The 6 best note-taking apps in 2024

These evernote alternatives are the best out there..

Hero image with logos of the best note-taking apps

Note taking is one of those universal but intensely personal things. Everyone takes notes of some kind, whether it's as simple as writing down a grocery list or phone number or as systematic as typing up detailed book summaries or meeting minutes. For some people, notes are just text—maybe with a few headings and bullets; for others, they're essentially scrapbooks with elaborate doodles and images. But however you take notes, there's an app out there that can handle all your weird quirks, obscure preferences, and note-taking needs. You just might need to look for it.

But first, the big caveat. You can write notes anywhere: on the back of a napkin, envelope, important bill, or even in a notebook. It's kind of similar with apps: you can stick notes into pretty much any old app, even if it's not really designed for them. Example: Google Docs isn't a great notes app, but I have notes about this article you're reading now in the Google Doc I'm working from.

So for this list, I didn't look at every app that could be used to take notes, every app I've personally used to take notes, or even every business collaboration tool that claimed it was a notes app—I was only interested in apps that were explicitly designed to be notes apps. I also only really considered general-purpose personal note-taking apps.

Even with all these criteria in place, I still tested over 45 different note apps for taking notes online. Here are the best note-taking apps I could find.

The best note-taking apps

Apple Notes for Apple users

Google Keep for Google power users

Notion for collaboration

Obsidian for power note-takers

Joplin for an Evernote alternative

Once you've picked a note-taking app, check out our favorite ways to use automation to improve how you put your notes to work , track action items from meetings , and put an end to regular copy-paste actions .

What makes the best note-taking app?

How we evaluate and test apps.

Our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog .

As a tech writer, I've been taking notes and reviewing software every day for over a decade. Note taking is something I have opinions about. Even after 10 years, I'm still fine-tuning the system I use. I've done my best to leave my preferences out of the decision-making process here. For example, while I love text-heavy notes apps with support for Markdown (which shouldn't really be a surprise), I recognize that other people are looking for different things. If your favorite app isn't on the list, feel free to shout at me.

With so many apps to consider—and so many apps claiming to be notes apps—I had some pretty strict criteria for what made an app worthy of this list.

First, the best note-taking software has to be good at what it claims to do . This sounds like an easy bar to clear, but you'd be surprised at how many apps fell short. Not every note-taking app needs to have features like image-to-text conversion or stylus support, but if it boasted about them on its marketing page, they had better be well-executed and nice to use. 

Second, all the note-taking apps had to be quick and easy to use as intended . The real competition when you're looking for somewhere to write a note isn't other note-taking apps, but a pen and scrap of paper. If it wasn't almost as convenient to open the notes app and create a quick note as it was to reach across my desk for a Moleskine and a pen, it didn't make the cut. This rule also extended to other features: editing and sorting notes had to feel seamless and natural, rather than require a battle with a horrible user interface. 

Similarly, the biggest reason to have a notes app instead of a physical notebook is that you can access it from anywhere on any device at any time , whether you're at your desk at work, chilling on your couch at home, or flying coast-to-coast. At a minimum, I required each notepad app to be available on one desktop and one mobile platform (and sync between them), and to have some kind of offline functionality. You can't be locked out of your notebook because you don't have Wi-Fi. 

Finally, we had the value for money test. I love a good free app, but with things as permanent as digital notes, that has to be balanced against the likelihood of the service surviving the next few years and being able to offer server-based features like syncing. While you will find free note-taking apps on this list, some of the best apps not operated by large technology companies charge a reasonable subscription price, and as long as it was warranted by the features offered, that was no barrier to inclusion.

As you can imagine, these criteria exclude a lot of apps that people love.

If you live at your desk, then an online-only web-based note-taking app might not be a problem for you, but it's just not suitable for anyone who wants to check their grocery list when they're at the store. 

There are some great super-niche notes apps designed for fiction writers or developers, but they aren't fit for most people, so they weren't in consideration for a place on this list.

Similarly, there are lots of powerful business collaboration tools that claim to be notes apps but just aren't suitable for one person to keep track of their grocery list or draft a thank-you note. (As a rule, if an app supports video calls out of the box, it's not a notes app.)

The other thing that's popped up in the last 12 months is AI-powered note-taking apps that claim to either help you write better notes or resurface the information you record in novel ways. While AI features certainly didn't exclude any app, to make the list, it still had to work well as a regular note-taking app too. 

Over the course of a few days, instead of using my notebook or notes app of choice, I wrote my thoughts, lists, and other notes to remember down in one of the apps I was putting through its paces. For any that looked like they might make the list, I dug a bit deeper and tested the other features like sync, sorting, and the like. Here are my favorites.

The best note-taking apps at a glance

Best free note-taking app, microsoft onenote (ios, android, macos, windows, web).

The interface for OneNote, our pick for the best free note-taking app

OneNote pros:

A great free plan that's widely available on every platform 

Completely freeform note-taking, so you can jot down whatever you want wherever you want to on the canvas 

OneNote cons:

It's still a Microsoft app, so it can feel a bit corporate for a note-taking app

Microsoft OneNote is the best free note-taking app and in serious contention to be the best note-taking app overall. Unless you know you want a specific set of features that it doesn't offer, it's the first app that most people should try.

OneNote is incredibly freeform when it comes to taking notes, which allows it to adapt to whatever your specific needs are. Each Notebook is modeled off a ringbinder, so it's divided into sections with subsections called pages. And each page is basically a canvas where you can add any kind of note you like, anywhere you want. You can throw in some images, click anywhere to add text notes, and if your computer supports a stylus, scribble a mustache on everyone in the photo. (Otherwise you can draw one on with your trackpad, but it'll be less stylish.) It feels like a solution purpose-built for students and anyone else who has to take long, discursive notes about something or doodle a few diagrams, rather than people looking for a digital notebook to collect short snippets and random ideas.

I'd struggle to call any of Microsoft's apps intuitive, but OneNote is familiar . If you've used any version of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint in the last decade, you'll be right at home. It's certainly better for sitting down and taking notes during a class or meeting than scrawling reminders at a grocery store, but it can do both. 

Microsoft—through its partnership with OpenAI—is one of the biggest proponents of AI, and it's adding an AI feature called Copilot to most of its apps. In OneNote, Copilot is able to create, summarize, and edit text, as well as help you understand your notes. For now, it's only available to some Microsoft 365 customers, so it didn't really factor into my decision-making process for this year's list, but if you're an enterprise OneNote user, it's worth a look.

In terms of pricing, although OneNote is free , it uses your OneDrive storage . You get 5GB included, which is more than enough for most people. But if you use OneDrive to store your photos, or save a lot of image and audio notes, you might hit against that limit. If you do, you can increase it to 100GB for $1.99/month. (You can also sign up for Microsoft 365 from $6.99/month and get the full Office suite of apps and more storage, but which plan is right for you can get complicated .)

With OneNote's Zapier integration , you can automate OneNote to eliminate the hassle of moving information between apps. For example, Zapier can automatically create new notes in OneNote whenever you have a new task, note, or calendar event in another app. Learn more about how to automate OneNote , or get started with one of these pre-made workflows.

Create OneNote notes from new or moved Trello cards

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Copy new Evernote notes to your OneNote notebook

Evernote logo

Add notes on OneNote for upcoming Google Calendar events

Google Calendar logo

OneNote price : Free for up to 5GB of notes; $1.99/month for 100GB.

Take a look at how OneNote compares to Evernote in our Evernote vs. OneNote showdown .

Best note-taking app for Apple users

Apple notes (ios, macos, web).

The interface for Apple Notes, our pick for the best note-taking app for Apple users

Apple Notes pros:

Free and integrates seamlessly between your Apple devices 

Consistently improving; it used to be incredibly basic, but now it's a competent notes app 

Apple Notes cons:

Getting it to play nice with Android or Windows is a fool's errand

There are actually lots of incredible note-taking apps available on Macs, iPads, and iPhones. I could legitimately have filled this spot with picks like Bear and Craft (both of which I love), but Apple Notes takes it because it is free and built in. Plus, it's as convenient, easy to use, and as useful for most people as any of the premium picks. And it keeps getting better. Over the past few years, Apple has added features like tags, sharing, and a powerful search. You can add text to your notes, attach images, scan documents, draw or handwrite, and basically format them as you need. It even integrates with Siri. 

If you've got an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Apple Notes is the first app to try. Everything syncs easily and, in that classic Apple way, just works. It isn't the most feature-filled app, but for most occasional note takers, it does more than enough.

Apple Notes price : Free for 5GB of storage across all iCloud services; starts at $0.99/month for 50GB . 

There's a very healthy notes app ecosystem for Apple devices; however, since they're all paid products and Apple Notes is so good, none of them made this list. For more options, check out our picks for the best Mac note-taking apps and the best iPad note-taking apps .

Best note app for Google power users

Google keep (android, ios, web, chrome).

The interface for Google Keep, our pick for the best note-taking app for Google power users

Google Keep pros:

Integrates nicely with other Google services like Gmail and Google Docs 

Free as part of a regular Google account 

Google Keep cons:

On its own, it's very basic

Most notes aren't supposed to stand alone—they serve a purpose. They're meant  to remind you to email a friend, help you outline your new book, or one of a million other things. Often, these other things require you to use some other app or service. You can't send an email from your notes app, and while you might be able to outline a book, it's probably not the best place to write it. This is what makes Google Keep such a great option for Google power users.

Google Keep is a little odd. As a notes app, it's fine—though very barebones. There are reasonable web, iOS, and Android versions, and a handy Chrome extension for saving quick notes and links. But it's how it integrates with Google's other services that makes it so useful. 

If you use Google Keep, when you open Gmail in your browser, there's a little lightbulb icon in the right sidebar. Click it, and you have quick access to all your Google Keep notes. You can see any notes related to the thing you're working on, your most recent notes, search for something from a while ago, or create a new one. But here's the thing: that same sidebar is there in all of your Google Docs, in your Google Calendar, and even in your Google Drive. About the only Google app it isn't in is YouTube.

And Keep integrates with the rest of Google in other ways. Click on a note and then Copy to Google Docs to convert it into a new document (you can also drag and drop a note from the sidebar if you have Google Docs open); set a reminder by clicking the little bell icon, and the note appears in your Google Calendar; and if you create an audio note on your smartphone, Google automatically transcribes it.

Really, if you live your work life in Google's ecosystem, you should be using Keep—even if you also use another note-taking solution for your personal life. It comes as part of your Google account and is perfect for any notes you need in the other Google apps.

Google Keep price: Free for 15GB of storage across all of Google apps; starts at $1.99/month for 100GB .

Best note-taking website for collaboration

Notion (android, ios, macos, windows, web).

The interface for Notion, our pick for the best note-taking app for collaboration

Notion pros:

Best-in-class collaboration and team note-taking features

Packs in lots of features, like task management, databases, and pretty much anything else you care to think of 

Notion cons:

If you're looking for a personal note-taking app, it can be a bit over the top

Note taking can be something you do for yourself, or something you do with and for others—whether they're your coworkers, fellow students, or just friends and family members. All the apps we've looked at so far are mostly for taking notes for yourself. Sure, you can share and collaborate on notes and even notebooks, but their main features lie elsewhere. With Notion , collaboration on all aspects is built in from the start ( though it can still be used solo ).

Notion is the only app on this list that skirts the provision of it being a note-taking app. It is, but because of its collaborative features, it can be so much more . It's basically three tools in one: a powerful notes app (which is why it's on this list), a task and project manager, and a reference wiki. How you combine those three things is up to you. 

Each new document or note is called a page, and everything in Notion is referred to as a block. Blocks include basic elements like text, checklists, and headings, as well as media types like images, web bookmarks, video, audio, code snippets, and files. You can use as many blocks as you want, in whatever combination, on every page. The sidebar is split into two sections: Teamspaces , which groups all the pages you share with the rest of your team, and Private , where you can have your own notes. While collaboration is a big part of Notion, it's not forced on you.

Notion is also really embracing AI . While you can try it for free, it costs $10/month to enable unlimited access. It can generate and edit text, but more usefully, it can also summarize and pull action items from meeting notes, transcriptions, and anything else you like. Notion is also testing a new Q&A feature, where you can ask a chatbot for information about your notes. It's similar to what Mem currently does , and should make it easier to find and pull content from your notes. (Mem also has powerful AI features worth checking out, but it's not as easy to use as a regular notes app.)

One thing to note: Notion bills itself as an Evernote competitor for personal users. It can be—but it's too much for most people, and its offline functionality isn't the best. If you love the idea of Notion, go right ahead and try the free Personal Plan, but for me, it's really best as a team notes app or an AI-powered notes app. Something like Obsidian (which we'll look at in a moment) or Craft have a lot of Notion's best features, but they're tailored for individuals.

Notion integrates with Zapier , so you can connect it to thousands of other apps to do things like automatically generate GitHub or Jira issues from new Notion database items. Learn more about how to automate Notion , or check out these templates for inspiration.

Create GitHub issues from new items in Notion databases

Notion logo

Generate Jira issues with new Notion database items

Jira Software Cloud logo

Notion price : Free for personal users; free trial for team users with a 1,000 block limit; from $10/user/month for the Plus plan with unlimited blocks. Notion AI starts at $10/user/month.

If you're deciding between Notion and OneNote, take a look at our showdown: Notion vs. OneNote .

Best notes app for power note-takers

Obsidian (android, ios, macos, windows, linux).

The interface for Obsidian, our pick for the best note-taking app for power note-takers

Obsidian pros:

A new way of approaching note-taking that allows you to create an interlinked digital database

Incredibly extensible and customizable

Obsidian cons:

There's a serious learning curve

Obsidian is one of a new category of note-taking apps that pushes the boundaries of what a note-taking app can—and should—do. Along with Notion and Roam Research (which didn't make this list because of its high price and barrier to entry), it strives to be an all-encompassing digital database for your life—and kind of pulls it off. 

Obsidian has a much steeper learning curve than the other apps on this list, so only check it out if you're prepared to put in the work to get it set up to your needs. At its core, it's just a notes app that uses text files formatted in Markdown , but things can get more complicated quickly. Certainly, if you try to use it as a basic notes app, you'll be a bit disappointed with it.

With Obsidian, you can sort your notes into folders and subfolders using the sidebar like you would with a normal notes app, but more interestingly, you can link between them using internal hyperlinks. Typing [[ brings up a dialog box that lets you select any other note to link to. This means you can easily reference notes you've previously created; for example, you can create a list of all the books you've read in the last year and link to the notes where you review them. And in the sidebar for every note, you can see all the notes linking to the current note and all the notes it links out to. There's also a Graph view that visualizes all these links too. It's this connection-focused approach that makes Obsidian so fascinating—but also so inscrutable. Either you love the idea, or it's a needlessly complicated way to make grocery lists; there's very little middle ground.

On top of that, you can basically customize anything you want. You have total control over the interface and can have as many notes as you want open in the same window. There are even community plugins, which add features—like a Kanban board—that take it far beyond simple text files. My colleague Justin Pot told me, "Obsidian has literally changed my life," and I don't think recommendations come much stronger than that. 

Obsidian price : Free for personal use; $50/user/year for commercial use. Premium add-ons offer services like Sync and Publish from $10/month.

Best Evernote alternative

Joplin (android, ios, macos, windows, linux).

Joplin, our pick for the best alternative to Evernote

Joplin pros:

The closest direct competitor to Evernote on this list 

Free and open source (though syncing through Joplin Cloud is extra)

Joplin cons:

Less polished than the competition 

Not only is Joplin the best open source note-taking app on our list, but it's also the best free Evernote alternative too. For a number of reasons I'll explore below, I don't feel Evernote merits a spot on this list right now; however, because Evernote has been such a staple of the note-taking app space, most other apps compete by trying to be different. OneNote is awesome, but using it is a totally different experience to using Evernote. Joplin, though, gets things pretty close—and you can import all your notebooks from Evernote.

The interface is what you'd expect from an Evernote-like note-taking app. Notebooks go on the left, notes are in a second column, and you view and write your notes in a third. Because Joplin fully supports Markdown (and gets a million bonus points for doing so), there's also a fourth preview column that shows you what your notes look like in rich text. Of course, this is only by default—you can turn off the preview, write in rich text, and switch things up however else you like.

As an open source app, there are a few rough edges. The user interface isn't always consistent, so you'll catch things like menu items using different cases (you've got File > New sub-notebook and File > Close Window right next to each other, for example). But really, this is me just nitpicking. A small amount of UI weirdness doesn't take away from the functionality of the app.

While Joplin is totally free to use, you will need some kind of sync service to get your notes across all your devices. You can use a file sharing service like Dropbox or OneDrive, but there is also the official Joplin Cloud that allows you to publish your notes to the internet and collaborate with other people. Whatever option you go with, your notes are end-to-end encrypted for security. 

Joplin price: Free, though Joplin Cloud starts at €2.99/month and adds syncing and 2GB of storage.

Why not Evernote?

Evernote often tops lists of best notes apps, but it isn't on this list for a few reasons:

While Evernote was one of the apps that defined the digital note-taking category, it hasn't really been relevant for almost a decade. It was overvalued and overhyped in the mid-2010s, and even though many tech writers (including me) have fond memories of it, there are now better apps available that do similar things.

Evernote is expensive. Its free plan doesn't offer its best features, and at $15/month for a subscription, there are better options out there for most people.

Evernote is old—and feels it. Despite attempts to modernize, it isn't as sleek or fast as apps like Obsidian or Joplin. 

Evernote was sold last year . While some apps survive these kinds of mergers, many don't—at least not without losing what made them great. While the free plan has improved a little, the paid plan has doubled in price.

With all that said, if Evernote sticks around, it will continue to be reconsidered for inclusion on this list—especially if it properly starts supporting Markdown. Until then, I'd recommend you try one of the alternatives to Evernote that I included above.

Which note-taking software should you choose?

Digital note taking is just as personal as the doodles on your high school notebook. Good note-taking apps will account for this kind of personalization, so you can do your online note taking the way that suits you.

That means the best app for notes will be the one that feels the most comfortable for you . Give a few of them a try, and see what approach you like best.

Related reading:

The best note-taking apps for Mac

The best note-taking apps for Android

The best note-taking apps for iPad

This post was originally published in October 2015 and previously had contributions from Emily Esposito and Jimmy Daly. The most recent update was in November 2023.

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Harry Guinness

Harry Guinness is a writer and photographer from Dublin, Ireland. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Lifehacker, the Irish Examiner, and How-To Geek. His photos have been published on hundreds of sites—mostly without his permission.

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The 15 Best Free Note Taking Apps to Use in 2024

Erica Chappell

Managing Editor

February 6, 2024

Are you a working professional who needs to take notes on the go? If so, you’re in luck! Technology has made it easier than ever for business professionals and students alike to find an app that perfectly fits their note taking needs. But with so many different options available, how do you know which ones are right for you?

Have no fear! In this post we’ll show off some of the best free note taking apps out there, while sharing information about each one’s features and capabilities.

Read on as we explain why ClickUp should be at the top of your list when looking for a reliable and effective note taking solution.

What is a Note Taking App?

Key features of the best note taking apps, 1. clickup docs, 2. google keep, 4. workflowy, 5. evernote, 8. squidnotes, 9. microsoft onenote, 10. simplenote, 11. dropbox paper, 12. goodnotes, 13. obsidian, 15. milanote.

Note taking apps are digital tools specifically designed to help you capture and organize ideas and information easily. They provide a digital canvas for you to jot down everything from meeting notes, task lists, and brainstorming sessions, to personal reflections, research findings, and even creative inspirations.

Ease of Use: The best note taking apps have an intuitive and user-friendly interface. You should be able to quickly jot down ideas, create lists, or record voice memos without navigating through complex menus or instructions.

Organization Capabilities: Look for an app that allows you to categorize, tag, or color-code your notes for easy retrieval. Some apps even offer the option to create notebooks or folders for more structured organization.

Search Functionality: A good note taking app should provide robust search capabilities, allowing you to find specific pieces of information within your notes quickly.

Sync Across Devices: If you’re using multiple devices (like a smartphone, tablet, and laptop), ensure the app can sync your notes across all of them. This way, you can access and update your notes from anywhere, at any time.

Integrations with Other Apps: Does the note taking app integrate well with other apps you frequently use? This could include your calendar, email, project management, or cloud storage apps. Seamless integration can significantly improve your productivity and efficiency.

Rich Text and Multimedia Support: Depending on your needs, you may want an app that supports rich text formatting, images, audio recordings, or even handwritten notes. These features can make your notes more comprehensive and versatile.

