In today’s world productivity is necessary and you have to be productive to succeed in life.
Note-taking is an essential tool to stay organized with your plans and goals. You can use Note-taking to acquire knowledge, Stay connected with your goals, and plan your activities ahead.
Taking note is a good practice and helps you to focus on your goals whether it’s education or work. You can take notes physically in hand or use an app. I would recommend you should use both.
Writing in hand makes you focused and you can write journals or notes.
You can also use a Note-taking app, where you will have the advantage of different features to make you productive.
In this article, we will explore some of the best note note-taking apps for your productivity.
Best Note-taking Apps in Short
Here are the best note-taking apps, in short, to save you time choosing your note-taking app according to your need and use cases.
- Notion – Overall best Note taking app
- Evernote – Best for taking notes
- Obsidian – Best for locally stored and secured note-taking app
- SimpleNote – A simple yet Powerful app
- Google Keep – Go to the app for Android users or Google lovers
- Flomo Notes – Note-taking app based on the Zettelkasten Method
- Microsoft OneNote – Note-taking app for Windows
- Microsoft Sticky Notes – Go to the app for Windows users
- Bear – Apple specific Note taking app
- Notability – Best Handwritten Note taking app
- Apple Notes – Go-to app for Apple users
- Ulysses – Best Note taking app for Writers
- Day One – Best Journaling app
- Roam research – Best for research purposes
- Typora – Best Markdown Editor
- Zoho Notebook – Best low price note taking app
- Clover – Note taking + Calendar + task management app
Explore all the apps below.
Which Nota-taking app do I use?
Not one! I use several note-taking apps for different purposes and I am fine with that. It helps me to get organized and separate things out.
- I use Notion to capture all my work-related things. It’s best for one to organize their work in notion. Because it offers an all-in-one workspace that makes you stick to one app instead of using other different apps.
- I use Evernote for capturing things from the internet. I use Evernote to bookmark articles and videos from the internet. I bookmark them using the extension so that when I have to read something I can open Evernote app. It’s my knowledge collection hub.
- I use Google Keep, to capture quick ideas that come to my mind. When I have to record something instantly I just use Google Keep and later move things from their use cases. If it’s related to work then it goes to Notion, if it’s personal then it goes to Obsidian, and so on.
- I use Obsidian for capturing personal thoughts. I use it for my personal goals and thoughts.
- I use Day One, For journaling.
You should use different apps for different purposes to get focused on using them.
You should use 3 types of apps.
- For Capturing Quick Thoughts—You should get a minimalist app like Google Keep for Android, OneNote for Windows, and Apple Note for iOS.
- For Work
- For Personal use.
This is the way and my philosophy behind using Note-taking apps.
Notion
Available On: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Web
Notion is an all-in-one workspace and productivity app that allows users to take notes, manage tasks, and collaborate with others.
You can use it for your work or you can also use it for your personal notes. In Notion, you can easily organize your life and you don’t have to worry about it.
Key Features
Here are some key features to know the power of it and how you can use it for your productivity.
- Pages let you create pages for notes, tasks, and projects.
- Wiki
- Database—Let you create an archive of your pages.
- Templates—You can use different types of templates for different use cases.
- Integration —It can integrate with different apps like Slack, Trello, and Google Docs.
- Notion web clipper —To extract information from the web and bookmark.
Pricing:
Here is the pricing structure of the Notion app to know your best plan according to your budget.
- Free Plan – Individual with 10 Guests
- Pro Plan – $8 per user per month
- Team Plan – $15 per user per month
- Enterprise Plan – Custom Pricing
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Advance customization options
- Wide ranges of features of different uses.
- It is easy to collaborate with others.
- Integrate with other different apps.
- Wide range of pricing for your different uses.
Who Should Use Notion?
The notion can be used for work and personal things. You can use Notion for your needs.
You can use it for your work to organize your work or manage your work there. You can use it as a personal hub for different things.
Evernote
Available On: Web, Android, Mac, iOS, Extension
Evernote is a popular note-taking app that lets you take notes, manage your notes, and organize your notes across all your devices.
Evernote is best for personal note-taking because it is solely for taking notes. It has a web clipper that let users capture and bookmark articles and videos from the web.
