 gsm under the Leuchtturm1917.Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
|---|---|
| Pages | 240Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Size | Large, 5" x 8.25"Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Paper stock | FSC certified, acid free (pH neutral)Source: Amazon listing - Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, Dotted, Hard Cover |
| Page numbers | Not publishedPages are not numbered and there is no printed contents page. A bullet journal user will number them by hand. |
What it does well
- Universally recognized, which does real work in a gift.
- FSC certified, acid-free paper with a published weight.
- Slightly thinner block than the Leuchtturm for the same page count, so it carries better.
What it does not
- 70 gsm ghosts more than 80 gsm with gel and fountain pens.
- No pre-numbered pages or contents page.
Skip this: if you know they use a fountain pen. Buy the Rhodia at 90 gsm instead and spend the difference on ink. See Leuchtturm1917 versus Moleskine.
The cheapest fix is also the biggest one
The plain clothbound Clairefontaine publishes 90 gsm - twenty grams over the Moleskine, which is the difference between a wet nib marking through the sheet and not - and it usually sells for less than the book it replaces. That is an unusual combination and it is why it leads.
What you are giving up is every fitting: no elastic, no ribbon, no rear pocket, and the cover color arrives at random from an assorted pack. If those things are why you liked the Moleskine, this is the wrong swap and the Leuchtturm is the right one. What gsm means explains what the number buys.
When the answer is the Leuchtturm instead
It matches the Moleskine feature for feature and then adds: 251 printed page numbers, a blank contents page, eight perforated sheets, two ribbons rather than one, and 80 gsm instead of 70. It is the upgrade rather than the substitute, and it costs accordingly.
The two honest caveats: it is about three quarters of an inch wider than a Moleskine Large, so covers and sleeves are not interchangeable, and 80 gsm is still not fountain-pen-proof with a broad nib. Leuchtturm1917 vs Moleskine is the head-to-head, and the full review goes spec by spec.
What the Moleskine still wins
Recognition, and it is worth stating plainly on a page about replacing it. Nobody has to explain a Moleskine. As a gift that is a real advantage, and none of the alternatives here has it - the recipient of a Clairefontaine will not know what they are holding.
It is also the thinnest book here for its page count, which makes it the easiest to carry, and it publishes FSC-certified acid-free paper, which two of the alternatives do not mention at all. Swapping is a trade rather than an upgrade in every direction.
If the complaint was the price
Then the answer is not a single notebook at all. A three-pack of pocket books at 90 gsm costs less than one Large hardcover and covers a different use entirely - capture rather than keeping. Plenty of people who thought they wanted a cheaper Moleskine actually wanted a cheaper habit.
If you fill books, the cost per page is the number that matters and the heavy-paper hardcovers are poor value on it. Are expensive notebooks worth it prices that trade properly.
Questions people actually ask
What is a good alternative to Moleskine?
The Clairefontaine clothbound A5 if you want heavier paper for less money - it publishes 90 gsm against Moleskine's 70. The LEUCHTTURM1917 if you want the same object built better, with 251 numbered pages and a contents page.
Why do people look for Moleskine alternatives?
Two complaints dominate: the published 70 gsm paper, which is the lightest on this site and shows gel and fountain-pen ink through the page, and the price relative to what the book publishes.
Is Leuchtturm1917 better than Moleskine?
On published specifications, yes - 80 gsm against 70, 251 numbered pages against 240 unnumbered, a contents page and eight perforated sheets. Moleskine wins on recognition and on being slightly narrower.
What is the cheapest notebook with good paper?
The plain Clairefontaine clothbound publishes 90 gsm with 192 pages and no fittings at all, which is the heaviest weight on this site in the cheapest full-size book that publishes it.
Do any alternatives have numbered pages?
Only the LEUCHTTURM1917 among these. Neither Clairefontaine nor Rhodia publishes page numbering, and the Moleskine Classic has none - which matters if you keep an index. See notebooks for bullet journaling.