Looking for the perfect app to keep your notes organized and boost your productivity? Whether it’s jotting down quick ideas, managing to-do lists, or planning in detail, the right note taking app can make life so much easier. But with so many options out there, picking the best one can feel tricky.
From simple, no-fuss apps to powerful tools for teamwork, there’s something for everyone. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some of the best note taking apps that are easy to use, packed with handy features, and designed to help you stay organized effortlessly.
List of 11 Best Note Taking Apps
On this page:
1. Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a super handy app for notes that helps you keep your thoughts, plans, and tasks in one place. You can type, draw, record voice notes, or even snap pictures to capture everything you need. It syncs across all your devices, so your notes are always with you, no matter where you are.
It’s packed with useful features like scanning documents, pulling text from images, and voice typing in 27 languages. You can create to-do lists, organize with tags, and even work with friends or teammates in real time. It also offers quick tools like sticky notes, web clipping, and an easy search function for staying organized.
App Insights
Microsoft OneNote | Android | IOS |
Installs | 500M+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 |
Reviews | 1.33M | 106.6K |
Compatibility | Varies with device | 17.0 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
2. Apple Notes
Apple Notes is a super easy-to-use app for note taking that helps you save everything, from quick ideas to detailed plans. You can add checklists, pictures, scanned documents, and even sketches to your notes. Thanks to iCloud, all your notes sync across your devices, so you can access them anytime, anywhere.
With Apple Notes, you can scan documents, transcribe audio, create to-do lists, and format your text the way you like. Organizing is simple with tags, folders, and Smart Folders, and you can quickly find anything, whether it’s text, handwriting, or something you scanned. Plus, you can share notes with others, use mentions, and track changes with the Activity view.
App Insights
Notes | IOS |
Installs | N/A |
Ratings | 4.5/5 |
Reviews | 15K |
Compatibility | 10.0 or later |
Download link | Visit |
3. Joplin
Joplin is a fantastic choice when looking for the best apps for making notes and staying organized. It’s easy to use and lets you create notes, manage to-do lists, and organize everything into neat notebooks. You can also add tags to your notes, search for them quickly, and attach files or images.
The app works on all major platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, and you can sync your notes across devices using services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, or Joplin Cloud. It even supports markdown for formatting and lets you import notes from Evernote easily. Plus, Joplin takes your privacy seriously with end-to-end encryption, so your data stays safe and secure.
App Insights
Joplin | Android | IOS |
Installs | 100K+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.3/5 | 4.4/5 |
Reviews | 5.49K | 42 |
Compatibility | 6.0 and up | 13.4 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
4. Obsidian
Obsidian is a top choice among popular note taking apps, designed for privacy and flexibility. Your notes are saved locally on your device for offline access and security, using open file formats to keep them future-proof.
You can link notes together and see connections with a cool visual graph, perfect for organizing and brainstorming. With the Canvas plugin and thousands of customizable themes and plugins, you can tailor it to your needs.
Obsidian Sync offers secure, encrypted syncing across devices, and Obsidian Publish lets you turn notes into an online knowledge base. It’s free for personal use and works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
App Insights
Obsidian | Android | IOS |
Installs | 1M+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.3/5 | 4.6/5 |
Reviews | 10.1K | 115 |
Compatibility | 5.1 and up | 14.5 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
5. UpNote
UpNote is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for one of the best note taking apps. It’s super easy to use and works on iOS, macOS, Windows, and Android, so you can access your notes no matter what device you’re on. The app is designed for a smooth writing experience, with features like focus mode and typewriter mode to help you stay distraction-free. You can even personalize the look with customizable themes.
UpNote is great for journaling, keeping a diary, or managing tasks. You can organize your notes using notebooks, pins, and bookmarks, and the editor lets you add highlights, tables, and markdown for better formatting. It syncs automatically across devices and works offline, so your notes are always handy. Plus, you can export your notes to PDF or Markdown for extra flexibility.
App Insights
UpNote | Android | IOS |
Installs | 100K+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.7/5 | 4.9/5 |
Reviews | 7.43K | 76 |
Compatibility | 6.0 and up | 13.0 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
6. Bear
Bear is one of the best apps for note taking on iPad, offering a simple yet powerful way to capture ideas, journal, or manage tasks. It’s easy to organize your notes with #tags and nested tags, and you can even sketch with Apple Pencil or save web content directly into the app.