Key Features
Here are some key features that let you understand the app and whether it’s best for you or not.
- Build-in To-do list app with notes
- Web clipper extension for capturing from the web.
- Templates
- Advance Search
- Tags and categories to easily sort notes
- Document scanner for scanning physical documents.
Pricing:
Here is the pricing of the Evernote note-taking app to understand your needs.
- Free plan – The free plan is well and enough for someone to take notes. Start Evernote free.
- Evernote personal – $14.99/month for syncing on all your devices and some extra widgets.
- Evernote Professional – $17.99/month
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Customize with different widgets
- Advance search functions
- Integrate with different tools
- Available for multiple devices
Cons:
- Some may find pricing is too expensive from other tools
- Writing area may be sometime Lag
- Lack of advanced writing experience
Who Should Use Evernote?
I use Evernote for taking notes from the web. You can use Evernote for your personal notes, work notes or to take notes from your studies in school. It has all the features to be the best note-taking app for personal use.
Obsidian
Available On: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux
Obsidian is a unique note-taking app that separates him from different apps. Obsidian offers a unique approach to organizing yours through linking between notes to create a network of knowledge base.
It has a unique approach to note-taking and you can connect your ideas and build your knowledge base using the linking between notes.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Obsidian note-taking app that make you think about the app.
- Linking – It has the unique feature of linking notes between them.
- Graph View – With the help of linking between notes you can a graph of the knowledge base.
- Plugins – With the help of the plugins of Obsidian you can extend the functionality of it.
- Tags – With the help of tags you can organize your notes.
Pricing:
Here is the pricing structure of the Obsidian note-taking app to understand your needs and your budget.
- Free Personal Plan – You can use the free plan, it has all the features you need. Use Obsidian for Free.
- Catalyst Plan – $25
- Commercial Plan – $50 per user per month
- Sync Plan – $8 per month for syncing your notes across platforms
- Publish Plan – $8 per month per site to selectively publish notes online.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Highly secure.
- Locally stored notes
- Best Writing interface
Cons:
- You have to pay to sync different devices
- Graph View can be overwhelming for some users.
Who Should Use Obsidian?
Obsidian can be used for taking notes locally, every note you create on obsidian is present on your local folder, not any company server. But you can enable sync between apps. It’s best for security purposes and can be used for different purposes.
SimpleNote
Available On: SimpleNote is available for Web, Android, Mac, iOS, Linux
SimpleNote is a simple note-taking app that is designed to help you take notes with its simple-to-use interface. With its simple and clean interface, you can easily focus on taking notes. If you are fond of minimalist-designed note-taking apps then it’s the best minimalist app you can use.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the SimpleNote Note-taking app to let you see what you will get from this simplistic app.
- You will get synced everywhere.
- Tags for organizing and advanced searching.
- Markdown format supported.
- Interlinking between notes
Pricing:
SimpleNote is Free to use and it’s from the creators of WordPress the platform, so you can trust the app.
Pros and Cons:
- Simple and minimalist interface.
- It’s free.
- It syncs with other devices automatically
Cons:
- No advanced features.
Who Should Use Simplenote?
SimpleNote is a free app that wants a simple and minimalist app with essential features. It has all the features of a necessary note-taking app but if you need an advanced note-taking app with customization then it’s not for you.
Google Keep
Available On: Android, iOS, Web
Google Keep is a simple note-taking app developed by Google that allows users to take notes, capture, organize, and share their notes easily.
It has a simple user interface with a quick load to the user when you need it faster. Google Keep makes it easy to capture your unorganized notes.
Read: Google Keep review: Is it the best note-taking app?
Key Features
Here are some key features from the Google Keep note-taking app to know its use cases of it.
- Sync with your Gmail account
- Labels to organize your notes
- Color Code in your notes
- Reminder in the notes
- Add background images in the notes
- Collaborate with others
Read: 21 Amazing Google Keep Tips and Tricks
Pricing:
Google Keep is free to use and it syncs with all your devices with the same Gmail account.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Free to use
- Simple interface
- Seamlessly integrate with other Google services
Cons:
- No advance features
- Limited formatting options
- May not be suitable for privacy purposes, because it’s from Google.