Collaboration Features: If you work as part of a team, look for apps that allow you to share your notes and collaborate with others. This could include real-time co-editing, comments, and task assignment.

Security and Privacy: Your notes may contain sensitive information. Ensure the app offers strong security features like end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication.

Price: Last but not least, consider your budget. While many note taking apps offer free versions, they often come with limitations. Paid versions usually provide more features and storage space. However, make sure the cost is justified by the value it brings to your workflow.

15 Best Note Taking Apps in 2024

ClickUp Docs

What makes a handy and reliable note-taking app?

Simple: functionality, user-friendly UI, accessibility, and searchability (and okay, maybe aesthetics, too). That’s what you get with ClickUp Docs, and so much more!

Because ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity tool, it offers all the features you need. From complex project management to your daily note-taking and documenting needs—and everything in between, ClickUp has you covered.

It helps you organize and bring all your notes and work into one centralized hub—and with the mobile app, you can keep them wherever you go. 😊

For effective note-taking or even fast-tracking blog writing with AI tools , ClickUp offers a doc feature to capture your most important notes, jot down your brilliant ideas, or store your self-reminder notes and checklists. All of which is easily shareable with anyone online via a public link (or kept private 🤫).

Beyond your everyday note-taking needs, ClickUp Docs can also be used for all kinds of use cases such as wikis, meeting minutes and agendas, knowledge bases, and company portals that can be linked directly to tasks, comments, chat conversations, and more, making it a great solution for small to enterprise teams .

The collaborative editing and detection feature within ClickUp Docs shows who’s working on what allowing teams to simultaneously work in the same Doc without overlap, creating a better collaborative note-taking experience for all. And should you need to embed files or add images to your notes, ClickUp Docs can support attachment files and embed links such as YouTube, spreadsheets, and so much more!

Best of all, ClickUp Docs offers basic to advanced typography and rich editing features to let you format your notes the way you prefer and make your notes stand out—change the font size and color, add highlight a text in color, add colored banners to break up the text; let your creativity run wild!

For quick notes and checklists, you can also take advantage of ClickUp’s Notepad feature to jot down ideas, reminders, and action items from anywhere and take them wherever you go via the ClickUp mobile app.

  • ClickUp AI : Use AI to summarize your notes and create AI content faster
  • Full-customizable platform and user-friendly interface
  • View Notepad notes offline (Note: you’ll need an internet connection to save changes)
  • Custom permission and sharing
  • Rich-editing features
  • Available on the mobile app
  • Free Forever Plan
  • Learning curve to the number of features
  • Not all views are in the mobile app, yet

ClickUp pricing

  • Free Forever Plan  (best for personal use)
  • Unlimited Plan  (best for small teams ($7/member per month)
  • Business Plan  (best for mid-sized teams ($12/member per month)
  • ClickUp AI is available on all paid plans for $5 per Workspace member per month

Availability: All devices Check out our page for a full breakdown of what makes ClickUp Docs one of the best note-taking apps on the market today!

google keep note taking app

Google Keep is a great note app because it meets all of the points I made above, plus it’s simple. And completely accessible.

Make note lists, save links, copy text and even record audio notes. Those are amazing features that come as part of your Gsuite applications.

With reminders, Google Keep can be used for very lightweight task management.

  • As part of the Google Suite, you can take meeting minutes or lecture notes on your browser or your smartphone via an app and it stays with you.
  • Opens next to Google Calendar
  • Search for notes by color, lists with images, audio notes with reminders, or shared notes

Con: Formatting text or markdown is a bit harder to do.

Availability: All devices

Google Keep is free to download.

Compare this web app with #5: Evernote

bear note taking app

Though only available on Apple products , Bear is a note taking app to be reckoned with. It has a simple left to right interface with a main menu, a note snippet display of your most recent notes, and then the actual note taking area.

One of its key features is its organizational system. Use hashtags to categorize, then use a slash command to create even more subfolders. You can do this from anywhere in the note. This is a simple way to organize and categorize your notes.

The new folders then automatically appear in your main menu. It also uses other markdown text editor shortcuts to link your notes together. Very intuitive!

  • Hashtags and categorization from anywhere in the note
  • Multiple themes to offer a style for everyone
  • Markup editor supporting 150+ programming languages

Cons: Not enough separate workspaces or different levels of categories. This Reddit thread has more information on Bear.

Bear offers a 1 week free trial and is $1.49/month per user.

Availability: iOS

Check out these Bear App alternatives !

Workflowy note taking app

Workflowy is a notes/project management hybrid , but it works best for notes. Workflowy takes the idea of an outline to an extreme. Rather than create smaller cards for each of your notes (like a notepad), Workflowy drills further and further down into an outline, creating a hierarchical structure right from the start.

Workflowy offers extreme flexibility. Novelists use to plan books; managers can create quick tasks and checklists to pass onto their team.

From there, you can add tags and more organizational tools emerge.

With its new mobile apps, Workflowy is definitely worth a try.

Not sure about Workflowy? Check out our blog on Workflowy alternatives . 

  • Easy to see zoom in and out from the big picture to smaller details
  • Backlinks easily to anything
  • Mobile app for iOS and Android

CON: Sometimes users can be frustrated by its plain approach–it’s almost too simple. The blank page can be daunting after all. But you can set favorites and more to navigate.

Workflowy is free to use for up to 250 bullets per month. For additional items, you’ll have to purchase the pro version, which offers unlimited lists and items at $4.99/month.

Evernote note taking app

Evernote, often considered the original authority in the realm of note-taking applications, has somewhat dimmed its once bright allure over time.

Recently, Evernote has imposed restrictions on their free plan , limiting users to a single notebook and a maximum of 50 notes. Despite these changes, the core functionality remains intact: the app still facilitates seamless note-taking, list creation, and even permits file attachments for comprehensive note organization. However, it’s important to remember that these limitations could impact the way you utilize Evernote on a day-to-day basis.

Proceed with caution on Evernote!

Check out our review on Evernote and its alternatives.  

  • Web clipper and card system are familiar
  • Searchable text in file formats, including PDF files and documents
  • Custom Evernote templates for note taking

CON: Limited free plan, rising prices and uncertain product leadership

Evernote also has a free plan with 60MB worth of uploads a month. The paid plans start at $8.99/user per month. 

Availability: Everywhere

paper note taking app

Paper is a different type of note taking app –it’s the one for you visual thinkers out there. Made more like a sketch pad, you can dive into paintbrushes, swirls, and shapes. Create mind maps or draw a quick cartoon as a reminder. Its notebook feature helps you set up the organization that you need to group your notes and drawings into different categories.

  • Capture quick design ideas
  • Easily add multiple photos to a page 
  • Sync your pages across all of your devices

CON: Not many keyboard functions for the text types out there…and only available on Mac/iOS

Paper’s free plan allows for up to 2GB. Paid plans start at $10/month per user.

Availability: Mac/iOS

ulyssess note taking app

Ulysses is a hybrid writing program and note taking app. If you find yourself needing to transform your notes from raw form into something presentable, then Ulysses lets you do that all across your Mac devices. You can take notes in a plain text mode and then throw in another theme for export.

It also offers writing goals and links to outside resources, like a PDF for instance. Its clean interface is inviting to many users.

  • A  minimalist interface for long-form writing
  • Built-in proofreader and editing assistant 

CON: One drawback? It requires an ongoing subscription, so take a test run before committing.

Ulysses is $5.99/month per user.

Availability: Mac and iOS

Squidnotes note taking app

SquidNotes is one of those writing apps that captures your real handwriting. It mimics taking notes in an actual notebook or legal pad. You can use a compatible stylus or write with your finger. You can then resize your notes, add shapes and export to PDF and more. It’s also great for commenting on images and suggesting edits.

  • Use your real handwriting (that’s a con for me)
  • Great for marking up documents and suggesting edits 

CON: Won’t be as concise or compact as other note taking apps such as Evernote or OneNote (if that matters to you)

SquidNotes offers a free plan for users. Paid plans start at $10/year.

Availability: Android

At first, I thought Microsoft OneNote was just the answer to Google Keep or Evernote…but it’s actually more than that.

It’s a great tool for annotating and commenting on PDFs, and it combines the functionality of traditional notes with the sketchbook approach. It’s the best one at doing both.

You can take audio dictation, photos, make a to-do list or draw. An amazing OneNote feature is using the keyboard and sketching in the same app. You don’t have to give up your handwritten notes entirely. 

Microsoft users will want to take advantage especially since it connects to your 365 account, which can then sync across all your browsers, apps and mobile devices you use for Office365. 

Check out our blog on OneNote alternatives & compare Notion vs. OneNote !

  • Sketches and typed notes in one place! And Microsoft.
  • Add voice notes 
  • Built in math assistant (paid feature)
  • OneNote templates

Cons: Lacks a lot of major integrations.

Microsoft OneNote is free to download.

Compare Google Keep Vs OneNote !

Simplenote note taking app

Free notes?

Clean interface?

The team from Automattic (creators of WordPress) want to solve your note taking problems with Simplenote , a free and open-source note taking platform.

An advantageous feature is syncing Simplenote across all of your devices–whether it’s Windows, Mac or your mobile devices.

You also get markdown, which is a huge bonus for sharing code or to emphasize a point. On the flip side, Simplenote only supports basic note taking and there is no rich text editor.

One Simplenote feature that others don’t have is a drag-and-drop interface for revisions and note history. Just drag the toolbar to go back in time.

Pros: 

  • Use across desktop and mobile devices, easy to review past history
  • Simple interface
  • Note version history 

Cons:  Not great for attachments, setting reminders, hard to format texts

Simplenote is $10/year per user.

Availability:  Mac, iOS, Android, Windows

Dropbox Paper

Dropbox Paper is a seamless collaboration tool for teams of all sizes and industries to edit documents and share all your notes within the program.

Users can add annotations to images, mention people from documents, and connect to their calendars to find  meeting notes  quickly.

Dropbox Paper has powerful syncing capabilities to help put everyone on the same page.

However, if you’re looking to share professional presentation slides, Dropbox lacks advanced formatting features compared to popular word processors.

  • Dropbox files embedded into Dropbox Paper previews correctly
  • Large selection of media support from other sources

Cons:  Not as intuitive compared to top-rated word processors and poor note organization

Dropbox Paper is free to use.

Availability:  iOs and Android apps

GoodNotes

GoodNotes is a smart digital paper and social app for students.

Using GoodNote, students can connect with other students worldwide studying the same subjects and exchange notes.

This feature (at no extra cost) called Community allows users to create their own profile for others to view their documents.

While the Community feature is an incredible tool for people to connect, the note taking features compared to Notability are limited or non-existent. 

  • Built-in flashcards when you’re in study mode 
  • Shared Documents feature allows you to use a shareable link to collaborate
  • No extra cost to download the Mac app 

Cons:  No task management features making GoodNotes unsuitable for high-level project planning

GoodNotes is a free note taking app for up to 3 notebooks. The unlimited version is a one time fee of $8.99.

Availability:  iOS, iPadOS, and Mac

Obsidian.md note taking app

Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management app that runs as a Markdown-based system. The application was created based on how the human brain works—focusing on making and following connections between notes. It provides a rich-taking experience and a powerful method for linking documents together via backlinks, creating a web of knowledge, and helps users centralize notes in one place.

  • Backlink and graph view help users easily navigate their notes
  • Supports CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) for portability
  • Customizable and can add plugins to create a personalized note-taking tool kit
  • For Apple users, the iOS version works only with iCloud (does not work with other Cloud folders)
  • Unable to export notes to MS Word (only as a PDF file)
  • No table editing yet (available as a plugin)

Availability: Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android

Obsidian offers a free plan for personal use. Paid plans start at a flat rate of $25.

Bonus: Obsidian Vs. Notion

Coda note taking app

Coda is an all-in-one document management solution that brings all your words, data, and teamwork into one powerful doc. Teams can combine building blocks to create a doc, create, edit, and view documents and spreadsheets simultaneously, create surveys and polls , set up custom workflows, automate notifications, and so much more. Pros:

  • Includes drag and drop capabilities
  • Offers customizable Coda templates
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Mobile-friendly app for all your devices
  • Onboarding can be intimidating; steep learning curve
  • Issues with integration with other tools
  • Slow speed and performance

Coda offers a limited free plan. Paid plans start at $10/month per user.

Availability : Cloud, SaaS, Web-based, Mobile (Android, iPhone, iPad)

Bonus: Coda Vs. Airtable

app writing notes

  • User-friendly interface for note taking
  • Collaboration geatures
  • Creativity enhancements
  • Limited text formatting
  • Some users report not liking the board-based format
  • Limited free version and expensive paid plans

Milanote offers free and paid plans starting at $9.99/month per user.

Note Taking Made Eas y Made with Note Taking Apps!

No doubt, having a great note taking app is a lifesaver. Your choice may depend on your use case. Do you want a lot of features available through an app like Ulysses, or something simple to jot down your grocery list? Or maybe an online notepad that’s available all across the web if you spend a lot of time in your tabs.

Your choice may depend on what you need, how often you need sketches (or not) and what you want to do with your notes once you’re done with them. Exporting isn’t for everyone. 

Which best note taking app will you choose? 

Other great posts to help with your notes:

  • Best note taking strategies
  • Best organizational tools
  • Best productivity apps
  • Release notes templates
  • Bear vs Evernote

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Become a Writer Today

16 Best Note-Taking Apps For Writers: A Roundup (2024)

Discover the best note-taking apps for all types of note-takers and how you can use them.

Perhaps, you know how important it is to take notes regularly. And you make an effort to capture ideas every day. You also spend time recording your thoughts. But, you’re having trouble finding the best note-taking app.

If you’re a writer, you need note-taking apps you can depend on. This way, you can spend more time developing your ideas and less time waiting for inspiration to arrive. This updated article features the best digital note-taking apps and tools for all types of operating systems and platforms. They pair with various popular note-taking methods . At the end, I’ve also got a free bonus which will help you proofread and edit your notes faster.

1. Simplenote

2. evernote, 3. your camera, 4. microsoft onenote, 5. google keep, 6. apple notes, 11. zoho notes, 12. pen, paper, and index cards, 13. roam research, 14. plain text files, 16. obsidian, testing criteria, why you can trust me, finding the best note-taking app: your choice, what are the best note-taking apps for ipad , what’s the best free note-taking app, what is the best cross-platform note-taking app, writing apps resources.

Pricing: Free

 Simplenote

Simplenote is a free note-capturing app with a cult following. There are Simplenote apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. You can also access Simplenote through a web app. Simplenote is geared towards those who want to capture and organize text notes. Unfortunately, you can’t keep or store webpages and clippings in Simplenote. To be honest, I like that about Simplenote.

It also plays nicely with the popular long-form writing application, Scrivener . Previously, I used Simplenote to capture digital notes and ideas for articles on the go on my phone. You can categorize your notes using tags, and these tags make it easy to organize and find notes later on. It also plays nicely with Notational Velocity for OS X, and it is great for taking notes at meetings (if you have internet access).

  • Widely supported
  • Can’t capture webpages
  • Not much use for those who work with multimedia

Tip: If you have an idea for a blog article, use the @blog tag to arrange and find these ideas later.

Pricing: From free to $14.99 per month

Evernote

Evernote is one of the more popular cross-platform note-taking apps available today. The logo for Evernote is an elephant for a reason. It’s an “everything bucket” in that you can capture, organize and store almost any type of digital note with your phone, web browser, or desktop client.

Evernote has apps for Android and iOS as well as desktop apps for Windows and OS X. You can also access it through a web browser and use several different browser extensions to capture snippets of web pages for your notebooks. When I first wrote this article, I relied primarily on Simplenote. Then, a few years ago, I migrated all my notes from my paper systems and Simplenote into Evernote and added PDFs and pictures.

I capture ideas for articles I want to write, I “swipe” articles by others that I want to reference later on, and I even store audio recordings and photo notes in Evernote. I subscribe to numerous blogs, and when these bloggers send me free content, I store these giveaways in Evernote too. This way, my desktop, and email aren’t cluttered, and I can find this content easily.

A few years ago, I attended a Photoshop course, where the lecturer shared an Evernote workbook of useful articles and images with the class. This is an excellent way to take advantage of Evernote’s free multimedia features and share them with others.I’m happy to pay for Evernote as it’s a powerful digital note-taking app. A free version is available. The premium version starts at $7.99 per month.

  • Powerful search and tagging
  • Stores multimedia
  • Apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Chrome, Edge, Safari…
  • Slow on older devices
  • Premium version needed for offline mobile access and heavy users
  • You’ll only see the power of Evernote if you use it to store all your notes

 iOS Camera

Use your camera alongside text notes to record and document your thoughts. Alright, it’s not technically a note-taking app, but snapping a picture with a smartphone is an excellent method for capturing information quickly. If you hold your finger on your smartphone’s screen, it will automatically focus on what you’re looking at and enable you to snap a picture that’s easy to read.

Most smartphones are synced to the cloud meaning your (photo)notes are backed up, even if you lose your phone. If you snap notes with your camera, consider Day One for iOS. It encourages you to use your camera alongside text notes to record and document your thoughts. Unfortunately, there’s still no Android version.

  • It’s probably in your pocket
  • May not suit those who prefer just to write
  • You’ll have to get your notes out of your photo gallery

One Note

Microsoft OneNote is a cross-platform note-taking app that comes as part of Office 365. It’s an intuitive and surprisingly fun to use tool aimed at business people. OneNote’s biggest selling point is that it makes it easier for people on a team to share digital notes and collaborate with each other. It also syncs all of your data back to Microsoft OneDrive.

You can use Microsoft OneNote to keep your digital notes, create To-Do Lists, and store articles you find online using the OneNote web clipper. That web clipper is good, but it’s not as intuitive as Evernote. OneNote integrates with Outlook and other MS Office apps like Outlook and Powerpoint. It also handles Excel, Word, and other MS Office attachments better than the other note-taking tools featured here. If you use an iPad, OneNote works with the Apple stylus. For more, check out our comparison: OneNote vs Evernote .

It’s free, but to get the most functionality from OneNote, buy MS Office or subscribe to Office 365 (approximately between $70 and $100 for the year). 

  • Easy to use
  • Works best if you use Microsoft Office 365

GoogleKeep

Google Keep is a lightweight note-taking app aimed at people who want to capture what’s on their minds quickly. It’s free, it’s colorful, and it comes on many Android devices. In addition, you can use Google Keep to take notes and create lists, which are stored on Google Drive.

Like Evernote, Google Keep also supports image recognition, enabling you to convert images (photos of your notes) and PDFs into searchable text. If you keep digital notes, tags are a great way of organizing and finding these notes later on. Unfortunately, Google Keep doesn’t support tags and, for this reason, I don’t use it (but that doesn’t mean you can’t).

  • Better suited for those who already use Android/Google services
  • Less useful for larger note databases

Note-Taking Apps for Writers

Lately, I use Apples Notes most of the time to capture ideas from courses I take and while out and about. It suits how I work as I use an iMac, iPad, and iPhone. So all of these devices play together. To be honest, Apple Notes is similar to Simplenote.  When iCloud and Notes launched years ago, they used to have syncing issues. These days it appears to be rock-solid.

Apple upgraded this app with each update to iOS and MAC OS. Now, you can drag and drop content into it, including photos and organize your information with folders. You can also use Notes to write and manage basic to-do lists. If you have an iPad or iPad Pro, Notes works with the Apple stylus.

  • Syncs across all iOS devices
  • Ideal for iPad, iPhone, and Apple Mac users
  • Kind of like Simplenote
  • Not much use if you have an Android device and or a Windows computer

Pricing: From $1.49 a month or $14.99 for the year

Bear - Note-Taking App for Writers

Bear is an alternative to Evernote that feels lightweight and faster. It also supports Markdown, which means you can write notes faster. Many Evernote users have migrated to Bear since I initially wrote this article. It’s available on Mac and iOS only. Like Evernote, it also has a web clipper for capturing online content. It costs $1.49 a month or $14.99 for the year.

  • Supports Markdown
  • Search is fast
  • It’s also cheaper than Evernote
  • Not as feature-rich as Evernote
  • No integrations with third-party apps like Trello

Pricing: $2.95 per month

Day One - Note-Taking App for Writers

Day One is a journaling app, but I use it to capture my ideas about random topics and arrange them into journals. I also sometimes tag photos of my index cards and other notes and add them to Day One. Day One syncs across all of my devices. I also like the template feature of Day One, as I can save a series of questions and insert them quickly into individual notes. I use Day One regularly and syncing works effortlessly across my iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Premium costs $2.95 per month, billed annually. Read our Day One review .

