i2 Analyst's Notebook alternatives (including for Mac) in 2026

Short answer: for analysts and investigators outside large agencies, especially on a Mac, DeepState is the most complete i2 alternative you can buy today: link and timeline analysis on a desktop canvas for macOS, Windows and Linux, plus documents, an AI assistant that does the research and cites its sources, and a PDF dossier, for $29–$49 per user per month. Maltego is the choice if you need commercial data pulled onto the chart; Obsidian Canvas and OSINTracker are free and manual. i2 itself is sold by quote and used as Windows desktop software.

We make DeepState. Facts about other products come from their own websites, checked October 16, 2026.

#Why people look for an i2 alternative

i2 Analyst's Notebook, now made by i2 Group (part of N. Harris Computer Corporation), has charted investigations for law enforcement, defence and fraud teams for decades. Three things send people looking elsewhere:

1. It doesn't run on a Mac. Analyst's Notebook is used as Windows desktop software; we found no macOS edition of the desktop product. A browser version, Analyst's Notebook Web, only comes inside i2's larger Analysis Studio and Analysis Hub packages.
2. Procurement-sized pricing. Every plan is sold through a demo and quote. Public tender records show the scale: one UK government support renewal in March 2025 was £37,317.
3. A chart isn't the whole investigation. Analyst's Notebook charts what you've already found. Finding it, keeping the evidence and writing the report happen in other tools.

#The alternatives at a glance

#DeepState

DeepState covers what most people use Analyst's Notebook for, a chart of people, organizations, events and locations with labelled, directional links and a timeline, and adds the parts of the investigation that happen around the chart.

• The evidence lives on the chart. Documents (with full-text search), articles, social posts, crypto wallets and identifiers like domains, emails and phone numbers are nodes too, each keeping its source and capture date.
• Timelines that handle real dates. Events take exact dates, date ranges or approximate dates, and narratives group evidence into storylines.
• An assistant that researches. It searches the web, court records, SEC filings, sanctions lists, archives, social platforms and US public records (person search, on Professional), and adds what it finds as linked nodes that cite their sources.
• Lookups on identifiers. Right-click a domain, IP, email or phone number for WHOIS, DNS, IP-owner and email checks, with no credits.
• The report. The dossier builder produces a PDF with a sources appendix from the nodes you select.
• A tamper-evident evidence log. Pages the assistant visits, screenshots and downloads are saved with their SHA-256 in a hash chain you can verify and export, so the record behind each chart can be checked later.
• Mac, Windows and Linux, with your data on your machine. Sharing a board with a colleague is end-to-end encrypted, and the AI can run fully offline.

Where i2 still wins: connectors to commercial databases such as LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters, and specialist analysis of very large imported datasets like call-detail records.

#The other options

#Maltego

Maltego runs on macOS, Windows and Linux (with Java) and in the browser. Its strength is data: transforms query data sources and put results straight onto the graph. A free Basic plan exists; paid plans start at €3,000 per year, and searches use credits. See DeepState vs Maltego.

#Obsidian Canvas and OSINTracker

Both are free and keep your data local. Obsidian Canvas is a general-purpose canvas inside a notes app; OSINTracker is purpose-built for investigations and runs in the browser. Both are entirely manual, which suits small charts and tight budgets.

#Social Links Crimewall

SL Crimewall is the closest enterprise-scale alternative, with case management, graph and map views and AI summaries, as SaaS or on-premise. Like i2, it's sold by quote.

#Which to choose

• You need link and timeline analysis on a Mac, or without a procurement process: DeepState.
• Your work ends in a report for a client or counsel: DeepState, because the evidence, the chart and the report are in one place.
• You need commercial data pulled onto the chart: Maltego, or i2 with its connectors.
• Your agency already runs i2: keep it for shared charts and connectors; DeepState can still speed up individual analysts' collection and write-up.
• Zero budget: Obsidian Canvas or OSINTracker.

#Frequently asked questions

#Does i2 Analyst's Notebook run on a Mac?

We found no macOS edition of the Analyst's Notebook desktop application; it is used as Windows software. i2 offers a browser-based Analyst's Notebook Web only as part of its larger Analysis Studio and Analysis Hub packages. DeepState and Maltego both run natively on macOS.

#What is the best i2 Analyst's Notebook alternative for Mac?

DeepState runs natively on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and covers link and timeline analysis, plus documents, an AI research assistant and PDF reports, for $29–$49 per user per month. Maltego also runs on macOS and is the choice if you need its commercial data sources.

#How much does i2 Analyst's Notebook cost?

i2 does not publish prices; every plan (Core, Collaborate, Connect, Pro) is sold through a demo and quote. Public procurement notices indicate enterprise scale, for example a UK government support renewal of £37,317 in March 2025.

#Who owns i2 Analyst's Notebook now?

i2 Group, based in Cambridge, UK, is part of N. Harris Computer Corporation, which acquired the i2 products from IBM.

#Can DeepState do timeline analysis like i2?

Yes. Events on a DeepState board take exact, ranged or approximate dates and appear on a timeline alongside the entities they involve, and narratives group related evidence into storylines. i2 goes further on specialist analysis of very large imported datasets, such as call records.