Who Should Use Google Keep?
Google Keep is best for Android users and Google Workspace users. If you are using other Google Workspace services then it’s best for you because it seamlessly integrates with Google Sheets, Presentation, and Google Docs.
Flomo Notes
Available On: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and Web
Flomo Notes is a note-taking app with simple ways of capturing ideas and organizing them. Flomo Notes is based on the Zettelkasten method and is featured on the product Hunts mobile app of the year.
I have reviewed the app and compared it with Google Keep. I came to know it’s a good simple, and minimalist note-taking app.
Key Features
Here are some key features to know more about the Flomo note-taking app.
- Archive of notes
- Tags and sub-tags to organize your notes.
- Backlinks for interlinking the notes between them.
- You can get API access.
- Integrate with WeChat
- Sync to the Notion app
Pricing:
Here is the pricing structure of the Flomo Notes note-taking app to know your need for the features.
- Free plan – The free plan allows you to have all the necessary features, so you can use Flomo Notes for free.
- Pro Plan – $1.99/Month and $19.99/Year
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Simple User interface
- Free option available
- Easy formatting of your notes
- Offline access to your notes
Cons;
- Lack of some advanced features
Who Should Use Flomo Notes?
Flomo Notes is ideal for anyone with a simple but with some advanced features available. Its free version can be used without any need for upgradation for some basic features.
Microsoft OneNote
Available On: Android, iOS, Windows
Microsoft OneNote is a note-taking app that allows you to capture and organize your notes and to-do lists. Microsoft OneNote has powerful features and seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft Office apps which makes Microsoft users more productive.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Microsoft OneNote Notetaking app.
- Handwriting Recognition to convert your handwritten notes into texts easily.
- Integrate with other office apps such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
- Notebooks, sections, and pages for organizing notes
- Collaborate with other people easily.
Pricing:
Microsoft OneNote is free to use and comes with Microsoft Office Package and it offers unlimited notes with lots of features.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Best for Windows users
- Free to use with unlimited notes and syncing.
- Collaborate with other people easily
Cons:
- Lots of advanced features are missing.
- May not be suitable for those who don’t use Windows devices.
Who Should Use Microsoft OneNote?
Microsoft OneNote can be used by Windows users or those who are compatible with the Windows ecosystem. But OneNote has lots of features missing and you have other apps that are more advanced and better.
Microsoft Sticky Notes
Available On: Windows, Android, Web, iOS
Microsoft Sticky Notes is a simple note app offered by Microsoft. With Its colorful background and interface, you can jot down information faster and easier. With the help of it, you will able to make reminders, to-do lists, and other important information.
Key Features
Here are some key features of Microsoft sticky notes to consider a go-to note-taking app.
- Different colors with formatting.
- Sync with different devices
- Make handwriting notes
- Integrate with other Microsoft apps
- Make todo lists and reminders for tasks
Pricing:
Microsoft Sticky Notes is free to use and comes with the latest Windows OS.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Simple and easy interface
- Color and formatting option
- Integrate with other Microsoft apps
Cons:
- Limited features compared to other note-taking apps
- No collaboration features
- No solid organization feature
Who Should Use Microsoft Sticky Notes?
Microsoft Sticky Notes is useful for Windows users who want a simple and ready-to-use note-taking app. It will be useful for simple work like taking sudden notes, making a to-do list, and writing something that is required at that time.
Bear
Available On: iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Bear is a popular note-taking app that allows us to capture and organize our notes and ideas. It is specifically available for Apple users and it easily fits with the ecosystem. Its advanced markdown editor and other features make it a better app to use.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Bear note-taking app to consider your note taking app for your iOS device.
- Advanced Markdown editor which supports 150 programming languages
- Encrypt Individual Notes with face ID.
- Cross-link your notes
- Custom shortcut bar and keyboard shortcuts.
- Focus Mode
- Hashtags for better organization.
- Themes for better styling
Pricing:
Here is the pricing of the Bear note-taking app.
- Free Plan – Most of the features are free to use.
- Pro Plan – $1.49 monthly, which offers a one-week free trial, and $14.99 annually, which has a one-month free trial for sync with different devices, themes, and other features.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Compatible with Apple ecosystem.