  • Pleasing to use
  • Ideal for writers
  • Contains templates for taking the same types of notes regularly
  • Windows only
  • Best suited for writer

Pricing: $5 per month or $40 per year

Ulysses has a pleasant minimalistic style.

Ulysses is a note-taking and writing app. It’s more powerful than Simplenote in that you can turn notes into articles and even blog posts and book chapters. Use it to arrange your notes into folders and even set writing goals.

Ulysses supports Markdown and contains a number of themes and a typewriter mode. It syncs to Dropbox or iCloud. Unfortunately, it’s only available for Apple Mac. It costs $5 per month or $40 per year, but remember, you’re getting more than a note-taking app. It’s a writing, blogging, and publishing tool. Read our Ulysses review .

  • Supports many types of writing
  • Tags and folders are good for arranging ideas
  • A small learning curve
  • Apple Mac only

Pricing: From free to $4 per month

Notion

Notion bills itself as an all-in-one workplace for notes, writing, project management, collaboration, and more. It aims to consolidate all the tools writers or creatives might use as their writing app of choice, to-do lists, and even project management tools. It’s available on Windows, Apple Mac, iOS, and Android. Many writers I know love Notion because it’s so customizable.

It can act as a document library, to-do list system, Trello board, company wiki, writing app, and much more. A few power users even sell digital products built with Notion. Overwhelmed? I was. It struck me as a useful note-taking tool for those on a team. You can try it out for free before paying $4 per month. For more, read our Notion review .

  • Great user interface
  • A decent alternative to Evernote
  • The volume of features might put off some
  • Comes with a learning curve.
  • Blocks hard to get used to

Zoho Notes - Note-Taking App for Writers

Zoho Notes is ideal if you approach taking notes with the idea that each one should be separate and focus on a single idea. It presents each note as a card that you can review quickly on the go. That’s a good feature if you’re learning a new skill and want to review key concepts. It supports checklists, photos, sketches, audio clips, and files. Zoho notes works on Windows, Apple Mac, Android, and iOS. For more, read our Zoho writer review .

  • Works everywhere
  • Cards might put off some

Pen and Paper

Yes, that’s right! I know it’s not digital, but it’s hard to beat pen and paper or index cards. They’re cheap, available, and just work. You can always GTD your Moleskine notebook . You don’t have to upgrade or worry about battery life or passwords. You can bring it anywhere, and it comes in many form factors.

  • Doesn’t need a charger
  • If you lose a notebook, you lose your notes.
  • Search, what search?!

Pricing: $15 per month

Roam Research

Roam Research is a newer note-taking app, popular with techy types and those in the startup community. It bills itself as a “tool for networked thought.” I tested Roam Research for a month, and it shows huge promise … it’s also got a cult following on YouTube.

It auto-suggests links between your notes bi-directionally. So, unlike other note-taking apps, it will unearth connections between ideas organically. However, Roam Research has a modest learning curve, and you’ll need a large database of notes to get maximum value from it. It’s also only accessible via a web browser and Mac desktop app.  I’m not quite ready to move everything into it just yet, but it’s an interesting note-taking app for researchers and academics. Roam Research also costs $15 per month.

  • Unlike any other note-taking app you’ve out there
  • Ideal for building a personal database of notes
  • $15 per month is a lot for a note-taking app
  • Has a modest learning curve

Plain text graphical user interface

Plain text apps work just fine for note-taking. Whatever your device, it probably has one. And they are free. Plain text doesn’t allow for rich content or multi-media, but that’s fine because you’ll spend less time formatting your notes.

Plain text files work anywhere too, so you don’t have to worry about a database. The only other downside of plain text files is that you’ll have to figure out a system for managing all of your new notes. Many prolific note-takers use folders for this.

Joplin Review

Founded by Laurent Cozic in 2017, Joplin is an open-source notetaking app. It’s an open-source, free competitor to Evernote. Joplin is compatible with numerous plugins so you can import data from Evernote, OneNote and more. It’s available for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. Joplin offers a web clipper and collaboration functions which many other apps charge money for.  For more, read our Joplin review .

Obsidian Review

Obsidian is a note-taking app for managing a library of plain text and Markdown files. You can use it for creating, managing, sharing and publishing these notes. Because the files live independently outside of Obsidian, you can also open these up using another note-taking or Markdown app. It’s basically a type of personal knowledge management tool . These days, I use Obsidian the most for taking notes I want to keep. For more, read our Obsidian review .

  • Less practical for larger databases
  • No rich or multimedia content … but that’s the point

I regularly update this roundup as these note-taking apps evolve. I test new features and compare them using an iPhone, web browser and tablet. I also evaluate based on criteria like price, ease of use and affordability.

I’ve written and published dozens of articles for newspapers, magazines and online publications including, Forbes and Lifehacker. I’m also a best-selling non-fiction author, a trained journalist and a copywriter. Note-taking apps form a key part of my research and writing workflow. I use these types of apps regularly to manage my work.

All of the above note-taking apps will get the job done. Your choice boils down to personal preference and how you like to work or write. Do you want a note-taking app that syncs with your productivity apps? Or would you simply like a place to record your ideas quickly?  And are cost and cross-platform functionality important?

Whatever note-taking app you decide on, it’s vital that you have a trusted system for getting ideas out of your head. Then, make a point to review these notes regularly and act on them before you write. This way, you can become a more productive and creative note-taker.

Best Note-Taking Apps FAQ

Apple Notes is one of the best note-taking apps for the iPad. It works with the Apple stylus and supports multi-media content. Syncing is also fast and reliable. Simplenote is another popular choice.

Consider Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, or the free version of Evernote. If you use an iPhone, Mac, or iPad, Apple Notes is an excellent free choice. It’s fast and effective.

Evernote is a good cross-platform note-taking app as it’s available on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. Moreover, it syncs across all these operating systems (and your devices) quickly and accurately.

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Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

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How-To Geek

The 6 best note taking apps of 2023.

Save a tree, take notes digitally.

Read update

This guide was originally published in December 2022. We've since updated our guide to include a pick for encrypted note-taking, and to make sure all our links are working.

Quick Links

Best note-taking app for mac and iphone: apple notes, best note-taking app for windows: onenote, best note-taking app for android: google keep, best note-taking app for features: evernote, best encrypted note taking app: standard notes, best minimalist note-taking app: simplenote.

There's nothing worse than jotting down a note and leaving it behind or losing it in a stack of paper. With note taking software, you can take your notes wherever you go or access them from any computer. Find the one for you with these best note taking apps.

UPDATE: 1/24/23

This list of note taking apps is in no particular order because there's one here for every platform or preference. You'll find the essential features you need in each application, so instead, we'll point out the notable features that put the app on our list.

Apple Notes

For a free note taker app that comes preinstalled on iPhones , iPads , and Macs , Apple Notes is the way to go. You can sync your notes across devices, so you're always up to date.

Folders : Create folders and subfolders for each internet account you connect to Notes like iCloud, Gmail, or Exchange. This lets you keep all of your notes organized easily by account, for business or personal projects.

Password-protected notes : For added security, you can lock and password-protect certain notes. You can then keep the note away from prying eyes and only open it using your Notes password , device password , or Touch ID .

Scan and insert documents : For notes pertaining to documents or images, you can insert the item right into Notes . Scan a document, capture a photo, or sketch a drawing from your iPhone or iPad to include it in your note.

Additional features include pinning and sharing notes, a helpful search, bullet, number, and checklists, grouping by date, import and export options, and Quick Notes.

While you won't find Apple Notes for Android, Windows , or Linux, you can use the app if you have an Apple ID by visiting Notes on iCloud.com .

Related: How (and Why) to Switch to Apple Notes

OneNote

If you're looking into note taking apps for Windows, then Microsoft OneNote is a solid choice. Although not limited to Windows, OneNote gives you an easy-to-use interface and robust features.

Notebooks : What's nice about Microsoft OneNote is that you can use notebooks to organize your notes. This lets you use the application for business, school, or household notes with a simple way to switch between notebooks.

Page templates : For a jumpstart on a new note, you can use premade page templates. You'll find OneNote templates for class lectures, meeting notes, and to-do lists in addition to blank decorative options. Simply pick a template, customize it to your liking, and let the note taking begin.

Transcription and dictation : If you record a speech, meeting, or lecture, you can upload recordings and then transcribe them in OneNote. Additionally, you can dictate and transcribe directly in the application to hold onto your own audio notes.

Additional features include customizable tags, video recording, drawing tools, translations, password-protection , and integration with Outlook Tasks.

Microsoft OneNote comes with Windows 10 and 11, is included in the Microsoft Office suite, is in the Microsoft Store , and is also available for platforms like Mac , Android , iPhone , and iPad . Use it on any device with the web version .

Related: The Beginner's Guide to OneNote in Windows 10

Google Keep

Google Keep is a handy note-taking tool for those who use Android or who just prefer Google's productivity apps. There's a dedicated mobile app, and it's accessible from the side panel in other Google apps on the web, giving you fast access to your notes whenever you need them.

Time and location reminders : Choose from a quick reminder like later today, tomorrow, or home. Alternately, pick a specific date and time or a place like work or school. You'll see your reminder pop up when the date and time arrives or when you reach your destination.

Convert to Google Docs : Maybe you have a note with tasks for a project, contacts for a report, or an event itinerary. You can copy the note to Google Docs in just a couple of clicks. Then, head to your Google Doc directly from Keep.

Collaborators : For working on a Google Keep note with others, add collaborators . You can then see the date and time a collaborator edits the note as well as view the changes immediately.

Additional features include a dedicated spot to view all note reminders, customizable labels, note background colors and images, checkboxes, and image upload ability.

You can use Google Keep on its website , from the side panel in apps like Docs, Sheets, and Calendar, or download it on Android , iPhone , or iPad . Also, check out the Google Keep extension for Chrome.

Evernote

Evernote has been at the top of many note takers lists for years. The company continues to add new features and enhance existing ones to make Evernote reliable, full-featured, and solid note taking software.

Meeting notes templates : For a quick and easy way to capture meeting notes, use an Evernote template. You can start with a blank template or connect to Google Calendar to add the event details automatically.

Shortcuts : Similar to the Favorites feature you see in apps, Evernote gives you Shortcuts. Mark stars on notes you need often and then access them fast from the Shortcuts panel.

Work chat : If you collaborate on notes, you can hold a Work Chat directly in Evernote. Share any note or notebook, open the chat panel, and discuss what you need without leaving Evernote.

Additional features include date and time reminders, multiple notebooks, sharing via many methods, inserting items from Google Drive, creating and adding tags, and more.

Use Evernote on its website , Windows , Mac , Android , iPhone , and iPad as well as with browser extensions and app integrations. A Linux version at the time of writing is in beta and available through the early access program . Evernote is free for up to two devices and offers paid plans for more devices and features.

Related: How to Use the Notion App to Boost Productivity

Standard Notes desktop app interface.

The notes we take down often contain sensitive information, making security critical. Standard Notes put safety and privacy at the forefront, which is why we believe it's the best encrypted note-taking app available.

End-to-end encryption : Everything you write in Standard Notes is conveniently cloud-synced, but also  end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) . That means your data is secured before it leaves your device, and no one except you can read your notes---not even the Standard Notes team.

Two-factor authentication : Despite it being a relatively small project, Standard Notes is able to provide all-important two-factor authentication (2FA)  even for free accounts. That's critical if you're worried about hackers stealing your password .

Secure backups : In case you're worried about a cloud sync failure, Standard Notes makes it easy to back up your notes on-device, in either encrypted or plaintext form. It can also email you daily encrypted copies of your notes so you've always got a recent backup.

Those are just security features for the free version. A paid subscription (starting at $90/year, with student discounts and economic assistance available) brings numerous enhancements and additional features, including Markdown support, checklists, spreadsheets, and more.

Get the Standard Notes app free for Windows , Mac , iPhone , iPad , Android , and Linux , or use the web app on any device.

Simplenote

If bells and whistles aren't what you need in a note taking app, Simplenote might just be the ideal option for you. For a completely minimalistic note taker, you can just type and go.

Markdown support : If you're accustomed to writing in markdown , Simplenote lets you capture and preview notes with it. Just enable the Markdown option for a note, type it using headings, bold, italics, or lists, and then preview the note when you finish.

Checklists : For project tasks, items to purchase, or contacts to invite, use the checklist option in Simplenote. Type each list item, hitting Enter or Return after each, and you'll have a nice and neat checklist.

Import and export : Whether you're switching from another note taker app or want to save a backup of your notes, you can use both import and export options in Simplenote.

Additional features include sharing with other Simplenote users, a customizable display for line length, view, sorting, and theme, create and add tags, and a helpful search feature.

Simplenote is available for free on Android , iPhone and iPad , Windows , Mac , and Linux as well as the web .

With these terrific note taking apps, there's hopefully at least one on the list that's perfect for you. For more productivity tools, look at our picks for the best to-do list apps .

The best note-taking apps in 2022: for back to school or the office

The best note-taking apps to help you record thoughts, ideas and inspirations whether at work or heading back to school.

Best note-taking apps for heading back to school, a photo of a woman using a digital tablet

Never forget another big idea again with the best note-taking apps, whether you're going back to school or to the office or studio. While writing notes on paper is all well and good, making digital notes can speed up your workflow, make it easier to connect ideas with colleagues or just ensure you never looks a note again.

There are literally hundreds of top note-taking apps on the market – no matter if you're a student off to college or a designer wanting to send ideas to clients. A lot of these excellent note-taking apps are free, or at least provide a free trial, but most busy creatives have nowhere near enough time to try them all out. 

This is why I've done the research for you, road-testing everything. In this article, I've rounded-up the very best note-taking apps available for a range of devices and platforms. If you need a new device to use these apps on, then take a look at our guide to the best tablets with a stylus for drawing and note taking . And if you are heading back to school, then maybe a new laptop bag or laptop backpack is on your list, too. Read on to find out which is the best fit for you.

The best note-taking apps available today

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01. Evernote

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

A pioneer in the field, founded in 2000, Evernote remains the cream of the best note-taking apps today. Working across all major platforms, this is the app we’d recommend for anyone looking to get started. Why? Because it’s got a good, capable free version, you can access your notes practically anywhere (laptop, desktop computer, tablet, or phone), and the app's packed with useful features. 

We particularly like using the Web Clipper browser extension to save web pages; the ability to set reminders, and the integration with Siri for taking voice notes. You can search your notes not only by text, but also by tags, the date they were created, the type of media they contain, the location where you created them, and even more.

There are two paid-for versions: Evernote Premium for individuals, and Evernote Teams for, well, it speaks for itself. The former includes sync across unlimited devices (you only get two in the free plan), a 200MB maximum note size, 10GB monthly upload limit, access to notes offline and the ability to annotate PDFs. The Teams plan, aimed at businesses, offers even larger uploads and some great team collaboration tools. Admittedly, neither of these comes cheap, but if you want the Rolls Royce of note-taking apps, this is it.

Apple products are about beautiful, intuitive simplicity, and Bear fits that philosophy perfectly. As the best note-taking app for Macs and the iPad, it lets you create notes and sync them across all your Apple devices via iCloud. There’s no fussing about with folders and notebooks; you just create notes and then store them. You can attach tags, images and other files, as well as drawings created on your iPad or iPhone. There are apps for macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, plus a browser extension.

There’s a free version of Bear if you just want to take notes on your iPad, but you’ll need to pay for the Pro subscription to sync them across devices. That also gives you extra export options, plus the ability to encrypt your notes, password-protect them, and unlock them using Face or Touch ID. 

Just be aware that even the Pro version is a purposely stripped down app. For example, there’s no formatting panel, just support for Markdown. If you want more features, look to Evernote or OneNote, but if you want a simple, minimalist app for iOS that gets the job done, there’s no better option.

03. GoodNotes

If you’ve invested in the iPad Pro , we expect you're using it for more than checking Facebook and watching cat videos. If you're looking to take advantage of its powerful functionality to be more productive, make sure you're using it to jot down creative ideas in the moment. To do that, we’d like to point you in the direction of GoodNotes , our next pick from the best note-taking apps. 

This iOS app turns your iPad into digital paper, allowing you to make searchable handwritten notes quickly and easily wherever you find yourself. You can use the Apple Pencil (or one of the best Apple Pencil alternatives ), or just your finger. It's the most similar experience to writing on paper that we've found. And we’re not talking about a few scrawled words here; this clever app can recognise everything from equations to mind maps, and it does a great job of converting handwriting into text.

Everything gets auto-synced to the iCloud, and you can access your notes from your iPad, iPhone and Mac (there’s also a macOS version). GoodNotes also allows you to mark up PDFs manually. Goodnotes is a free download, with the free version supporting up to three notebooks.

04. Material Notes

Note-taking apps shouldn’t be complicated, but it’s surprising how often you can open one and not know where to start. The Android app Material Notes doesn't have that problem. Its opening screen proclaims simply, ‘Click the + button to add notes’, and it couldn't be easier to use.

The user-friendly approach continues through the whole interface, allowing you to create notes, to-do lists and reminders without effort. You can colour-code them, organise them into categories, archive them, assign favourites, and more. There are also some handy unique features, such as the ability to create quick notes from notifications, back up your notes to Google Drive, print directly from the app, and tell your device to read notes out loud.

The app is free to download, while a Pro version – available for a cheap one-off payment – adds extra features including a calendar view, backend encryption, extra fonts, and reminder notifications. There’s no sync functionality, but for many, that’s a feature rather than a gripe, since not everyone wants sensitive information floating about on the web. If you just want to keep your notes on a single device, this is the best note-taking app available for Android. If you do want to sync notes across devices, however, we’d point you to Evernote at number one on our list.

05. Microsoft OneNote

If you do most of your work in Microsoft 's ecosystem, a notetaking app optimised for Windows makes a lot of sense, even if it's also cross-platform. The feature-rich Microsoft OneNote works across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. You can attach images, symbols, Excel tables, audio files and more to notes, and you can extract text from images. You can also clip web pages through a browser extension, and you can add diagrams and sketches drawn on a Surface tablet. 

More uniquely, this note-taking app offers an Accessibility Checker, which highlights problems like low contrast, which can make text difficult to read, or images that are missing alt text. There are some great sharing and collaboration features too, such as allowing others to add comments to your notes.

Best of all, the free version of Microsoft OneNote includes the vast majority of its features. The only slight catch is that you get just 5GB of storage. If you want more, you’ll need to take out a Microsoft 365 Business subscription .

06. Google Keep

Google Keep is the best way to link up all of your Google docs and apps, in fact the only Google app it doesn't connect with is YouTube . When installed a little light bulb appears in the corner of your apps, and clicking this links up your notes with your Google docs, emails and more – and vice versa. 

You can essentially make notes and then email your notes to friends, or connect your Google doc work to your Google Keep notes. It really connects everything you're doing, meaning notes aren't simple short reminders but can be directly connected to broader and deeper work.

This makes Google Keep a little odd, as it's not strictly an amazing note-taking app, but its usefulness and the way it brings together all of your Google apps is actually incredibly handy.

If you want to take lots of handwritten notes with a stylus, MyScript Nebo is best note-taking app for that overall. It's optimised for modern digital pens like Apple Pencil and the Samsung S Pen, and it has some very cool features indeed. 

You can write with both fingers and a stylus, use a digital eraser where supported, and change the colour of your notes. There’s support for 66 languages, and maths and equations are recognised by the app's clever AI. 

With its proprietary Interactive Ink technology, MyScript Nebo also does a very neat job of translating handwriting into digital text. It’s also highly versatile, allowing you to combine handwriting and text in the same paragraph, sentence or even in a single word. You can add custom words, such as technical terms or slang, to help with recognition, and you can see a preview of your handwriting conversion in real time. The only downside is that it only works on high-end devices: but there a guide to compatible devices .

08. Apple Notes

Apple Notes is, as you'd expect, best used with an iPad or iPhone. Though it can be used in Windows without the deeper connectivity to the Apple Pencil you may miss some of the ease-of-use this note-taking app offers.

There's a wealth of powerful note-taking tools at your finger- and Apple Pencil tip, and includes adding attachments such as photos and documents, alongside creating checklists, tables and even sketching alongside your notes to bring your ideas to life. Apple's love of security also means notes can be stored and sent with assurity.

Apple is keen to make use of iCloud and the connectivity of its devices, so collaboration is a strength of Apple Notes; Activity view for example enables you to easily see any amendments to your notes and files made by others.