- Clean user interface
- Focus mode
- Sync with iCloud
Cons:
- Only Available for Apple users
Who Should Use Bear?
Bear is suitable for individuals who like a clean and simple interface with better features. It is suited for writers, students, and those who use markdown for formatting their notes. Those who need more advanced features should consider other best note-taking apps.
Notability
Available On:
Notability is a note-taking app that you can use like a handwritten notebook. It is designed for iOS and macOS devices and allows you to take handwritten notes, draw sketches, write down your lectures, and more.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Notability Note-taking app.
- Note taking fesstures.
- Sketching and diagrams with various colors and brush sizes
- Organize your notes with folders
- Backup with iCloud
- Split screen feature
Pricing:
- Free Plan – You can use most of the features for free.
- Plus Plan – You can purchase the App Store for $8.99 for iOS devices and $9.99 for macOS devices.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Supports text, handwriting, audio recording, sketching, and more.
- Cloud sync your notes
- ‘Backup and restore your notes
- Work on Multiple notes at the same time.
Cons:
- No free trial of the paid plan.
- Only available for iOS and macOS
Who Should Use Notability?
Notability is excellent who takes handwritten notes but on a device. Its handwriting and brush feature is best for teachers, students, and professionals. During lectures, you can use this tool to record your lectures easily and write down your notes with your hand.
Apple Notes
Available On: iOS, MacOS, iPad
Apple Notes is a simple and easy-to-use note-taking that comes with Apple devices. With the help of it, you can easily take notes, brainstorm, and record your cluttered ideas. It can be your go-to and unorganized note-taking system.
Key Features
Here are some key features of Apple Notes to consider as your go-to Note-taking app.
- Note-taking features available
- Organize your notes with folders, subfolders, and tags.
- Markdown and drawing tool.
- Sync with different devices using iCloud
- Voice command feature with Siri
Pricing:
Apple Notes is free and comes pre-installed with Apple devices.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Easy to use and best interface and user experience
- Sync with iCloud
- Integrate with other Apple apps
- Markdown and drawing tools
Cons:
- Limited formatting option
Who Should Use Apple Notes?
Apple Notes is best for Apple users. Its deliverability, speed, and instant sync will be useful for your note-taking app. You can use this tool to capture your ideas, and notes. With Apple Notes you can use other highly customization tools like Notion, and Obsidian.
Ulysses
Available On: Mac, iPad, and iPhone
Ulysses is a powerful writing app designed specifically for writers of all kinds like novelists, journalists, bloggers, or writers. With its interface and advanced features, it will allow you to focus on your writing and stay organized in your work.
Key Features
Here are some key features of Ulysses to consider as your writing app.
- Markdown and formatting options
- Organize groups and subgroups
- Focus mode to minimize distraction
- Publishing on different platforms like WordPress, medium, ghost, or microblog
- Sync your writing on different devices using iCloud.
Pricing:
Ulysses is available at $39.99 per year or $5.99/month and $10.99 per 6 months only for students.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Best for distraction-free writing
- Publish your writing on the app
- Sync your writings using iCloud
Cons:
- The collaboration feature is limited
- Limited availability
Who Should Use Ulysses?
Ulysses is best for writing books and articles but you can use it as your note-taking app. It is best for writers, bloggers, journalists, and academic researchers. Ulysses can help you to stay focused on your writing.
Day One
Available On: iPhone, Android, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
Day One is a journalling app designed for iOS and macOS devices. With its interface and features it is the best journal application you can have to create and organize your journals, add photos and videos, and make your day worth watching.
Key Features
Here are key features in the Day One journaling app to consider as your journalling app.
- Customize with fonts, colors, themes, and layouts.
- Sync with different devices using iCloud or others
- Backup and restore your entries
- Integrate with other apps
- Make reminders for day entries
- Offers end-to-end encryptions
Pricing:
Here is the pricing structure of the Day One Journal app.
- Basic Plan – Free to use with some basic features and 1 journal
- Premium Plan – $2.92/month with all features and unlimited journal
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Journal app with extensive features
- Cloud syncing journals
- Reminders to encourage regular journaling
Cons:
- The basic version has limited features
Who Should Use Day One?