Where Apple Notes falls down slightly is in its print options, as it can be hard to print multiple files and docs in one go. I found the need to send files to print separately which takes a while. But then digital note-taking isn't always about creating physical docs. If you have an Apple Pencil, iCloud account and friends and colleagues all hooked into Apple's ecosystem, then Apple Notes is a decent - free - option.

  • The 25 best iPad Pro apps for Apple Pencil
  • 18 of the best Android apps to download for creatives
  • Handwriting on the iPad : How to use Apple Scribble

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Tom May

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity , published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World , T3.com and Tech Radar . He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects. 

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The best note-taking apps for iPad: Ditch the pen and paper

lena-borrelli-author.jpg

We all know the feeling of crumpled paper lost to overstuffed backpacks and briefcases. Thankfully, those days are over with the addition of note-taking apps for iPad. However, you can't trust just any app to hold your most important notes for your classes or your to-do lists. So instead, it is crucial to find exactly the right app that is both trustworthy and reliable, so you never have to worry again about losing your most important papers. 

Also: The best iPad drawing apps

The best note-taking app for iPad is Notability , thanks to its incredible versatility and generous features. To help you make the best notes and create streamlined notes, we've rounded up other popular apps based on pricing, reviews, features, and compatibility so you can be a master notetaker.

Also: The best iPad apps for productivity

The best note-taking apps for iPad in 2024

Best ipad note-taking app overall.

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  • Supports multiple formats and pen styles
  • Extra formatting tools
  • Free version
  • Paid subscription for Plus membership
  • Limited document sizes

Notability features: Price varies per region | Available app for Mac and iPhone | Easy annotation

Notability is widely regarded as one of the best note-taking apps for iPad, thanks to a simple interface matched by powerful capability. Notes are no longer just notes when you can add different forms of multimedia, like audio and video. 

Also: The best iPad models of 2023

It melds together several different types of note-taking apps for iPad, offering the ability to take notes, create a journal, or utilize special tools like ink and highlighter. It not only allows for note-taking but also PDF annotation, as well. It is a convenient additional feature for students and professionals who spend a lot of time reviewing and working with PDF documents. 

Francois Gouelo uses Notability to help him in his role as owner of Enso Connect . "I've found Notability to be an invaluable tool in managing my business and helping us take our guest hosting game to the next level," he says, adding that it has significantly streamlined his workflow. "This versatility has been a game-changer in terms of productivity."

Templates are available to help get you started, or you can simply upload your own document or slide to begin. The app is compatible with Apple Pencil for greater convenience.

The Starter plan is free with limited note edits, but you will need to subscribe to the Plus plan if you want access to extended features.

Best iPad note-taking app for businesses

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  • Excellent for organization
  • Saves more than just files
  • Extremely efficient processing
  • Limited storage under the free plan
  • No offline access

Evernote f eatures: Up to 20GB monthly uploads | 200MB max note size | Google integration

Evernote is a fully-loaded powerhouse for the serious note-taker. Create notebooks to organize your notes and add content like PDFs, sketches, and other multimedia like photos and audio. You can sync your account to your Google calendar, offering full scheduling capability beyond your note-taking abilities. 

You can make to-do lists, create Tasks, and even clip your favorite sites with Evernote's Web Clipper tool. In addition, you can scan in your own handwritten or printed notes when you use your own camera. 

You have the option to sync all of your devices with the number of devices determined by your subscription plan. Also controlled by your plan is the number of monthly uploads you can make and the size of your notes.  

"I've really come to like Evernote," says Tina Grant, quality assessor for Aerospheres with 17 years in the aviation industry. "The fact that it's a multiplatform tool really helps, as I use a Windows computer at work. This means I can take notes on my iPad, then later access them directly in my browser on the PC. The fact that there is a built-in organization system that allows you to set up categories and tags also really helps to keep things in order."

GoodNotes 5

Best ipad note-taking app for handwriting.

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  • Specifically for iPad
  • Custom pen styles and colors
  • Works with your personal handwriting
  • Must pay one-time fee after trial
  • Creates storage-zapping files

GoodNotes 5 f eatures: Free starter plan with 3 notebooks | Compatible with Dropbox and Google Drive | Easy device syncing

Like Evernote, GoodNotes also syncs across your devices for easy access, no matter where you are or what device you are using. You can adjust and change your handwriting, or you can use different colored inks with included tools, like Shape, Lasso, and Elements that allow you to import photos and diagrams. Plus, it's perfect to use in conjunction with the Apple Pencil. 

You also have the option to work with PDFs and document outlines, housing them in an unlimited number of folders and subfolders for better organization. From handwritten notes to typed ones, your notes, files, and folders are all easily searchable. 

"I use GoodNotes 5 extensively for annotating listing presentations, contracts, and reports," says Kris Lippi, a licensed real estate broker and owner of I Sold My House . "Last week, I reviewed a 50-page purchase agreement, signed key pages, and shared it with the buyer's agent in minutes. The ability to directly draw, highlight and comment on interactive PDFs right from my iPad has been a game changer."

There is a generous selection of covers and paper templates to add some pizzazz and style to your notes. GoodNotes 5 is compatible with a series of devices and other apps, including iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. 

Best iPad note-taking app for Apple Pencil

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  • Easy conversion for handwritten notes
  • Can use mathematical and chemical equations
  • Multiple languages available
  • Not the simplest to use
  • On the pricier side

Nebo f eatures:  Artificial intelligence technology | 66 languages | Apple Pencil support

Nebo offers full stylus support when you have an Apple Pencil you are itching to use on your new note-taking app for iPad. It uses leading AI technology to offer the option of handwritten notes, or you can simply annotate where you see fit. Nebo works with a total of 66 languages, converting your scrappy hand-scribbled notes into lovely notes. 

Also: How to take notes on your iPad with an Apple Pencil 

If you are picking up where you left off, simply import a file because the app offers PDF, Word, and Powerpoint compatibility. Regardless of what you choose, you can easily transition from handwriting to text to dictation even in the same word to make transcription a breeze, no matter which method you prefer. It even has the capability to handle math equations and diagrams, available as LaTeX or image.

Nebo also offers a companion app called Nebo Viewer, which allows you to access read-only versions of your notes at any time on your iPhone. You first must make a free MyScript account and then access cloud sync before you can see your notes.

"I operate in a sphere where time is precious, and managing day-to-day operations can be a Herculean task," explains Athina Zisi, Chief Operations Officer of Energy Casino . "This is where Nebo, with its meticulously designed features, comes in. Whether I'm jotting down notes during a high-stakes meeting or capturing action points during an operations review, Nebo handles it with aplomb."

Best free iPad note-taking app

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  • Free to use
  • Automatic save feature
  • Already built into your iPad
  • Rather basic features
  • No fancy extras

Notes features: Free | Built-in scanner | Share notes with others 

A handy addition to any iPad, the Notes app is Apple's signature note-taking app with a straightforward functionality that makes it our best free note-taking app for iPads. If you own an iPad, you probably already have the Apple Notes app installed. 

It is one of the easiest ways to take notes, but there are other ways to use the app than just note-taking. It can also handle other types of media, like images, checklists, and sketches. 

"I freely admit to Notes being a complete lifesaver for me on more than one occasion," shares Troy Portillo, Director of Operations of Studypool . "In business, you can have unexpected conversations and need to be able to remember pertinent information. Having Notes has helped me save very important information easily during those unexpected conversations."

It also works with handwritten notes or scanned documents that you need to keep at the ready. You can lock your notes with passwords or use the built-in scanner to scan paper documents. With the app based on iCloud, you can access your notes on any of your Apple devices. 

"It's easy to use, easy to save, and it's already included on your iPhone," says Portillo. "Wins all around."

Also: How to lock an Apple Note to keep prying eyes out of your ideas

What is the best note-taking app?

The best note-taking app for iPad is Notability and for several reasons. It works with the different types of media that you want to add to your notes, plus you can organize all of your notes into neat notebooks that are easy to access. Notability is also free to use, but you can upgrade for a minimal fee should you want access to the bonus features. 

Below is a look at the standard features and rating of the best note-taking apps we chose:

Which note-taking app is right for you?

It really depends on what you're looking for and what features are most important to you. After a while, all the different iPad note-taking apps can begin to blur together, so here are some expert recommendations to help you make the right note app choice for your iPad.

How did we choose these note-taking apps?

There are some features we considered when searching for the best note-taking apps.

  • Interface: We looked for note apps that offer a clean, streamlined interface that is not too cluttered or distracting from your work. 
  • Tools: When it comes time to write, you want to be sure that there are the right tools to help you get the job done. We looked at features like the type of writing, dictation, presentation, and editing tools available with each of the best note-taking apps.
  • Security : Security and file backup are critical when choosing the best note-taking app for iPad. Many notes contain sensitive information, so you want to be sure that your files will not be lost and are also secure from any prying eyes. 
  • Cost: Budget is critical, so we considered how much each app costs and what each purchase gives you. 

When choosing iPad's best note-taking app for you, think about how you plan to use the app and which features are essential to your needs. 

Why should I use a note-taking app for iPad?

Note-taking apps offer far more than you may expect. In addition to storing your notes and bright ideas, there are also many other support features, including converting handwriting to digital notes, templates to choose from, and even adding different forms of media like video and audio. 

And they're great for organizing ideas on the go. Whether you're scribbling your own ideas or collaborating with friends or colleagues, you'll have a central hub to access your notes easily. 

What is the highest-rated note-taking app for iPad?

GoodNotes 5 receives the highest rating from the App Store on our list, earning a 4.8 average rating. However, Notability and Nebo also receive high ratings on the App Store.

Ratings were one of the main drivers in choosing the best note-taking apps. And some of the ones we offer allow you to test drive them for free. 

Does iPad have a free note-taking app?

It is absolutely possible to use a free note-taking app for iPad. The best free iPad note-taking app is Apple Notes, since it comes pre-installed and could not be easier to use. However, there are other options like Microsoft OneNote, Loose Leaf , and Freeform .

Are there alternative note-taking apps worth considering?

While searching for the best note-taking apps, we came across other apps that may work for your needs. Here are a few other note-taking apps to look into:

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best note taking apps

The 17 Best Note Taking Apps On The Market In 2024

  • Michaela Rollings
  • December 27, 2023

Since the pandemic changed the way we all work, meetings have looked a bit different. Over the past couple of years, we’ve gone from conference rooms and round tables to Zoom meetings and Google Hangouts, which ultimately means that the way we collaborate and interact is going to be different. Enter remote collaboration tools, and more specifically, note taking apps.

“Taking notes” is something that has long been important for successful communication and teamwork, but it’s taken on a whole new meaning in our remote world. First of all, setting an agenda before the meeting via note taking apps helps everyone get on the same page.

Without those moments before meetings to chat over the agenda in person, you need to create some sort of format for your meeting. Using note taking apps to prep the team for the meeting, and sharing the note with everyone beforehand, is essential.

During your virtual meetings, things are also much more likely to get lost in the shuffle. Did you know that over 70% of communication is non-verbal? This means that something you say over Zoom may be taken a totally different way than it would in person.

That’s why taking accurate notes, or designating a team member to record all items discussed, is important. Without notes that reflect the meeting’s contents, it makes things much more difficult in the long run, as you won’t have a log of items discussed to reference in the future, or for anyone who couldn’t make the meeting.

As remote teams look to optimize their time in meetings, utilizing meeting tools to create an agenda, take notes, and send follow-ups is critical. Because we can’t communicate face-to-face and in an office, we’re going to need to pass along our thoughts, feedback, and next steps virtually. 

Finding the best Note taking apps

When it comes to taking better notes at work , finding yourself an excellent note taking app is critical for managing your projects successfully, logging next steps, and planning overall strategy. When you are able to record your next steps with one of many great note taking apps on the market, and ideally assign them out to meeting attendees, you are actually able to start getting work done in the meeting.

This prevents you from having follow-up meetings where everyone is confused and no one knows what they were responsible for – it’s one of the most impactful ways to improve meeting productivity.

With the right note taking apps, you’ll leave every meeting with the next steps and remain confident in your game plan. And to help you navigate all of the options on the market, here are our favorite picks for the best note taking apps your team can start using today.

1. Hive Notes

app writing notes

If you’re a Hive user, Hive Notes is a great way to integrate your meetings with your to-do list, bringing your traditional meeting notes to a whole new level. In Hive Notes, you can actually connect a note to a meeting on your Google or Outlook calendar, assign meeting attendees next steps, and easily share the meeting note with everyone – whether they attended the meeting or not – after the event is over. It’s one of the best note taking apps on the market.

Since Hive Notes syncs up with your calendar, it’ll also send you a reminder in Hive five minutes before your meeting starts prompting you to take notes. If the meeting is recurring, Hive also offers a “notebook” style set-up where you can add multiple entries to the same note. During the meeting, use Hive Notes to collaborate in real-time, Google-doc style, so multiple people can add comments at once.

note taking apps

One of the most unique aspects of Hive Notes is its Zoom integration, which lets you access the power of Hive Notes inside your Zoom meetings. With Hive Notes for Zoom , you can take notes collaboratively in Zoom without opening another screen. You can share the note with all meeting participants, type in real-time, and assign action items within the Zoom meeting itself – it’s a brand new virtual meeting experience.

To start using Hive Notes in Zoom today (free for everyone, forever) simply download the Hive Notes app in the Zoom marketplace.

Get started for free today to see why hive scored 100 out of 100 in popularity among its customers – the highest score of all tools on the market. level up your note-taking tool with hive..

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2. Evernote

Evernote Note Taking Apps

One of the most popular and very traditional note taking apps, Evernote is used by teams around the world who want one central location for all meeting notes and documents. Within Evernote, you can store all of your notes in one place, and sync notes between devices. You can also capture photos to save in your notes, and add checklists for the next steps.

Additionally, audio from your meetings can also be recorded and attached to the meeting note, which is an excellent way to ensure people who couldn’t attend the meeting will stay in the loop.

OneNote Note Taking Apps

Microsoft’s OneNote is a solid note-taking tool if you’re looking to stay in the Microsoft universe. With OneNote, you’ve got a massive note-pad at your fingertips, which you can write in, add images to, and divide into pages and sections. This is a great tool if you use other Microsoft products, as you can plug in other documents into the note itself, like Spreadsheets or Word docs.

Create lists with a few clicks and revise notes with type, highlight, and ink annotations, which are fun to add if you’re using a touch-screen device. You can also share ideas and collaborate with other users in OneNote.

Notion Note Taking Apps

Notion is one of our favorite note taking apps used by teams for a few primary things, including taking notes, managing projects, and creating team-wide wikis. With Notion, you can store notes and docs in List view, which helps you see quickly the most important aspects of a note and its contents. Users can then assign tasks directly from notes with a few clicks. This is one of the most popular note taking apps that has recently become very popular.

Team wikis help you store information like company policies, contact info, and engineering practices. You can even use emojis here, which makes wikis a bit more fun!

Hugo Note Taking App

Hugo is a centralized place for all notes, meetings, and tasks. This is a relatively newer product on the market and is basically a central place to gather everything related to any upcoming meetings. In Hugo, you can see a general overview of the meetings on your calendar, as well as any tasks that are related to them. You can also set reminders to alert you to any upcoming meetings so you never forget to set an agenda or prepare.

Hugo also helps you prep agendas with one-click templates and you can take in-meeting notes with both internal and external participants. Hugo is one of our favorite online note taking apps for its futuristic and advanced capabilities. Try it if you’re tired of your basic notepad.

6. Simplenote

SimpleNote Note Taking Apps

Simplenote is one of our favorite note taking apps for those who want something straightforward and simple, as the name suggests. Simplenote allows you to sync all notes across devices, and you can view past changes in markdown mode. Additionally, you can easily share lists/notes and meeting items with other people, as well as publish your notes online.

Bonus: Simplenote is free!

fellow app dashboard

Fellow is on our list of the best note taking apps because of its integration into each individual’s workflow. Within Fellow, you can build collaborative meeting agendas, record action items, and plot out actionable next steps. In Fellow, you can start by applying a template to your meeting note, then build your agenda. From there, you can assign the next steps to meeting attendees and exchange feedback.

Those are our top 7, but here are a few more great note taking apps.

Bear Note Taking App

Bear bills itself as an app that you can use for everything from basic notes to full-on essays. The app has an advanced markdown mode that lets you edit and revise thoroughly. Got notes that you don’t want others to see? You can use FaceID to password-protect those notes. Additionally, you can convert your notes into PDFs or Word Docs.

9. Google Keep

google keep

Google Keep is Google’s note-taking solution that lets you take, store, and share notes from any of your devices. While Google Keep doesn’t offer as many features as some of the other apps we’ve mentioned, it’s a convenient platform for anyone who already uses and is familiar with Google’s productivity tools. With Google Keep, notes can be organized with labels or colors and can be pinned to the top for easy access. You can also collaborate on a note in real-time once they are shared with others. And like most of Google’s other products, it’s totally free to use.

Notes can be given labels, pinned to the top, given a color, paired with reminders, and collaborated on in real-time. Additionally, it also offers speech-to-text functionality so you can dictate notes on the go rather than have to write. There’s also the ability to set up check boxes for lists to work through.

10. Apple Notes

Apple Notes

If you are in the Apple ecosystem, Apple Notes (or simply Notes or iCloud Notes) is an easy-to-use and convenient free tool for note-taking. From a quick thought or idea to checklists, images, web links, scanned documents or handwritten notes , Apple notes make it easy to document and access your notes. 

If you go to icloud.com/notes you are even able to get an online version of the app with all your notes – even if you are on a PC or Chromebook. Apple notes allow users to share notes with other Apple users and also use @mention them. It’s perfect for managing a grocery list in-real time and sharing it with your family. Another great feature is their search: you can look for images, text, drawings, text scanned in documents, and even something inside the image you are looking for, for example: “a book”.

Clover Dashboard

Another solution to facilitate your note-taking is Clover . The software works as a digital notebook that blends notes, tasks, a digital whiteboard , and a daily planner into one streamlined app. The solution offers powerful features including infinite canvas, presentation options, and the ability to embed rich media to your notes, so your colleagues can interact with content from YouTube, Figma, SoundCloud, and more.

Clover is available on Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, and the web and offers a free plan that supports up to three guests and 50MB uploads. Clover Pro plan starts at $6 per month with unlimited guests and 10GB monthly uploads.

bit.ai dashboard

Bit.ai allows you to c reate dynamic notes, documents, wikis, knowledge bases, projects, client deliverables, technical docs, training guides, and client portals while integrating across the apps you work with. The platform offers a smart and minimalist editor feature that facilitates communication between remote teams. Bit.ai also has @mentions,  real-time notifications, shared workspaces, permissions, guest access, and several integrations. Bit.ai offers free and paid plans . Its ProPlan starts at $8 per member/per month.

nTasks dashboard

nTask is a great task management and project management solution that also offers a note-taking application.

The software has a lot of features that make it the ideal tool for storing short and long-form information about your project. These features include document management , note-taking feature, time and issue tracking, and even panel-specific comments. These panels include projects, tasks, risks, and many others. On top of note-taking, nTask has other collaboration tools to help teams of all sizes, such as team chat, bulk team invites, dedicated workspaces, and task comments.

14. Zoho Notebook

zoho notebook devices

Zoho Notebook is an excellent tool for taking notes across platforms. The app helps you and your team to jot down ideas on an always backed-up and synced note-taking platform.

With checklists, the ability to add media, include files and sketch out drawings, Zoho Notebook also offers integrations. Not only can you integrate with other Zoho software , but you’ll also be able to bring your Notebook ideas over to other popular apps such as Zapier, Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and more. Best of all, it’s free to use!

xTiles Note Taking

xTiles is a note-taking app with an intuitive interface and an infinite canvas workspace where you can lay out ideas and keep it all organized with a drag-and-drop editing feature. xTiles is easily customizable, with a flexible kanban board-style layout. You can add a variety of resources to your board, mixing notes, assorted media, links and files. xTiles makes it easier to turn ideas into projects, share them, and collaborate with a team. Its search function lets you look through your notes quickly, optimizing your productivity.

Another advantage of xTitles is its versatility, being available on desktop and mobile, you can jot down notes on your phone and then pick up on it again when you are back at your desk. There’s a free plan available with limited file uploads and cards, and you can get unlimited usage for $8/month.

16. GoodNotes

goodnotes note-taking app

GoodNotes is a note-taking app that offers a unique digital note-taking experience that allows users to create customizable notebooks that resemble writing on paper. It features a variety of annotation tools, such as pens, highlighters, and shapes, that users can use to personalize their notes according to their preferences. GoodNotes also has handwriting recognition and powerful search capabilities, making it easy to retrieve specific words or phrases within notes.

GoodNotes can integrate with popular cloud storage platforms, such as iCloud and Google Drive, ensuring easy access to notes across different devices. It also supports PDF import, so users can review and add notes to existing documents. GoodNotes has a variety of features that can enhance productivity and simplify workflow, such as text conversion, audio recording, and effective note organization using folders and tags.

Typora dashboard

Typora is a note-taking app that gives you a seamless experience as both a reader and a writer. The platform is designed to help you focus. It removes the preview window, mode switcher, syntax symbols of markdown source code, and all other unnecessary distractions. Typora has a vast library of templates to facilitate your note-taking process. Typora is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. This note-taking solution is also good for blogging  and writing documentation. One of its most popular features is the real-time preview markdown code. With Typora, you can export to PDF, HTML, EPUB, and other formats and sync with cloud storage services like Dropbox and OneDrive. You can try Typora for free for 15 days on up to three devices. This minimal Markdown editor and reader paid plan costs $14.99 (without tax).

There you have it. We’ve shared our favorite note-taking apps to help you and your team collaborate effectively and efficiently while working remotely. If you’ve got any other tools that you think we should add to this list, let us know in the comments below!

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app writing notes

Nebo: Note Taking & Notebook 4+

School notes on endless paper, designed for ipad.

  • 4.7 • 29.5K Ratings
  • Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Create beautiful notes and professional documents by hand, sketch ideas on an endless canvas, and annotate PDFs with our dynamic notebook tool. Powered by the world's best AI handwriting recognition, seamlessly mix handwriting, text, drawings, diagrams, and images on the expandable canvas. Edit effortlessly with pen gestures, converting handwriting and shapes to typed text and perfect forms. Redefine your note taking experience with a modern approach - it's more than notes, it's where ideas take shape. Nebo understands every word you write in your choice of 66 languages, and works on all platforms - so you can access and search your notes from any device. Enjoy 3 powerful experiences in one app: ** Create freely in a Nebo Note – the world’s most advanced freeform canvas with full write-to-text and shape conversion ** ** Handwrite a responsive Nebo Document, adding math and diagram objects as needed ** ** Import existing documents as PDFs, ready to annotate ** ** NEBO ON IPAD: FEATURES ** • Digital handwriting: - Write¹, type or dictate in the same page, sentence or even word. - Accurately convert handwriting and math to typed text, and drawn diagrams to perfect shapes. Diagrams stay editable when pasted into PowerPoint! - Write emoji and symbols with your pen. • Edit with your pen: - Use intuitive gestures to edit and format content without breaking your flow. - Use the marker to highlight or color, the lasso to select, and the eraser to delete entire strokes or precisely defined content. • Write, type and draw freely in a Nebo Note: - Enjoy an infinite canvas ideal for brainstorming and freeform note-taking. - Pan around and zoom in or out for a fresh perspective. - Use the lasso to select, move, copy, delete or resize content - and to convert handwriting to typed text. • Switch to a Nebo Document for a responsive experience: - Create and edit structured notes – your handwriting will automatically reflow as needed. - Make edits, adjust layout, rotate your device or split your screen without worrying about readability. • Enrich your notes: - Personalize content using a range of pen types and page backgrounds. - Add photos, sketches and smart objects like math and diagrams. - Handwrite math equations and matrices across several lines, solve simple calculations and copy math as LaTeX or image. ** LOVE FOR NEBO ** - “Perfect with Apple Pencil” (App Store) - “For note-takers with needs that go beyond the basic” (TechRadar, 2019) - Best App 2017 (CES Mobile Apps Showdown) Nebo respects your privacy and never stores content on our servers without your explicit consent. For help or feature requests, create a ticket at https://myscri.pt/support Check minimum and recommended requirements for Nebo: https://myscri.pt/devices ¹You can use any compatible active or passive pen, including Apple Pencil, to write in Nebo. More details at https://myscri.pt/pens

Version 5.8.8

** Trash and recover ** Deleted something by mistake? No worries – you can recover pages, notebooks and collections easily from the trash. ** Need HELP? ** Contact us via nebo.app ** LOVE Nebo? ** Support us with a 5-star rating and a review!

Ratings and Reviews

29.5K Ratings

Suggestion about Latex

Not sure if anyone in the fields of math/physical sciences who uses this app has already suggested this, but it would be GREATLY appreciated if nebo was able to provide a mode where the entire handwritten text could be converted to Latex, so that it would be functional for writing proofs, derivations, theorems, laws, etc. As of now there is no app with this capability, which is why it is so crucial for math/physical sciences students to learn Latex typesetting in order to write research papers and longer works that include both natural spoken language and mathematical symbols. However, I feel that Nebo has the potential to fill this space, seeing how powerful the "Math" section that can be added to regular pages already is. While it is very useful and well made, it is limited since ordinary languages like English cannot be recognized in the same section. If Nebo were able to develop a way to recognize and convert hand written mathematical proofs and other similar types of text to Latex, it would absolutely be the primary notes app of choice for EVERY individual studying higher level math, physics, or chemistry. Suggestions aside, Nebo is an amazing app with all of its other features!!

Developer Response ,

We're super happy to hear you're enjoying Nebo – and we're grateful for your support. We listen to all feedback and your remarks about LaTeX and math-inline have been noted. Best of luck with your studies! Mila

Love the app but need to be able to control brightness of the lines

I’m old and my entire adult life I’ve been a writer: books, poetry, journals. And I always wrote longhand with pen on paper, which is nothing short of magical, or spiritual depending on your sensibilities. Nothing can replace the power of writing with a comfortable pen and a clean sheet of ruled paper. The problem is my cursive handwriting is brutal to read, and after writing the first draft of a novel out by hand and having to try to read and decipher it to type it up on a computer… well, it’s tedious and dispiriting to say the least, and the laboriousness of the task extends the process out longer than it should be, or, with Nebo, need be. While I will most likely always have regrets no longer writing with pen and paper, I will also always thank the gods of writing for the app. It can read my chicken scratch way better than I. And as for the transcription process from cursive to computer ready, ha ha, it’s now literally done at the speed of light instead of taking me long, brutal months filled with strained eyes and headaches. The only reason I give the blessing of an app 4 stars instead of 5 is because, like I said, I’m old and my vision isn’t the greatest, which makes the ruled lines mighty hard for me to see. So, once there is an option to darken, or lighten, the lines, then yeah, consider this a 5-star review… and then some.
Hello and thanks for your review; I will pass your request to the product management team for consideration in future developments. I can not mention if it will be implemented or what priority your request will have or when a feature can be available, but we're always working to improve Nebo, and the first step is to share it with the product team Best regards, Sebastian.
This has been one of my favorite apps until recently- I love that I can keep a personal journal, one for podcast ideas, one for work purposes, etc. The integration with Google Drive and the ease of syncing all journals as well as saving and sharing specific pages is fantastic, and the conversion to text from writing is pretty accurate. However, in the past month I have struggled massively with extreme lagginess, app crashing or having to force restart the app, disconnection from google drive sync, and lack of responsiveness from customer service outreach which leaves me disappointed and seeking other apps. It’s taking upwards of 10 plus minutes to be able to finish writing a sentence or for the app to move to the next line, and whenever it does read the text it’s choppy and illegible most of the time. I’ve tried in multiple places with different WiFi connections, I’ve restarted the app, I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled, and even got a second Apple Pencil thinking that was the issue. I’ve tried other pencil-compatible apps and even did a hard reset on my iPad, all to no avail. I know it’s the app, and I really hope changes are made soon so I don’t have to switch everything over to another service. I’m hoping google comes out with something similar soon, or that there will be an update to fix all of this. Nebo started out really strongly for me and has been almost unusable the last several weeks.
Sorry you're seeing this behavior. We're working on a fix for this bug and will do our best to make this available at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, you can disable the "Full keyboard access" in the Accessibility settings of your iPad, which may cause crashes and lags. Thanks for your patience! Mila

In-App Purchases

App privacy.

The developer, MyScript , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Used to Track You

The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:

  • Identifiers

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

  • Contact Info
  • Diagnostics

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

  • User Content

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese

  • Full version $8.99
  • Nebo Pro $5.99
  • Essentials Pack $4.99
  • Full Pack $6.99
  • PDF Pack $4.99
  • Connect Pack $4.99
  • Developer Website
  • App Support
  • Privacy Policy

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The 11 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad and iPad Pro in 2024

Scribes, you have options. Capture your ideas with these iPad note-taking apps

app writing notes

  • Ohio State University

Are you using the iPad's full creative potential? With its sleek design and smooth touchscreen, you can use the Apple Pencil Stylus , or even your finger, to quickly make a to-do list, capture your thoughts, doodle, compose documents , or sign a PDF.  

The iPad's built-in Apple Notes  app has many features, including scanning, attachments, and photos. But if you're curious about what else is out there, here's a look at some of the best iPad note-taking apps. Some can even turn your handwritten notes into text that others can read, no matter how sloppy.

This list covers iPad and iPad Pro apps that can help you convert your stray bits of paper into a digital folder to help you stay focused and organized and never lose an important idea again.

Notebook: Create Organized, Artistic Notes and Notebooks

This free app is ad-free.

No way to customize the interface or background colors.

If you're looking for a way to organize your memories, ideas, and essential information on your iPad with beautiful individual notebooks, look no further than Notebook by Zoho. Fill your notebook with sketches, audio, files, and notes, and then organize them with Notebook's built-in Smart, Recipe, Video, or Link Cards. Add PDFs, word documents, and spreadsheets, and check stuff off your checklist as you work through tasks. Take handwritten notes with​ your finger or Apple Pencil. 

Price : Free

Nebo Note-taking: Use Your Apple Pencil to Create Notes and Random Doodles

Ability to convert notes into digital documents. 

Copy and paste fully editable diagrams to PowerPoint.

Only compatible with the Apple Pencil.

If you want to use it with other devices, each device needs a separate license.

With its highly responsive handwriting recognition, Nebo lets you take electronic notes as quickly as you can write. Move lines of text to create space for insertions, and the app converts your handwritten words into ​titles, paragraphs, and bullet points alongside your diagrams and doodles. Export as text, PDF, HTML, or Word (.docx). 

Price : $7.99

MetaMoJi Note: Embellish Your Notes With Sketches

Easy to type notes and quickly switch to a stylus, along with the ability to cut and paste between documents. 

Handwriting recognition module is an in-app purchase.

Can be difficult to take notes quickly, with a lag in loading new pages. 

MetaMoJi Note by MetaMoJi Note Corp allows you to customize your iPad notes, pages, and backgrounds and add your own sketches and notes quickly. Your handwritten notes can be cut and pasted on the note background. With superior palm resistance when using the stylus, you can mark up PDF files and re-save them as PDFs to share. The efficient tagging system allows the same note to be stored in several folders simultaneously. Create anywhere with a finger or stylus. 

Price : The lite version is free. The premium is $7.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

Agenda: Track Your Notes With a Timeline

Provides a complete timeline of past, present and future notes to track progress against deadlines. 

Agenda has no handwriting support. Image insertion and attaching files is also not available.

Instead of compiling a static collection of notes, Agenda by Momenta B.V. lets you stamp a date on each note to create an interactive timeline. Agenda also allows you to tag, create lists, and put notes directly on your calendar. Notes can be shared as PDFs and other formats. Not compatible with Apple Pencil. 

Price : Free; Premium is $9.99

Transom Note-Taker for Writers: The Tools You Need to Finally Finish That Novel

Fluid, no-frills app that makes it easy to quickly capture thoughts as inspiration strikes.

Currently, there is no way to add categories of notes, making it difficult to tag and sort notes, by character and by chapter. 

Capture your thoughts when inspiration strikes with Transom by VoidMedia. Created explicitly for novelists and writers, Transom can let you tag your iPad notes by character or setting and the piece's name. You can export your notes as a PDF and provide iCloud backup. It's not compatible with Apple Pencil. 

Notes Plus: Convert Your Scribbles to Text

Background audio recording.

Saves each page in the document as a separate document. Has trouble with larger documents. 

With the ability to support 52 languages, Notes Plus can convert your handwriting to text, no matter how sloppy. With no lag in writing, Notes Plus recognizes when your palm is resting on the iPad and includes left-handed support. You can also import PDFs, DOC files, and images and then export your notes as PDFs or images to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and email. Supports Wacom, Adonit, and Apple Pencil.

Price : $9.99

Note Taker HD: Flexibility in Typed, Handwritten Notes & Diagrams

An eraser and multi-level undo and re-do buttons let you correct mistakes. The eraser works by dragging your finger over the ink to "erase."

Layering several layers of text and diagrams makes it hard to select a buried image. No way to underline, bold or italic text. 

With its ability to zoom in and out on a page by pinching, Note Taker HD, by Software Garden, allows you to type or handwrite notes and annotate PDF pages on your iPad. The app also comes with more than 60 customizable shapes and lets you insert images and crop them within your notes. It allows you to write in large letters and automatically inserts and resizes text to fit on the screen. Just keep writing, and Note Taker HD keeps adding your new text. Compatible with finger and stylus. 

Price : $4.99

Drafts: Customizable Notes

The customizable extended row above the keyboard can quickly convert, manipulate, and transform your to-do lists, notes, messages, and emails.

Process your drafts quickly using unique features like Link Mode, Arrange Mode, and Focus Mode.

Pro version is a monthly subscription and not a one-time fee.

Drafts, by Agile Tortoise, offers a fast way to take notes and lets you turn them into text messages, emails, or posts to social media. Think first, create your "draft," edit it, and send it to another app. It integrates with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch to type on the go. It does not support a stylus. 

Price : Free, with Pro version $1.99 per month/$19.99 per year

GoodNotes 6: Protect Your Thoughts, Ideas & Files

Ability to use GoodNotes as a digital whiteboard, just choose which part of the page to display. 

No ability to create subfolders, and no option to continue to scroll or swipe to create a new page. 

With its searchable handwriting recognition feature, GoodNotes 6, by Time Based Technology Limited, ensures your iPad notes are preserved and retrievable. Privacy and password protected, this note-taking app includes backup and syncs between iCloud for iPhone and iPad. Import images and PDFs and annotate PDFs to sign forms. Works with finger or Stylus. 

Price : Free trial; full version $9.99

Simple Notes - Noted Memo: Dictate Your Notes and Save Time

Syncs easily and quickly between the iPhone and iPad, making Simple Notes a great collaboration tool. 

Not compatible with Bluetooth keyboard, and no copy and paste. 

Simple Notes, by ​Elias Sleiman, will collect your iPad notes whether you type them or speak them. Your voice recording is saved so that you can retrieve and listen later. Other features include changing your notes' color, font, and size and supporting enhanced categorization features—no stylus support.

Price: Free; Pro version $9.99

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College Info Geek

The 11 Best Note-Taking Apps in 2023 – Evernote, Notion, and More

app writing notes

C.I.G. is supported in part by its readers. If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.

Taking notes used to be so simple. You’d take out a sheet of parchment, dip your quill in ink, and get to writing.

Then a bunch of nerds got together and started  inventing things — and that’s when note-taking got complicated. Suddenly we had to choose from different models of typewriters and competing keyboard layouts.

Later the computer showed up, and with it, we got GUIs and dozens of different writing applications. And then the Internet came along, bringing cloud syncing into the mix.

In 2023, we’re faced with a dizzying array of tools and apps for taking notes. How do you choose which one to use?

Luckily, we’ve done the research. After putting dozens of apps through their paces and testing every feature — from the writing experience to shortcuts to sharing capabilities — we’ve put together this list of the best note-taking apps currently available.

Read on to find out which tool is the right one for you, your devices, and your price range!

Looking for tips on how to actually take your notes? Once you’ve chosen your app, check out our guide to the 6 best note-taking methods .

The Top 11 Note-Taking Apps of 2023

Notion document with paragraphs and checklist

Overview:  Offers a powerful, database-driven note-taking experience that’s unlike most apps out there.

  • Flexible pages. Notion has a template engine that allows you to turn pretty much anything into an easily-duplicated template, including a multi-layered collection of pages. It also has great media embedding and previewing tools, including a gallery view for photos and videos.
  • Powerful tables. Tables in Notion aren’t just charts; they’re databases. Think of Notion’s databases as Google Docs + Google Sheets. Every row in a table is its own Notion page that you can go into and update.
  • Nested hierarchical organization. You’re probably tired of this. But Notion does this. You can even turn a set of text into a dropdown so you can roll it up when you want non-immediate information out of the way.
  • Hybrid editor. Notion lets you write in Markdown or use normal keyboard shortcuts and UI elements to format your text.
  • Free personal accounts.  As long as you don’t mind the 5 MB file upload limit, Notion’s free plan offers everything you need to take notes.
  • No offline support. Currently, you need to have an internet connection to use Notion. The team is working to change this, but it’s a big limitation at the moment.

Price:  Free

Platforms: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Web

Notion is one of the most flexible and powerful apps I've ever used. It can be a note-taking app, but there's also a database feature with multiple views (including Trello-style kanban boards and calendars) the ability to make anything into a template, and great collaboration features. At CIG, we use it for all of our team documentation, and I also manage every YouTube video I make with it.

Notion - All-in-One Workspace

2. Evernote

evernote

Overview: Evernote is a cross-platform note-taking app that’s great for processing hand-written notes and clipping articles from the web. The price, however, could be prohibitive on a student budget.

  • Multiple file formats. If you’re on a paid plan, Evernote can hold anything your professor throws at you: PDFs, PowerPoints, the 3 different sheets of requirements for one project. One fun extra: If you paste a Google Docs link, Evernote creates a Google Drive icon in-line and changes the URL to the name of the doc.
  • Scanner for mobile. You can use Evernote as a scanner to take photos of pages of books when you don’t want to pay for photocopying. It also has optical character recognition.
  • Web clipper for browsers. Great for saving those New York Times articles that are hidden behind a paywall so you can use them for your essay later. You can pick how much of the page you want to capture: everything, just the article text, or a highlighted selection of text.
  • Limited organization. Imagine your study area’s desk : You have notebooks lying around that contain class notes, random doodles, and frustrated journal entries. You can pile up semi-related notebooks into stacks. You can put sticky notes or flags into pages of the notebook that contain certain topics you want to refer to. That’s the extent of organization with Evernote: stacks, notebooks, notes, and tags.
  • No Markdown support. If you typically write in Markdown to speed up your writing process, you’ll find its lack of support in Evernote frustrating.
  • Pricey. If you use Evernote to scan documents and save research papers as I do, the 60 MB included in the free plan won’t cut it. And if you want to use it with more than 2 devices or use optical character recognition, you have to go Premium. At least students get 50% off Premium for a year.

Price:  $7.99 / month

microsoft onenote

Overview: Microsoft’s free cross-platform note-taking app gives Evernote a run for its money, though the interface leaves something to be desired.

  • Totally. Free. It has everything Evernote can do, but there’s no premium tier. So you get the full feature set out of the box.
  • On basically all the platforms (for free). Just had to emphasize this: With OneNote, you get unlimited devices — a feature that other note-taking apps, like Evernote and Bear, keep behind a premium subscription.
  • Freeform. Unlike Evernote, you can put text boxes everywhere on the screen for OneNote. You can draw. You can even change the background to look like a ruled notebook!
  • Even less organization than Evernote. It lacks note sorting options, such as sorting notes by newest created or newest modified.
  • Messy interface + Limited tagging capabilities.  With OneNote, you have notebooks and dividers within notebooks. Then you can also indent notes within notes. But it’s all over the user interface: notebooks on the left, dividers up top, then notes on the right. I’m a messy note-taker myself, but c’mon.

Price:  Included with a Microsoft 365 subscription (starting at $69.99 / year). Check if you have free access through your school or company.

Platforms:  Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Web

4. Roam Research

Page in Roam Research

Overview: Roam Research takes a different approach to organization than most note-taking tools. You can instantly link one note to another to create a web of information, doing away with the need for tags and folders.