Day One app is specifically designed to be a journal app, if you are someone who loves to record your thoughts, ideas and your day then you should use the journaling app. If you want to have a note-taking app then you should consider other apps.
Roam Research
Available On: Android, iOS, Mac, Linux
Roam Research is a note-taking app that allows users to create, organize, and connect notes in a different and unique way. With a graph database structure, you can able to see your notes linked together which can lead you to opportunities.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Roam research note-taking app.
- Graph database structure
- The link between paragraphs and sections of text
- Daily notes for each day
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Collaborate with others
- Tags to organize your notes
Pricing:
Here is the pricing structure of the roam research app.
- Pro Plan – $15/month ($180/year) or $165/year
- Believer Plan – $500 for 5 years
Pros and Cons:
- It is best for research
- Graph database to see your linked notes
- Collaborate with others
- Powerful linking and connection features
Cons:
- Learning features for new users
- Highly-priced compared to other note-taking apps.
Who Should Use Roam Research?
Roam Research is best suited for users who need a flexible and powerful note-taking app that will interlink and connect your notes to give you insights. Its feature is best for writing ideas, notes, and thoughts and connecting them to see the opportunity.
Typora
Available On: Windows, Mac, iOS
Typora is a minimalist markdown editor that provides a distraction-free writing environment. It features a preview of your markdown text as you type so that you will able to know what you will get out of it. Typora can be used by beginners and experienced users.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Typora note-taking tool to consider as your note-taking tool.
- Minimalist design to focus on writing
- Live Preview on markdown editor
- Customizable themes for your choice
- Auto-generate Table of Content
- Highlight your syntax
- Keyboard Shortcuts
Pricing:
Typora is available for $14.99 with 15 days free trial and syncs on 3 devices
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Distraction-free writing environment
- Cross Platform compatibility
- Customizable themes with syntax highlighting
Cons:
- Limited features compared to other markdown editors
Who Should Use Typora?
Typora is best for those who require a simple interface markdown editor to use. It can be used by someone who wants to create professional-looking documents quickly and easily.
Zoho Notebook
Available On: Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux
Zoho Notebook is a note-taking app that offers a wide range of features to help users organize their notes. You will able to create notes, sketches, and checklists and add images with them. It also includes features such as collaboration, tagging, and syncing across devices.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Zoho Notebook Note-taking app.
- Images, audio, and video support
- Collaborate with others
- Sync your notes across devices
- Set Reminders
- Integrate with other Zoho apps
- Web Clipper
Pricing:
- Notebook Essential – Free to use with basic features
- Notebook Pro -$1.99/month
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Web Clipper to capture from web
- Sync with devices
- Good Price compare to other note-taking tools
Cons:
- Limited formatting
- Not customizable
- The free Version is limited
Who Should Use Zoho Notebook?
Zoho Notebook is a good choice for individuals and teams who need an easy-to-use and collaborative tool to use. It’s good to use the personal plan for free and if you need then you can purchase the pro plan.
Clover
Available On: Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, and the web
Clover is a unique note-taking and task-management app that is designed with a calendar-based interface. You can organize your notes, tasks, and events with the help of a calendar format which makes it easy to keep track of your schedule.
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Clover note-taking app.
- Note-taking with the calendar interface.
- Reminders for upcoming events.
- Integrate with other apps
- Collaborate with others
Pricing:
Here is the pricing structure of the Clover note-taking app.
- Starter Plan – Free to use.
- Pro Plan – $8/month
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- Calendar based format
- Reminder feature
- Collaboration feature
Cons:
- Limited formatting option
Who Should Use Clover?
Clover is a good option for individuals and teams who want a note-taking app with a calendar interface and a task management app integrated. It is useful for someone who needs to track tasks and events with their notes and collaborate with teams.
Conclusion:
Choosing your note-taking app can be frustrating because there are lots of options available.
You have to identify what you need and want you to want to do with your note-taking.
After evaluating the use cases of your note-taking app you will be able to find the best note-taking app to use.
If you are having doubts while choosing the best tool for yourself then you should comment down to recommend someone.
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