  • Delightful writing  experience . Roam has strong support for Markdown, and the app is set up so that you can immediately begin writing when you open it.
  • The setup of the app encourages daily journaling. The default page when you open the app is a “Daily Note” for the current day. I’ve found this encourages me to journal in the course of using the app, which often leads to new ideas.
  • Fluid note-to-note linking . One of the core features of Roam is how easy it is to link notes (what Roam calls “Pages”) to each other. After you get the hang of the syntax, you’ll find yourself automatically linking notes (and ideas) together.
  • Easy to visualize the connection between notes. Roam features a “Graph Overview” that shows the connections between your notes as a web. It’s an interesting alternative to the hierarchical view that most note-taking apps use.
  • No offline capability.  Roam currently works only in the browser, and it requires an internet connection to access your notes. However, the founder claims an offline version of Roam is in development.
  • Learning curve. Roam is very powerful once you learn how to use it, but expect to spend a few hours learning the syntax and overall philosophy of the app.
  • Expensive.  Access to Roam will cost you $15/month – more than any other tool on this list. Roam’s fans passionately argue that the tool’s design innovations more than warrant the price. We’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Price:  $15 / month (after a 31-day free trial)

Platforms: Mac, Linux, Windows, Web

Here’s an overview of Roam Research from our founder Thomas Frank:

bear

Overview: Bear features powerful Markdown capability and an excellent writing experience. The only downside is its lack of Windows support.

  • Hybrid Markdown editor. You don’t have to imagine what your formatted Markdown will look like after you write because Bear formats text as you type.
  • Simple organizational system. Using “#” and “/”, Bear lets you tag each note and nest those tags within each other. #NestedHierarchy
  • Archive feature. A small but time-saving feature. Archiving a note takes it out of search and organization without deleting it.
  • Clean writing experience. Bear looks good out of the box — writing is readable, simple, and clean. The Premium version gets you a half dozen free themes that look even slicker.
  • Just Mac and iPhone. If you have a Windows setup…sorry.
  • Limited organization After a few weeks of using Bear, I started bumping up against the limitations of its organization system.

Price: Free for most features. Upgrade to the Pro subscription ($1.49 / month) to sync your notes between devices and get additional export options.

Platforms: iOS, Mac

6. Apple Notes

apple notes

Overview: Apple Notes offers solid organization and formatting features, though it lacks Markdown support and is (unsurprisingly) only for Apple devices.

  • Free.  If you have an Apple device, you have access to Apple Notes.
  • Good-enough formatting tools. You get the usual bold , italics , and fonts.
  • Allows cross-platform editing via the browser. No need for Google Drive/Dropbox workarounds. Just log in to your iCloud account from a browser and you can pull up your notes on a PC.
  • Can create nested lists of hierarchical folders. This is surprising, given that some paid apps don’t have this feature. Well played, Apple.
  • No hybrid Markdown. You can’t have it all in a free tool, can you?

Platforms:  iOS, Mac

7. Google Keep

google keep

Overview: Google Keep offers a basic, cross-platform note-taking app that plays well with other Google tools. The only downside is its lack of organizational features.

  • Free.  All you need is a Google account.
  • Simple. Imagine how you use sticky notes, and Keep will make sense to you. You write something on the note, stick it in a place you’ll remember, then (ideally) transfer it somewhere permanent. The Google Keep interface even looks like a wall of stickies.
  • No hierarchical organization. There’s only one level of tags. Depending on how much organization you need, this may not matter.

Platforms:  Android, iOS, Web

8. Standard Notes

standard notes

Overview: Standard Notes takes security seriously and has powerful search features. The only downside is its lack of in-app image hosting.

  • Most security-focused. Everything you write is encrypted by default, and only you can access it.
  • Free (mostly).  The free version of the app includes most features. But you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan if you want support for rich text and Markdown.
  • Powerful search. Custom tags are infinitely nestable, similar to Bear. You can also define and save custom searches based on different criteria.
  • Supports all major devices. Including Linux.
  • Limited image support. It can’t host in-app. You have to save your images elsewhere before you can save them in the app.
  • Can’t drag-and-drop notes between folders and tags.

Price:  Free for basic features. Upgrade to the Core Plan ($29 / year) to get rich text, Markdown support, and other features.

Platforms:  Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows, Web

9. Obsidian

Creating a note in the Obsidian app on an iPad

Overview:  Obsidian combines customizable knowledge organization features with a Markdown editor that’s a delight to use.

  • Simple.  Obsidian is based around Markdown and a simple (local) file/folder structure. This means that even if the app eventually disappears, you’ll still have all your data in a universally readable format.
  • Highly customizable.  If you have the skills, you can write your own Obsidian plugins. You can also turn features of the app on and off to suit your needs.
  • Powerful organizational features.  Obsidian lets you create links between pages, helping you to expand upon your previous work. It also lets you view the connections between your notes on a graph (similar to Roam).
  • Cross-platform . Obsidian is available on basically any platform you could want.
  • Works offline.  You never need an internet connection to use Obsidian since all of your data is stored locally. In fact, you don’t even need an account to use the app.
  • Limited image support.  While it is possible to embed images within your notes , you’ll still need to use the Markdown syntax. You can’t drag and drop images into notes as you can in Notion or other apps on this list.
  • Text-based.  If you like highly visual notes, Obsidian won’t be for you. We recommend an option such as Notion instead.
  • Syncing notes is a paid feature.  If you want to sync your notes across devices, you’ll need to pay for Obsidian Sync (currently $10 / month).

Price:  Free (for personal and educational use)

Platforms:  Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows

10. Ulysses

ulysses

Overview: Ulysses is great for both note-taking  and  writing long-form essays or articles. But it lacks a free version and only works on Apple devices.

  • A fully-featured writing app . If you want an app that you can use throughout your entire writing process from research to writing and printing, then Ulysses is your pick.
  • Focus mode. Many authors write books in Ulysses. But unlike some other heavy-duty writings apps, Ulysses gets out of your way with its Full-Screen focus mode.
  • Customizable. Ulysses has themes, including Dark Mode. You can also choose from several different markup styles and publishing formats — it’s really quite flexible.
  • Publishing to WordPress. After writing, editing, and formatting an entire blog post within Ulysses, I don’t have to log in to my WordPress dashboard to publish it anymore. Ulysses allows me to format images, tags, categories, and meta-data and upload all of them from the app.
  • Pricey. It’s $5.99 / month with no free plan, but you can apply for a student discount for 6 months and get it down to $1.99 / month.
  • Mac and iOS only. As with Bear, the Ulysses app is exclusive to Apple devices. But if you just want to edit your files on a Windows computer, you can save them in a synced Google Drive or Dropbox folder and then edit the rich text file it provides.

Price:  $5.99 / month

typora

Overview: Typora is highly customizable and works on all major operating systems, though it lacks online and mobile apps for working on the go.

  • Hybrid Markdown editor. It formats text as you type, and it’s faster than Slite.
  • Focus Mode. It dims the text you’re not currently working on.
  • Table of Contents mode. Like Slite, it allows you to zoom into headings and outlines.
  • Themes. Lots of themes that you can customize with CSS — a language that lets you dictate exactly how you want your content presented.
  • No in-app storage. Since it’s just a Markdown editor, Typora doesn’t store notes in the app. Files are actually stored in your computer’s file system, meaning you can’t move notes around in the app.
  • Desktop-only writing app. Typora doesn’t have a mobile app, but you can always complement it with a Markdown-editor mobile app such as iA Writer .

Price: $14.99 (one-time purchase)

Platforms: Linux, Mac, Windows

Take Notes Your Way

There are a lot of note-taking apps out there. And as with most recommendations, you have to figure out what works for you.

I hope that this list will help you decide on your note-taking app, whether it’s on this list or not.

Bonus: If you want to ensure that the rest of your productivity system is optimized as well, you might want to check out these guides:

  • The Best To-Do List App in 2023
  • The Best Time Tracking Apps in 2023: Toggl, Clockify, and More
  • The 40+ Best Apps for College Students
  • 15+ Writing Apps to Brainstorm, Draft, Edit, and Publish Your Work

Best iPad Pro notetaking app of 2024

Leave the pen and paper at home with one of the best note-taking app choices around

Best overall

Best all-purpose, best for handwriting, best advanced, best general, best original.

  • How we test

The best note-taking apps for your iPad Pro make it simple and easy to create and manage notes and documents, and their media.

1. Best overall 2. Best all-purpose 3. Best for handwriting 4. Best advanced 5. Best general 6. Best original 7. FAQs 8. How we test

Although Apple provides its own Notes app with the iPad, that app only provides basic note-taking functionality. If you want to start managing files and folders and including multimedia options, you'll need to look for something different.

Luckily, there are other note-taking applications developed specifically for use on the iPad Pro which provide more advanced options. This can be especially useful when the iPad Pro has long been promoted as a useful productivity tool.

Therefore look to the third-party software we feature below to extend its use and application for a range of business purposes, as well as provide value and purpose for general consumers.

Google Apps

Google Workspace : Collaboration + productivity apps There are many different office software suites but Google Workspace formerly known as G Suite remains the original cloud one and one of the best business office suites, offering a huge range of features and functionality that rivals can't match. Try it free for 14 days .

A particular advantage that the best note-taking apps offer is multimedia feature management, so you don't just have to work with text but can also add in images, video, and audio. These apps work across the range of iPads .

Below then we list what we think are the best note-taking app for iPad devices currently available.

We've also feature the best iPad deals .

Get in touch

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The best iPad Pro notetaking apps of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

1. Evernote

Our expert review:

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

For those looking for a note-taking platform that works with their iPad Pro, but also Android devices, Evernote straddles the two mobile platforms with ease.

Evernote is a great app to collect multiple inputs, including images, text notes, recorded messages, and clippings of web pages - all in one file for storage and collaboration. They can then be accessed via the iPad Pro, Android, or a PC though the web browser interface for ease of workflow. Also, a further boon is that the notes are searchable.  

The iOS app is free, and offers in-app purchases. However, the free product is restricted to syncing only two devices, and uploads are limited to just 60MB per month. Step up to the Premium tier to sync all your devices, gain a more generous 10GB of uploads in a month, as well as the additional features of live chat support, and offline access to your notes. Alternatively, for collaborations, there's a business plan with increased limits and additional features. 

Read our full Evernote review .

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2. Notability

Notability from Ginger Labs, is an excellent, general purpose note-taking app for the iOS platform. It has won multiple awards over the last several years.  

This app allows the user to combine multiple inputs, including typing, sketching, handwriting and photos, in a single place. 

Notability supports the editing and exporting to PDF, and supports many other document file formats. Files are synced to iCloud and users can share files with other users via email, and cloud-based services including AirDrop, Google Drive and Dropbox. 

The app also supports multiple other features including simultaneous audio recording and the conversion of handwriting and math equations to text.

The app is free to use, but you can unlock additional features and functionality with a monthly or annual subscription.

Overall, Notability is an extremely versatile app which can be used for more than just taking notes. And, when you do take notes with this app, Notability makes it easy to export and share your notes to other software platforms and people as required. 

3. GoodNotes

Those who want to use their iPad Pro to easily take handwritten notes should check out GoodNotes. With the focus on handwriting, this app makes it easy to enter complex mathematics and chemical formulas that can border on the impossible via a traditional keyboard.

The GoodNotes approach can also be used to annotate PDFs, plus you can search handwritten notes and convert handwriting into text. The notes are also synced via iCloud, and can be backed up to your choice of cloud providers, including Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box.  

The app is free to use, but limits you to 3 notebooks. To unlock unlimited notebooks, document import, and handwriting recognition, there's a one-time fee.

For note-takers with needs that go beyond the basic, Nebo can handle the challenge. While plenty of note-taking apps allow text to be entered, Nebo can also easily structure notes, allowing you to add paragraphs, titles and bullet lists for organization.

It also handles ‘rich content,’ such as diagrams, sketches (with different colors and pen widths), flow charts, and formulas, letting you integrate them into the document. Once completed, documents can be exported in a variety of formats, including Word, PDF, and even HTML.  

Nebo is available for multiple platforms, including Windows 10 , Android, and of course iOS.

Whink is an iOS app that is equally at home taking notes via handwriting, as it is with text. Whether you prefer to write with a stylus, type text, or draw with a finger, Whink makes the process as simple as using real paper.

Other media can be added and incorporated including photos, diagrams with colors and “perfect geometric shapes”. Documents can also be marked up, and it supports multi-tasking so notes can be taken while reading another document (we have witnessed folks walking around with two tablets to accomplish this feat when it is not supported).  

6. Notepad+

Notepad+ provides a digital notepad for you to do pretty much anything you'd like to that you would in a normal blank notepad. There's the ability to type notes, of course, as well as make lists, but you can also use it for sketching as well as adding images.

There are also additional features, not least for annotating other files, such as PDF files, as well as files from Excel, Keynote, and Numbers. A drag-and-drop function allows images from other apps to be copied into your notes, regardless of the file format used.

There are a wide range of formatting options that take Notepad+ away from standard note-taking software, with the ability to use different fonts, colors, and highlighting, as well as support for handwriting. 

Icons and smileys can also be added to notes, and you can add text next to them. A zoom feature allows you to change perspective if you need to move in closer or further away, which can be especially useful when using images.

Notepad+ is available in 12 different languages.

Also consider these note-taking apps:

The success of the iPad and iPad Pro mean there are a lot of apps available for similar functions, and note taking is no different. Different apps focus on different areas, such as just text, rich text editing, including images, sketching images, and even integration with other platforms. We'll consider additional options which take the simple idea of making notes and expand on it:

Zoho Notebook is a powerful app for taking notes, editing text documents (such as Word or PDF files), adding images or creating sketches, spreadsheets, and even including audio recordings - all in the same note file. This makes it particularly versatile, and all saved files are synced your devices in the cloud. Even better it's free, and there are no ads.

OneNote may be a Microsoft production, but it's a full-featured digital notepad for the iPad Pro and other iOS devices. Aside from the fact that it has a lot of functionality - and it's free - it also integrates with Microsoft Office, which could be a big plus for a lot of people.

PDF Expert isn't anywhere near as comprehensive as the above programs for working with text. Instead, it's focused only on working with PDF files, not least annotating, highlighting, or signing them. It's only a simple feature-set, but PDF Expert does it well. It's frequently cited as the best app for working specifically with PDF files. 

Bear is a decent note-taking app for people who use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer. Thanks to the user-friendly interface, using the app is an enjoyable experience. The relative affordability is also something we commend.

iPad Pro notetaking app FAQs

Which ipad pro notetaking app is best for you.

When deciding which iPad Pro notetaking apps to download and use, first consider what your actual needs are. For example, are you planning to keep your notes mostly as plain text notes, or do you need to add media to them? Additionally, do you need to use your notes in other software such as Microsoft Word? Are you happy to just save locally or in the cloud? In such instances, you will need to look at the features to see whether the app satisfactorily answers such questions or not.

How we tested the best iPad Pro notetaking apps

To test for the best iPad Pro notetaking apps we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, then we tested the app to see what sort of features and tools were available for our notes. We also looked to see if we could export our notes to other platforms, and also share them with other users. The aim was to push each software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced options.

See how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .  

Additionally, you might like to take a look at the best free iPad apps.

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Jonas P. DeMuro

Jonas P. DeMuro is a freelance reviewer covering wireless networking hardware.

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Android Police

12 best note-taking apps for your phone or tablet.

Capture and organize your notes like a pro

  • Note-taking apps offer the convenience of jotting down ideas and organizing them with ease. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 provides an excellent big-screen experience for this purpose.
  • Digital notes have advantages over paper notes, such as the ability to create notes quickly, organize them effectively, and add images or audio recordings. Cloud-based storage also ensures that files are never lost.
  • When looking for a good note-taking app, consider factors such as seamless integration with other products, cloud storage options, various note types and formats, and unique features found in certain apps like open source or increased privacy controls. Microsoft OneNote, Bundled Notes, and Evernote are some popular options available.

Nothing beats the convenience of jotting down your flashes of inspiration when they hit you, and a note-taking app is the perfect place to store them. For a better big-screen experience, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 offers a best-in-class experience. Whether you're looking for a simple way to replace the sticky notes plastered around your desk or a cross-platform solution with multiple features, we have you covered. Our editors have used and tested dozens of note-taking apps in the Play Store to created a curated list with a little something for everyone.

The benefits of digital notes

In its simplest form, a note-taking app is a way to store and organize text files (or handwriting, in the case of Squid). Most include a way to manage the notes into groups, whether they're called blocks, bundles, or notebooks. Because note-taking apps make creating these files quick and easy, it's common for people to have lots of notes. As such, most apps include a search function to make finding what you're looking for easy.

Creating notes on a whim, organizing them, and adding images or audio recordings are great reasons to take digital notes instead of paper notes. And, if you add more advanced features like cloud-based storage, you'll never lose your files again. Beyond these core functions, the Android apps listed below set themselves apart from their competition, helping you decide which app better suits your needs.

What our editors look for in a good note-taking app

Finding the best note-taking app that does everything you need or want to do can be challenging. In putting together this list, we considered what makes a good app for storing and taking notes. We highlight the best apps you can use free of charge with as few restrictions as possible. If they offer premium paid features that make it worthwhile, this adds more value to them in terms of usability.

We also feature apps offering cloud-based storage, file or media attachments, and ones where you can take different note types and formats. At the same time, we talk about the popular big-name apps and companies, as they offer great features. We list intuitive apps that stand out, offering advanced or unique features not found within other note-taking apps. This includes open source apps, which are becoming increasingly popular as more users want increased privacy controls.

1 Microsoft OneNote

General layout of Microsoft's OneNote home screen

OneNote is a powerful cross-platform note-taking solution from Microsoft. It comes with out-of-the-box integration with Microsoft products like Word, Excel, and Sticky Notes and mimics a traditional notebook with sections and pages to organize your notes. You can add text, attach media, record your voice, and use a rich text editor to complete the formatting. OneNote for Android offers an option to activate a badge that shows an app shortcut on your screen. Tap the OneNote badge and take notes without opening the app.

Microsoft recently redesigned the OneNote app on Android with a new homepage that shows your frequently used notebooks and sticky notes. You can password-protect a notebook section, invite others to a notebook for real-time collaboration, and export a page as a PDF to share with others. OneNote uses Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage to save and sync your data.

  • Availability : Android, iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, Windows, and the web
  • Price : Free

2 Bundled Notes

Bundled Notes homescreen showing note bundles

If a sharp UI design is on your priority list, look no further than Bundled Notes. It's one of a growing number of apps that embraces the Material You theme , and the implementation is flawless. Besides notes and to-dos, Bundled Notes offers a markdown editor with rich formatting and Kanban-style boards to manage small personal projects. The app relies on tags to organize notes, tasks, and projects. There are many options to customize the app to meet your needs. If you want to know more about what Bundled Notes offers, we have a detailed breakdown . It has everything you'd expect from file and photo attachments to cross-device syncing.

The app's free version limits you to six bundles and 150MB of account storage. With the Pro subscription, you can unlock 15GB of account storage, a 400MB file upload limit, and access the web app.

  • Availability : Android and the web (requires a Pro subscription). An iOS beta is also currently in the works.
  • Price : Free, Pro ($1.89 monthly or $18 annually)

Evernote to-do list from an app store listing.

Evernote has been around for ages, and it's still pushing out updates and redesigns. The popular note-taking app (with over 100 million downloads) offers a customizable home dashboard (available with the Personal plan) to stay up-to-date on your recent notes, web clips, images, documents, and frequently used notebooks. It also has a scratch pad to jot down a quick note. Evernote has a robust tag system to organize notes, a search function to find text in PDF files, a browser extension to save snippets or web pages, and a rich text editor.

The free version caps monthly uploads at 60MB and note size at 25MB. The Personal plan boosts monthly uploads to 10GB and note size to 200MB. It also allows homescreen customization, task management, and integration with a single Google Calendar account. The Professional plan doubles the monthly upload limit to 20GB and provides access to multiple Calendar accounts.

  • Price : Free, Personal ($15 monthly or $130 annually), Professional ($18 monthly or $170 annually)

4 Google Keep

Google Keep drawing capability from an app store listing.

Google Keep isn't the flashiest note-taking app on the Play Store, but it gets the job done with basic note-taking options. You can create a new note with different theming options, set a background, and add tasks, media, drawings, and voice recordings. Like Gmail, Google Keep uses labels to organize notes in folders. You can pin notes and set reminders, but there isn't a way to protect your sensitive notes with a password. As for collaboration, you can invite other people to join you on a note-by-note basis.

Besides the recent Material You makeover, Google Keep has remained mostly the same. Maybe Google will remember that Keep exists and bring new features into the app.

  • Availability : Android, iOS, iPadOS, and the web

5 Standard Notes

Standard Notes customization options from an app store listing.

Standard Notes is open source and secures your notes with industry-leading encryption. Standard Notes offers hefty security like end-to-end encryption, password protection for individual notes, and two-factor authentication. You're limited to plain text notes without a subscription, but you have access to tags and unlimited cross-platform syncing. The Productivity subscription unlocks all the features you'd expect from a note-taking app, like rich text, markdown notes, checklists, to-dos, folder organization, and revision history. You can even use Standard Notes as a 2FA authenticator for other services. Upgrading to the Professional tier unlocks 100GB of cloud storage, a shared subscription with five accounts, and no limits on file sizes.

  • Availability : Android, iOS, iPadOS, Linux, MacOS, Windows, and the web
  • Price : Free, Productivity ($90 annually), Professional ($120 annually)

6 Simplenote

Simplenote note with a to-do list.

If you're overwhelmed by the dozens of features in other note-taking solutions, Simplenote declutters the experience with a simple note-taking offering. There are some light customization options, but nothing to overwhelm you. It offers text formatting in plain text or markdown, and you can add to-do lists. Note organization is done via custom tags that you can search from the homescreen. Simplenote is missing many features, like file attachments and voice notes, but it makes up for it by being free and available on every platform with automatic syncing.

Nimbus Notes was rebranded as FuseBase in late 2023. As of January 2024, some apps and technical documents were still listed under the Nimbus Notes brand.

A FuseBase internal workspace with a

When it comes to features, FuseBase leans into the idea that more is better. It offers a rich text editor, markdown support, file attachments (photos, videos, and PDFs), a web clipper, and a built-in scanner to digitize physical documents. Nimbus also allows you to create multiple workspaces for the different facets of your life. For example, you can store your personal information in one workspace and share an office workspace with your co-workers. It also has a robust search feature (at least as good as Evernote's) that can search PDFs, images, documents, and web pages.

FuseBase's free plan includes all editor features and access to the document scanner. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited notes and recording, image recognition, advanced search features, password protection, and 2FA. The Business plan unlocks unlimited workspaces, a custom domain, an SMTP account, and JavaScript integration.

  • Price : Free, Standard ($15 monthly or $108 annually), Plus ($20 monthly or $144 annually), Premium ($40 monthly or $360 annually) – Lifetime licenses are also available

The Obsidian note app showing the markdown feature.

What sets Obsidian apart from the crowd is the amount of community involvement it has in the form of plugins. Do you need a Kanban board or Git integration for your notes? If so, there's a plugin for it. Another unique feature of Obsidian is its graph view, which visually shows the relationship between your notes. In addition, it has all the features you'd expect from a note-taking app, like markdown-based text input, toolbar customization, and themes.

The free version of the app is robust, with most of the core functions included, including access to the plugins and the API. Other services, like cross-device syncing and web hosting, can be purchased separately.

  • Availability : Android, iOS, iPadOS
  • Price : Free for personal use, Sync add-on ($10 monthly or $96 annually), Publish add-on ($10 monthly or $96 annually)

Notion note showing its code markup from an app store listing.

Notion is more than a standard note-taking app. It helps you get things done, which is why big businesses often use it. Apart from standard notes, Notion lets you keep lists, make tasks, collaborate, attach files, and sync across devices. The app works flawlessly with third-party services like Slack, OneDrive, Asana, GitHub, and Figma. One area where Notion shines is with its rich template library. You can pick one of the built-in templates or explore templates from the Notion community to get started. You can create multiple workspaces and share your business workspace with other team members and employees to manage notes, track projects, and plan the next summer picnic.

The free tier allows for collaboration (up to 10 guests), basic analytics, and third-party integration. The Plus plan grants you unlimited uploads and blocks and up to 100 guests. The Business plan offers private team spaces, bulk PDF exports, advanced analytics, and up to 250 guests.

  • Availability : Android, iOS, iPadOS MacOS, Windows, and the web
  • Price : Free, Plus ($10 monthly or $96 annually), Business ($18 monthly or $180 annually)

The Squid note-taking app showing the recent notes page.

Squid differentiates itself from other note-taking apps by focusing on handwritten notes. In many ways, the app resembles a digital whiteboard or a drawing app, except you can jot down notes on documents, PDFs, and images. Squid is designed to take full advantage of all types of styluses, from the basic capacitive stylus to the latest pressure-sensitive active stylus. Everything is vector-based, so you have control over zooming in and changing the color or size of previous pen strokes.

At the free tier, you're limited to note-taking and a few background and paper types (wide-ruled, college-ruled, and graph paper). Upgrade to Premium to access document import, more paper types (isometric, polar, music, sports, and planners), and different pens and stamps to use in your notes.

  • Availability : Android
  • Price : Free, PDF Import ($5 one time), Premium ($1 monthly or $10 annually)

An UpNote note with a to-do list and quote block from an app store listing.

UpNote is a no-nonsense note-taking app with all the basic features you'd expect and advanced ones you might not have. Notes are organized into notebooks and categorized by tags. The text editor is robust, with rich text and markdown allowing for highlighting, colored text, quotes, tables, to-dos, lists, images, and code blocks. UpNote syncs across all your devices and has offline access. UpNote makes browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari if you install a desktop client. On the more advanced side, UpNote supports exporting to PDF, HTML, and plain text, password protection, and links between notes.

The free version limits you to a maximum of 50 notes. The Premium version allows unlimited notes and unlocks attachments, tables, code blocks, password protection, themes, and exporting.

  • Availability : Android, iOS, iPadOS, Linux, MacOS, and Windows
  • Price : Free, Premium ($1 monthly or $30 annually)

12 ColorNote

Some example colored notes on the main screen in the ColorNote app

With over one hundred million installs, ColorNote is a solid option for taking digital notes. You know it must be good as a top-rated app with 3 million reviews and a solid 4.9-star rating. Typically, going by reviews alone can be a mixed bag, but in this case, with ColorNote, the great reviews make this one to try. The app is also constantly updated by its active developers, so you know it won't get left behind anytime soon.

So, aside from its popularity, what makes ColorNote so unique? As its name suggests, you can organize your notes by color to simplify what you're looking for. It's also effortless to take notes with its easy-to-use minimalist interface and built-in calendar feature. You have the option to share your notes, set reminders as needed for time-sensitive text, and lock your notes using a passcode for safekeeping. You can also place sticky note widgets on your homescreen to remind you of your most important notes at a glance.

Take digital notes on the go

Finding that one great note-taking app doesn't have to be a challenging thing to accomplish. There are many variables and features to consider, but use this guide to point you in the right direction. You may even use multiple apps to help you jot down and organize your notes, each with its unique purpose. No matter what, you now have plenty of options to choose from to take digital notes quickly and efficiently.

Using a physical notebook and pen to keep your notes isn't always convenient. But, if you're ready to abandon your analog notes, we have a few tips and tricks for going paper-free , and a note-taking app is the perfect place to start.

Best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil 2024

These note-taking apps can help you jot down all your important reminders and notes.

Apple Pencil 1

GoodNotes 6

Microsoft onenote, pdf expert – read, edit, sign, nebo: notes & pdf annotations, google keep, noteshelf - notes, annotations.

The best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil can help you jot down thoughts, share them with friends and colleagues and back them up to the cloud and across devices. These apps, combined with their handwriting features, can be perfect for work, studying, or if you simply need to quickly make a shopping list.

Additionally, all of these work with Apple's best iPads — if you want to use Apple's Notes app with an Apple Pencil on an iPad mini , it can be done. It's worth noting, though, that if you're an artist, we also have a guide for the best drawing apps for iPad and Apple Pencil as well.

For this guide, we've laid out a bunch of apps that work great with Apple Pencil and iPad — but before you decide to buy a new Apple Pencil or download any of the apps below, we recommend you check which iPad models support Apple Pencil first.

Apple Notes

Notes (free).

You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.

The built-in Notes app is a reliable bet for many people looking to use an Apple Pencil for note-taking. It does more than just allow you to type notes or dictate things. It's possible to add handwritten notes, sketches, and drawings in the Notes app . All you have to do is start a new note, pick the drawing tool, and then get writing or sketching to your heart's content.

The app has native text recognition search and in-line scanning. It also has annotation support, so it immediately covers all the most essential features required from a note-taking app. In comparison to third-party apps, it can feel a little limited such as its primary use of iCloud, but it's the perfect starting point, especially if you don't want to download anything new.

You can download Notes on the App Store .

Goodnotes 6 (Free with in-app purchases)

Goodnotes is ideal for the note-taking power user, and it has a ton of great features. There's handwriting and sketching with Apple Pencil, of course, but there's a lot more. You can pick from a huge selection of digital paper types to suit your needs. Options include lined, graph, design, music notation, and much more.

It's also possible to upload your own custom paper template if you have something specific in mind — from Ruled Paper to Checklists and Planner. You can also choose from multiple cover styles for digital notebooks so you can keep things personal and well-organized.

For actual handwriting, Goodnotes 6 supports writing and drawing with your Apple Pencil, as well as a third-party stylus. Add on built-in handwriting search recognition, text conversion, and more, and GoodNotes is a feature-rich package of useful tools. You can download Goodnotes 6 on the App Store .

Notability (Free with in-app purchases)

Many of us at iMore use Notability as it's one of the best options. Like GoodNotes, it's powerful but it's also a little easier to use in some ways. It has tools for handwriting and drawing. You can also annotate PDFs here, along with creating shapes, highlighting sections, moving objects around the page, and even adding audio notes. Integration with photos and web clips is also an option if you need a more media-rich set of notes.

Notability provides plenty of paper styles for your handwritten notes or sketches, with grid-based paper likely to be popular among many users. It's easy to share your notebooks with third-party cloud apps like Dropbox and Google Drive.

For anyone unsure where to start, a tutorial helps guide you through the basics the moment you launch the app.

You can download Notability on the App Store .

Microsoft OneNote (Free with in-app purchases)

For those users already invested in the Microsoft Office ecosystem, OneNote is a logical choice to make. Even for those who aren't, it's still useful for viewing and editing notes. The app has handwriting and sketching tools that are perfect to use with your Apple Pencil. It's simple to handwrite everything from important notes to quick reminders, to sketching out diagrams and ideas. You can also annotate existing documents you already have in OneNote. 

Other features include rich text notes, photos and audio support, calendars, and a fair few other things too. It's easy to share a link to your digital notebook any time you want others involved too. You can download Microsoft OneNote on the App Store .

PDF Expert (Free with in-app purchases)

Anyone who deals with PDFs often knows they can be awkward to annotate or change, which is why PDF Expert is such a welcome inclusion here. It does all the basics like allowing for annotations or marking up PDFs. You can also quickly open those PDFs from iCloud or third-party syncing services.

From there, you can easily fill out forms, sign documents, and use tools like a digital pen, as well as add shapes, underline, strikethrough, or highlight pieces of text. It's even possible to create stamps for frequently used wording, and you can edit the structure of the PDF document too.

The free version of PDF Expert allows you to read, annotate, highlight, draw, fill forms, and more. For features like being able to edit the original PDF text, add or edit images, sign documents, or password-protect a file, you'll need a Pro subscription. 

You can download PDF Expert on the App Store .

Nebo (Free with in-app purchases)

Easily the best note-taking app for anyone who wants to write handwritten notes before converting them to regular text, MyScript Nebo is certainly flexible. Write something with your Apple Pencil and Nebo converts it on-the-fly. The conversion is non-destructive so you can preserve both the handwriting and the text to check for any errors.

There's support for multiple digital pen tools so it's easy to make things look how you want them to. Support for adding photos and videos is also possible, along with diagrams, and even quotations to go alongside your text. If you don't need the whole handwritten document converted, it's possible to convert one paragraph at a time. 

Once completed, it's then possible to export as text, HTML, PDF, or Word document, with syncing available through iCloud, MyScript's own service, Dropbox, and more.

You can download Nebo on the App Store .

Google Keep - Notes and Lists (free)

Simple yet refined, Google Keep is well-designed for jotting down quick thoughts, ideas, or lists. It's not as comprehensive at systematic note-taking as other apps here, but it's so simple to use that it's very appealing. It's even possible to create checkboxes for your lists, forming a type of to-do list. There's rich text support too, while it automatically works alongside the rest of the Google ecosystem that many of us rely on.

That makes it very appealing for anyone who uses Google regularly. It's easy to write a quick note before accessing it from another one of your devices, while Apple-native tools can be pickier about exporting and using in different formats.

You can download Google Keep on the App Store .

Noteshelf ($9.99)

Noteshelf claims that its experience is like writing on a notepad being smooth and fluid. It offers different pen styles to work within the app including an elegant fountain pen choice. Its notes can consist of your handwriting, PDF annotations or even recorded audio.

The app also offers handwritten note conversion so you gain easy search features for looking through your notes and creations. There are hundreds of different paper styles and templates too, so it's ideal for a more attractive digital paper experience. 

You can download Noteshelf on the App Store .

Whink (Free with in-app purchases)

Simple yet with a sleek interface, Whink is an instantly appealing app. It offers natural handwriting tools so it feels like writing with a pen and paper. There's also a gel-pen tool with natural ink colors, so it looks professional while being simple too. Users can zoom in on their notes for extra precision, so it's good for sketching and drawing.

Taking notes is only ever a tap away, while there are also PDF and photo annotations. It's possible to add shapes along with audio recordings, so you're covered for most needs. Sharing notes is a matter of syncing with iCloud or other services like Dropbox. 

You can download Whink on the App Store .

Why use the best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil?

Sometimes you just can't beat the old paper-and-pen experience, but digital notes offer many benefits. It might not be possible to send your digital note into flight like a paper plane can, but everything else is very similar. Add on Apple Pencil 2 and you get a pen-to-paper-style experience with all the convenience of digital.

There's also the added benefit of drawing the odd design while you take notes, although for a pure experience, check out the best drawing apps for iPad for the most functionality.

If you're more interested in reading with the occasional moment of interaction, the best e-reader apps for iPad might be better.

Finally, if you're still not sold on the need for an Apple Pencil, you may prefer checking out one of the best Apple Pencil alternatives around to keep costs down and do things a little differently.

Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

Christine Chan

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.

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increase focus . write beautifully .

A meditation-inspired writing app designed for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The Minimal app running on an iPhone and running in a Mac window

powerful features . thoughtfully placed .

Minimal provides powerful tools designed to stay out of the way until the moment they're needed.

  • Take a Tour

let notes die .

Introducing the Note Lifetime. By letting notes die, your notes become spacious, organized, and reflective of the present moment. Learn more.

A note that describes the Note Lifetime feature

publish as website .

Transform notes into websites in three taps. Write an essay in Minimal. Publish it as a beautiful, simple website. See an example.

write beautifully .

Simple + elegant typography for clean, highly-readable notes. Learn more.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

collaborate quietly .

A focused space to write collaboratively and share projects. Learn more.

organize projects . check things off .

Our projects live within Minimal. From personal goals like cultivating a strong meditation practice, to professional tasks like building apps, every step of the way is elegantly managed with Minimal's todo lists.

Project management and todo list for a Japanese tea company

add todos to calendar .

Effortlessly sync todo lists with Apple's Calendar app. Each todo item becomes a distinct event that can be configured any way you'd like: start times, end times, alerts, and more.

customize everything .

Everything in Minimal is customizable: styling + themes, preferred note actions, the formatting keyboard, and more. You can even drag notes to reorder them in the notes list.

Accent color customization screen in Minimal

find anything .

Search anywhere: the Home Screen with Spotlight Search, in the notes list, or within notes using Find in Note.

be organized .

Tap the search bar to sort notes by folders + tags. Create folders by typing {folder-name} between curly brackets.

A note is expressed within Apple Mail's email composition

export as pdf, html, and markdown .

Exporting notes is effortless. While notes are best-composed within Minimal, they deserve to take on a life of their own beyond the app.

import notes .

Import notes, text, and URLs from any app that supports sharing. Learn more.

A web url and short description are being added to Minimal

dictate new notes .

Create notes on the go with Apple Watch. New notes automatically sync to connected devices.

sync everywhere .

Notes invisibly sync everywhere. With features including Cloud Sync, Search, Handoff, and Siri, notes are easily accessed the moment you want them.

The same note appearing on both iPad and iPhone

our ethos .

Our goal is to help writers and doers fall in love with their notes app while actualizing their highest aspirations. Minimal is inspired by meditation, architecture, and nature. Tap here to learn about our design principles. Get started by downloading Minimal | Writing + Notes from the App Store.

format effortlessly . write beautifully .

The most important role of a notebook is to help writers enter a flow state. Once there, a good notebook will provide the ability to express, and otherwise stay out of the way.

Accent color customization screen in Minimal

markdown formatting .

Minimal uses a Markdown-esque formatting style, enabling writers to rapidly format text as it is composed using special characters. View the guide.

headers and titles .

Headers provide visual hierarchy within a note.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

lists and todos .

Keep it simple with bulleted lists, numbered lists, and todo lists. Todo items include a checkable box that gets crossed off when complete.

bold, italics, underline .

Emphasize text for clarity and expression.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

block quotes and pull quotes .

Block quotes are used for long, multi-line quotes. Pull quotes emphasize + highlight important excerpts from within a note.

horizontal line .

Organize and break notes into sections.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

folders + tags .

Create a folder by typing {folder-name} between curly brackets. Folders appear in the notes list under the search bar.

formatting guide .

Minimal's elegant and simplified use of Markdown is easy to learn and brings prose readily to life. For example, writers can create headers and titles by typing hash space ("# Header Title") and Minimal automatically applies the desired formatting.

start collaborating .

You are invited to collaborate in Minimal. To get started, follow these steps. 1. Tap this link to download Minimal from the App Store. 2. Tap the original invite you received.

That's all. You're ready to start writing and collaborating.

collaborate .

Our best thoughts and ideas deserve to take on a life beyond our own. They get better when shared. As humans, the most meaningful parts of our lives are collective experiences. That's why we built collaboration as a core element within Minimal's writing experience.

collaborative notes .

Write collaboratively with friends, family, and teammates.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

invite collaborators .

Select a note, tap the action button, tap 'Add Collaborator.'

find collaborations .

Tap the search bar to sort notes by collaborator.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

collaborate your way .

Notes can be view-only or view + edit. Notes can be invite-only or accessible via public link.

manage collaborations .

Add or remove collaborators, join + leave collaborative notes, and edit permissions.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

effortless, frictionless, easy .

Collaborative notes automatically sync everywhere with full offline support.

Our favorite moment with a new notebook is sitting down in a cozy chair with a nice pen and opening the notebook for the first time. The blank pages and empty space evoke an open mind. There's a sensation that this notebook can become anything, helping us achieve our wildest, most beautiful aspirations. To bring this feeling into Minimal, we built the Note Lifetime. By letting notes die, our notes become fresh, organized, and reflective of the present moment. Just like a brand new notebook.

turn on the note lifetime .

To enable the Note Lifetime, open the settings menu and tap 'Note Lifetime.'

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

choose your duration .

Choose how long you'd like notes to stay alive after they're last edited.

get notified .

Minimal sends gentle reminders as notes approach the end of their lives. This is an opportunity to review the note, act on it, or let it go.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

find dying notes .

Tap the search bar and navigate to the end of the tag list to see which notes are expiring soon.

keep notes alive .

To keep a note alive, pin the note or make an edit.

Accent color customization screen in Minimal

no pressure .

Retrieve notes that have died by opening the settings menu and tapping 'View Deleted Notes.' Deleted notes can be permanently deleted or fully restored with just a tap.

respond to notifications .

Tap and hold notifications to act on the note. You can open the note, keep it alive, or delete it right away.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

a tool for an open mind .

Simplicity + spaciousness allow for open-mindedness. Practicing non-attachment helps us focus on what matters most in our lives and act on the things we care about.

Easily import notes, text, and URLs from any app that supports sharing. Follow these steps to get set up.

  • Get Started

tap the share button .

Tap the system share button on any app that supports sharing.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

scroll, tap more .

Scroll to the end of the apps list and tap "More."

Tap "Edit" in the top-right corner.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

find minimal .

Scroll down to find Minimal, then tap the plus button.

drag minimal to top .

Use the drag handle on the right to bring Minimal to the top of the favorites list.

A vacation planning note for Chiapas, Mexico.

you're all set .

Wonderful. You're ready to start importing notes.

join the beta .

Join Minimal's beta program using Apple's TestFlight app. To get started, follow these instructions: 1. Tap the below link to download TestFlight 2. Tap the link again to install Minimal

  • Join the Beta

a premium app experience . priced affordably .

Enjoy Minimal free for 2 weeks. After the 2-week free trial, Minimal costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. That's about half of what we expect to pay for high-quality stationary each year.

family plan .

Share Minimal with up to 6 family members. A family membership costs $79.99 per year after a 2-week free trial. Follow this link to learn about Apple’s Family Sharing.

  • Get Family Plan

education discounts .

If you're a student, educator, or non-profit employee you can save up to 80% on an annual plan. Just get in touch .

team plans .

If you use Minimal in your workplace or want to share Minimal across your team, write us to learn more and get set up.

easy cancellation .

We make it easy to cancel with a big button in settings. You can also follow this link .

committed to quality .

Why a subscription? Because we're committed to serving dedicated writers and notetakers – not serving ads, not selling data. Charging customers directly for actual use is the optimal business model. It ties our efforts to customer delight and real utility. We can only make money by making Minimal better – and we love that.

  • Get Premium

help + support .

Contact us for help with Minimal.

Learn how to format notes with Markdown-style formatting.

  • See the Guide

Learn how to add Minimal's system share function to import notes, text, and URLs.

  • Start Importing

Learn about Minimal's pricing, including educational and non-profit discounts.

  • View Pricing

press kit .

Access product images, developer bios, and more.

  • View Press Kit

Tap here to view Minimal's terms and privacy policy.

translate minimal .

We would love your help translating Minimal into your language. To become an editor in any of these documents, write us . 🇩🇪 German 🇷🇺 Russian 🇧🇷 Portuguese 🇫🇷 French 🇲🇽 Spanish 🇮🇹 Italian 🇳🇱 Dutch 🇳🇴 Norwegian 🇸🇪 Swedish 🇷🇴 Romanian 🇹🇷 Turkish 🇪🇬 Arabic 🇮🇱 Hebrew 🇯🇵 Japanese 🇰🇷 Korean 🇭🇰 Chinese (Simplified + Traditional) 🇹🇭 Thai 🇻🇳 Vietnamese 🇮🇩 Indonesian 🇲🇾 Malay ___ If translations are present, please follow these color codes when making changes: Blue – Needs translation or update Green – Updated translation Yellow – Question Orange/Red – Identifying a problem Get in touch if you'd like us to add support for any other languages.

highlight .

a weekly newsletter by minimal . Highlight showcases compelling links from across the web. Our focus is on thoughtful design and simple solutions, with an aim to inform and inspire.

welcome to highlight .

A sample edition is already on its way. You'll start receiving weekly editions soon. We're thrilled to have you with us.

quick details .

Minimal is a meditation-inspired writing app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. Designed to foster focus, open-mindedness, and non-attachment, Minimal combines a rich feature set with thoughtful, subtractive design. Minimal’s ground-breaking feature is the Note Lifetime. As notes go unedited, they are automatically archived, resulting in a fresh, organized notebook that always reflects the present moment. With gentle reminders, writers are more likely to act on the ideas that matter. Features include Collaborative Notes, Publish as Website, the Note Lifetime, Add Todos to Calendar, Cloud Sync, Markdown-style formatting, Share in iMessage, Send as Email, and more. With translations in more than 16 languages, Minimal serves a global community of thoughtful, dedicated writers. Minimal's mission is to help writers and doers fall in love with their notes app while actualizing their highest aspirations.

screenshots + product images .

Screenshots: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch Logo and title treatment Video explainers To request specific screenshots or digital assets, get in touch .

Minimal on the App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/minimal-writing-notes/id1442727443 Minimal website https://minimal.app Minimal's beta program https://minimal.app/#beta Developer website https://arthurvansiclen.com Press Kit https://minimal.app/#press-kit

core features .

Note Lifetime Collaborative Writing Formatting + Typography

selected reviews .

"The most beautifully designed writing and notes app you will find." "Calms my soul and mind." "This is almost something I would call art." "I immeasurably recommend it to anyone who's looking for a clean app to write with." "A less distracting app that in the end makes you more productive through its simplicity." "Incredibly beautiful note taking app. Maybe the best I've seen, ever."

selected writings .

Building Minimal | Notes: My journey as an indie developer crafting my favorite notes apps (Medium.com) Rounded Corners in the Apple Ecosystem (Medium.com) I crafted Minimal | Notes because I wanted a simple, beautiful app that feels like a real notebook. (Reddit.com) I built a new feature in Minimal | Notes called Publish as Website – this is why I’m so excited about it. (Reddit.com)

developer bio .

150 words Arthur Van Siclen is a designer, meditator, and rock climber based in the Teton Valley, Idaho and Boulder, Colorado. He helped shape the category of meditation apps with his first large scale project, Timeless | Meditation. He has since created numerous digital experiences ranging from writing to tea. His work has been repeatedly featured by Apple and covered by Forbes, Digital Trends, High Snobiety, and more, and translated into more than 16 languages. Arthur holds a BA in Yoga from Naropa University. He has studied and practiced with teachers in India, Nepal, and Bhutan in lineages including Hatha Yoga and Vipassana. He applies principles from yoga to his work in design. Arthur is an experienced rock climber. Shortly after graduating high school, Arthur began traveling and rock climbing full time. He has climbed in China, Turkey, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Colombia, and more.

100 words Arthur Van Siclen is a designer, meditator, and rock climber based in the Teton Valley, Idaho and Boulder, Colorado. He helped shape the category of meditation apps with his first large scale project, Timeless | Meditation. He has since created numerous digital experiences ranging from writing to tea. His work has been repeatedly featured by Apple and covered by Forbes, Digital Trends, High Snobiety, and more. Arthur holds a BA in Yoga from Naropa University and travels extensively for rock climbing. He has climbed in China, Turkey, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Colombia, and more.

50 words Arthur Van Siclen is a designer, meditator, and rock climber based in the Teton Valley, Idaho. He helped shape the category of meditation apps with his early project, Timeless | Meditation. He has since created numerous digital experiences ranging from writing to tea. His work has been repeatedly featured by Apple.

app writing notes

Take digital handwritten notes for class, work, or fun! Markup PDFs, sign documents, & more…

app writing notes

Interested in using Squid in your classroom?

Key features.

Welcome to Squid! Ditch paper and take notes like never before! Markup PDFs, write on presentations, sign documents, grade papers, annotate music, and more...

Vector Graphics Engine

Create beautiful notes at any zoom level and on any compatible device, erase entire letters and words quickly with the stroke eraser  , move, resize, copy/paste, change color and thickness of strokes at any time.

app writing notes

Infinite Possibilities

Choose from a variety of paper types and sizes.

New note | Various paper backgrounds

Pages are infinite by default

Blank, lined, math, music, sports, planners…, letter, legal, a4, 4x6….

Math Study Notes

Active Pen Technology

Take advantage of active pens on capable devices, write with the pen and erase with your finger, perform quick actions with the pen side button    , write naturally with pressure sensitivity.

app writing notes

Markup PDFs and Images

Import any pdf or image to start or augment your notes.

Copy, paste, resize, and markup images

Fill out forms, edit and grade papers, sign documents…

Combine pdfs and insert pages in between, import, crop, and resize images.

Present notes on the big screen

Share and Present

Send notes in a variety of formats and cast to secondary displays, export notes to pdf, png, or jpeg, create a virtual whiteboard, present and write directly on your slides, "this is quite possibly the best "note-taking" app i've ever used.. but it's so much more than that.", — andrew bennett, what people say.

app writing notes

Google Play Editor's Choice

Upgrade to Evernote Professional, get 1 month of Adobe Acrobat Standard at no cost, plus 20% off your future subscription.

Get evernote.

Evernote gives you everything you need to keep life organized—great note taking, project planning, and easy ways to find what you need, when you need it.

Get the power of Evernote on all your devices

Stay organized and productive wherever you go

Web Clipper Extension

Save almost anything from the web - screen grabs, articles, and PDFs.

app writing notes

Need support?

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Augusta-Aiken WRDW-TV

What the Tech: App of the Day, Goodnotes

A UGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - If you’re always looking for new ways to be more productive and more effective, you’ve probably looked in the app stores for some help.

Productivity apps are plentiful and if you’re always jotting down notes or working on a big project, a note-taking app can certainly make things better.

Free note apps from Google and Apple are fine for quick notes and scans, but organizing notes and creating bigger projects are not easy in those apps.

We found Goodnotes 6. And we may have finally stopped looking for something to replace Evernote.

Goodnotes 6 is truly a versatile and do-it-all platform for taking notes, writing long articles, sharing projects, and as a daily planner. It’s especially good for people who like to take notes by hand.

Where to begin with this app?

MORE | What the Tech: Tech that can make tax season easier

The interface is very clean and uncluttered. From the start, you create notebooks where you can organize your notes. If you’re a student in an English class, every note you take can be stored in a specific folder.

Like most other note-taking apps you have font options, ink colors, and highlighter. You can also include links, images, and audio in notes. That could include something the professor says or a co-worker making a point about a project.

The new features in Goodnotes 6 are amazing.

If you take notes by hand and misspell something, the app corrects the typo to match your handwriting.

Everything inside a note is searchable by keyword. Even if you don’t have the best handwriting, you can search for any word and Goodnotes finds the note you’re looking for.

An improved lasso tool allows you to select any section of a note and move it somewhere else on the page.

New Artificial Intelligence features will answer math problems and re-write a paragraph to make it more professional or more casual. Like Chat GPT, it added information when we asked it to mention other note-taking apps.

MORE | What the Tech: An update on Amazon Prime Video

There are free templates for all sorts of projects including one to create a daily planner. Other templates are available to purchase.

Notes can be exported as PDFs and can be saved to any device or computer.

It syncs notes across all of your devices.

Goodnotes 6 is free for up to three notebooks. If you need more, a subscription is $9.99 a year, which is a real bargain.

We found it to be fine on a phone but if you have an iPad, Samsung tablet, and a stylus, Goodnotes 6 is a must-have.

Goodnotes is also free for schools.

Goodnotes

Samsung Notes

Samsung Notes

(this app only works with samsung pc, galaxy books.) "samsung notes allows you to use the enhanced s pen to write or draw, and save files to the cloud. you can use the s pen to create notes that contain notes, memos, images, voices or music on samsung notes. try creating a new note. you can create a new note by tapping + at the bottom right of the main screen. newly created notes will have the “sdocx” extension. create notes with your handwriting. by tapping the handwriting icon while writing a note, text that you write by hand will directly be displayed. try drawing a picture. by tapping the drawing icon while writing a note, you can draw with various brushes and colors. add a voice recording. by tapping the voice recording icon while writing a note, you can record sound and create a sound-added note. try using various writing tools. by tapping the pen icon while writing a note, you can select a variety of writing tools such as pens, fountain pens, pencils, highlighters, etc., as well as various colors and thicknesses. by tapping the eraser icon, you can select and erase only the content that you want to remove." , 2/22/2017 5:27:32 am.

app writing notes

How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps

Copilot is available in the Home ribbon tab of Word, Excel (Preview), PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote if you are a Copilot Pro subscriber who also has a subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family.

If you have those subscriptions and are not seeing Copilot in these Microsoft 365 apps, follow these steps:

Important:  Copilot in Outlook only supports work or school accounts, and Microsoft accounts using outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com, and msn.com email addresses at this time. Any Microsoft account using an account from a third-party email provider, such as a Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud, can still use Outlook, but won’t have access to the Copilot features in Outlook.

Step 1 - Ensure you're using the correct account

Make sure you're signed into your Microsoft 365 apps with an account that has a Copilot license.

For home users ...this means you should have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription, and Copilot Pro.

For business users ...this means you should have a Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, or E5 subscription, and Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Step 2 - Make sure that the current file is saved in that account

If you have multiple file locations available to you - such as your business OneDrive and your personal OneDrive - Copilot will only appear if the file you have open is saved to the location associated to your Copilot subscription.

For example, if you have Copilot through your work account, but not through your personal account, and you open a file from your personal OneDrive, Copilot won't work with that file.

For new, unsaved files, or files on your local hard drive, the current primary account shown at the top of the Microsoft 365 window must be licensed for Copilot.

A picture with a red arrow pointing to the current primary user name which is on the app title bar towards the top right of the window.

Important:  Copilot in Excel requires AutoSave to be turned on, which means the file has to be saved to OneDrive. It currently doesn't work with unsaved files.

Step 3 - Refresh your license

Force a refresh of the license.

Note:  These steps must be done by the account administrator.

 In any Microsoft 365 app, go to File > Account .

Locating the Update License button in Microsoft Word on Windows.

Close and restart all Microsoft 365 apps you might have open so that the license refresh can take effect.

  In any Microsoft 365 app, select the app name at the top of your screen.

Locating the Update License button in Microsoft Word on MacOS.

Close any open documents and restart all Microsoft 365 apps you may have open so the license refresh can take effect.

Ensure your apps are updated to their latest versions via your device's app store.

Close your app completely, and then re-launch it.

Refresh the page

Select the Refresh icon in your browser to see if the Copilot features appear.

The Refresh icon in Microsoft Edge.

You may have third-party cookies blocked in your browser, which currently causes Copilot to be unable to validate your license. If Copilot still isn't working for you try enabling third-party cookies. For more information see:  I am getting license validation errors with Copilot.

Microsoft Copilot help & learning

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Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

app writing notes

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

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Microsoft 365 training

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Microsoft security

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Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

app writing notes

Ask the Microsoft Community

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Microsoft Tech Community

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Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Find solutions to common problems or get help from a support agent.

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IMAGES

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VIDEO

  1. Best Free Note-taking Apps for Android & iOS

COMMENTS

  1. The 10 Best Note Taking Apps of 2024

    01 of 10 Organize All Your Notes Into Categorized Notebooks: Evernote What We Like Available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. Use on the web; browser extensions available. Excellent search function for notes. What We Don't Like Free basic plan is limited in features. Monthly cost for premium plan is pricey.

  2. The 6 best note taking apps in 2024

    Microsoft OneNote for a free note-taking app Apple Notes for Apple users Google Keep for Google power users Notion for collaboration Obsidian for power note-takers Joplin for an Evernote alternative

  3. The 15 Best Free Note Taking Apps to Use in 2024

    Key Features of the Best Note Taking Apps 1. ClickUp Docs 2. Google Keep 3. Bear 4. Workflowy 5. Evernote 6. Paper 7. Ulysses 8. SquidNotes 9. Microsoft OneNote 10. Simplenote 11. Dropbox Paper 12. GoodNotes 13. Obsidian 14. Coda 15. Milanote Are you a working professional who needs to take notes on the go? If so, you're in luck!

  4. The Best Note-Taking Apps for 2024

    The Best Note-Taking Apps for 2024 Jot down your thoughts, save images of things you need to remember, and keep it all at your fingertips on all your devices with one of the top-rated...

  5. Best note-taking app of 2024

    1. Best overall 2. Best dedicated 3. Best for iOS 4. Best simple 5. Best interface 6. Best for collaboration 7. Best basic

  6. Google Keep: Free Note Taking App for Personal Use

    Keep works on your phone, tablet and computer. Everything you add to Keep syncs across your devices so your important stuff is always with you. Syncing across your devices requires internet ...

  7. 16 Best Note-Taking Apps For Writers: A Roundup (2024)

    16 Best Note-Taking Apps For Writers: A Roundup (2024) January 11, 2024 / 12 minutes of reading Discover the best note-taking apps for all types of note-takers and how you can use them. Perhaps, you know how important it is to take notes regularly. And you make an effort to capture ideas every day. You also spend time recording your thoughts.

  8. The 6 Best Note Taking Apps of 2023

    Best Note-Taking App for Windows: OneNote Best Note-Taking App for Android: Google Keep Best Note-Taking App for Features: Evernote Best Encrypted Note Taking App: Standard Notes Best Minimalist Note-Taking App: Simplenote There's nothing worse than jotting down a note and leaving it behind or losing it in a stack of paper.

  9. The best note-taking apps in 2022: for back to school or the office

    If you just want to keep your notes on a single device, this is the best note-taking app available for Android. If you do want to sync notes across devices, however, we'd point you to Evernote at number one on our list. (Image credit: Microsoft) 05. Microsoft OneNote.

  10. The best note-taking apps for iPad of 2024: Digitize your notes

    Best iPad note-taking app for businesses. Evernote features: Up to 20GB monthly uploads | 200MB max note size | Google integration. Evernote is a fully-loaded powerhouse for the serious note-taker ...

  11. Best note-taking app for Android of 2024

    1. Best overall 2. Best for productivity 3. Best general 4. Best visual 5. Best simple 6. Best for features 7. Best mobile office suite for Android 8. FAQs 9. How we test This has become a lot more...

  12. 17 Best Note Taking Apps Of 2024

    Best of all, it's free to use! 15. XTiles. xTiles is a note-taking app with an intuitive interface and an infinite canvas workspace where you can lay out ideas and keep it all organized with a drag-and-drop editing feature. xTiles is easily customizable, with a flexible kanban board-style layout.

  13. Nebo: Note Taking & Notebook 4+

    Nebo understands every word you write in your choice of 66 languages, and works on all platforms - so you can access and search your notes from any device. Enjoy 3 powerful experiences in one app: ** Create freely in a Nebo Note - the world's most advanced freeform canvas with full write-to-text and shape conversion **

  14. The 11 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad and iPad Pro in 2024

    101 The 11 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad and iPad Pro in 2024 Scribes, you have options. Capture your ideas with these iPad note-taking apps By Susan J. Owens Updated on January 22, 2024 Are you using the iPad's full creative potential?

  15. The 11 Best Note-Taking Apps in 2023

    1. Notion Overview: Offers a powerful, database-driven note-taking experience that's unlike most apps out there. Pros: Flexible pages. Notion has a template engine that allows you to turn pretty much anything into an easily-duplicated template, including a multi-layered collection of pages.

  16. Best iPad Pro notetaking app of 2024

    How we test. The best note-taking apps for your iPad Pro make it simple and easy to create and manage notes and documents, and their media. Best iPad Pro notetaking app: quick menu. 1. Best ...

  17. The top 12 note-taking apps you should install on your phone

    4 Google Keep. Google Keep isn't the flashiest note-taking app on the Play Store, but it gets the job done with basic note-taking options. You can create a new note with different theming options ...

  18. Best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil 2024

    Google Keep The best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil can help you jot down thoughts, share them with friends and colleagues and back them up to the cloud and across devices. These apps, combined with their handwriting features, can be perfect for work, studying, or if you simply need to quickly make a shopping list.

  19. Simplenote

    The simplest way to keep notes. Light, clean, and free. Simplenote is now available for iOS, Android, Mac, and the web. ... Write, preview, and publish your notes in Markdown format. It's free. Apps, backups, syncing, sharing - it's all completely free. What people are saying.

  20. QuickNote

    Record any thoughts, note or todo list and share it in seconds. Everything you type autosaves automatically.

  21. Minimal

    minimal. increase focus.write beautifully. A meditation-inspired writing app designed for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Download powerful features.thoughtfully placed. Minimal provides powerful tools designed to stay out of the way until the moment they're needed. Take a Tour let notes die.

  22. Squid

    Take digital handwritten notes for class, work, or fun with Squid on your Android or Chromebook! ... Present and write directly on your slides "This is quite possibly the best "note-taking" app I've ever used.. but it's so much more than that." — Andrew Bennett. What People Say. Testimonials. Google Play Editor's Choice.

  23. Best Note Taking App

    With Evernote, you have everything you need to keep life organized. Use it for note taking, project planning, and to find what you need, when you need it. Jot down your thoughts and inspiration anywhere, at any time, in any format, and on any device. Your important notes, images, receipts, and documents are safe and right at your fingertips.

  24. Download Evernote for free

    Get organized and productive with the leading note-taking app. Download Evernote for Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android and create your free account. Upgrade to Evernote Professional, get 1 month of Adobe Acrobat Standard at no cost, plus 20% off your future subscription.

  25. What the Tech: App of the Day, Goodnotes

    Goodnotes 6 is truly a versatile and do-it-all platform for taking notes, writing long articles, sharing projects, and as a daily planner. ... Like most other note-taking apps you have font ...

  26. What the Tech? App of the Day: Goodnotes

    What I do, requires taking a lot of notes and writing. Note-taking apps are all similar and some are expensive (over $100 a year). ... Free notes apps from Google and Apple are fine for quick ...

  27. Samsung Notes

    (This app only works with Samsung PC, Galaxy Books.) "Samsung Notes allows you to use the enhanced S Pen to write or draw, and save files to the Cloud. You can use the S Pen to create notes that contain notes, memos, images, voices or music on Samsung Notes. Try creating a new note. You can create a new note by tapping + at the bottom right of the main screen.

  28. How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps

    Important: Copilot in Outlook only supports work or school accounts, and Microsoft accounts using outlook.com, hotmail.com, live.com, and msn.com email addresses at this time. Any Microsoft account using an account from a third-party email provider, such as a Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud, can still use Outlook, but won't have access to the Copilot features in Outlook.