You can customize Bear to match your style with themes, fonts, and layouts. It also lets you export notes to formats like PDF or HTML. With Bear Pro, you get advanced features like encrypted notes, Spotlight search, and even the ability to find text in images.
Thanks to iCloud, your notes sync seamlessly across iOS and macOS, so you can access them anytime.
App Insights
Bear | IOS |
Installs | N/A |
Ratings | 4.7/5 |
Reviews | 425 |
Compatibility | 14.5 or later |
Download link | Visit |
7. Evernote
Evernote is a top choice when it comes to the best note taking apps for tablets. It lets you capture ideas in many formats—text, images, audio, or even scanned documents—and keeps everything synced across your devices for easy access, even offline.
With its smart search feature, you can quickly find anything, whether it’s in a note, an attachment, or a scanned file. Evernote also has great tools like task management, document scanning, and a Web Clipper to save web pages without the clutter.
App Insights
Evernote | Android | IOS |
Installs | 100M+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.0/5 | 4.4/5 |
Reviews | 1.84M | 4.7K |
Compatibility | 9.0 and up | 13.4 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
8. Google Keep
Google Keep is one of the best note taking apps for students, making it easy to capture and organize ideas. You can create notes, checklists, add photos, or record voice memos that are automatically transcribed.
Perfect for group work, it lets you share and collaborate on notes effortlessly. Stay organized with labels, colors, and widgets, and access your notes anywhere with seamless syncing across devices, including Wear OS.
With handy features like location-based reminders, Google Keep helps students stay on top of tasks and deadlines with ease.
App Insights
Google Keep | Android | IOS |
Installs | 1B+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.0/5 | 3.7/5 |
Reviews | 1.63M | 1.2K |
Compatibility | 9.0 and up | 16.0 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
9. Simplenote
Simplenote is a simple yet powerful app for notes that makes it easy to jot down ideas, create to-do lists, and stay organized. You can use tags and pins to keep everything neat and find what you need quickly with its instant search feature.
The app syncs your notes across all your devices for free, so they’re always accessible. You can also share notes with others, publish content online, or connect it to your WordPress account. With markdown formatting, customizable sorting, and passcode protection for security, Simplenote is perfect for organizing and sharing your notes without any hassle.
App Insights
Simplenote | Android | IOS |
Installs | 1M+ | N/A |
Ratings | 3.8/5 | 4.8/5 |
Reviews | 17.5K | 265 |
Compatibility | 6.0 and up | 15.0 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
10. Notion
Notion is an all-in-one app for notes, tasks, and organizing projects, making it a go-to tool for getting things done. Whether you’re managing notes, tracking tasks, or planning projects, Notion brings everything together in one place, so you don’t need multiple apps.
It comes with over 10,000 templates to help you get started quickly, and you can customize it to fit your needs. You can use it on the web, iOS, or Android, so your work is always with you. With real-time collaboration, it’s great for team projects or personal organization.
App Insights
Notion | Android | IOS |
Installs | 10M+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.7/5 | 4.7/5 |
Reviews | 199K | 5.1K |
Compatibility | 8.0 and up | 16.0 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
11. ClickUp
ClickUp’s Notepad is a handy tool for capturing and organizing your ideas. You can quickly jot down notes, make checklists, and even turn your notes into tasks with due dates, assignees, and priorities to stay on top of things.
It’s easy to organize your notes with features like headers, bullet points, and highlights, so everything looks neat and clear. Available on both web and mobile, ClickUp keeps your notes accessible anytime, making it simple to stay productive and manage your workflow efficiently.
App Insights
ClickUp | Android | IOS |
Installs | 1M+ | N/A |
Ratings | 4.2/5 | 4.7/5 |
Reviews | 15.1K | 415 |
Compatibility | 9.0 and up | 15.6 or later |
Download link | Visit | Visit |
Conclusion
The best note taking app for you depends on what you need and prefer. Whether you want a simple app to jot down quick ideas, a powerful one for detailed planning, or a collaborative tool for team projects, there’s something out there for everyone!
FAQs
Which is the best note taking app?
The best note taking app depends on your needs, but Microsoft OneNote stands out for its versatile features, multimedia support, and seamless integration across devices and Microsoft Office tools.
What is the best note taking apps for iPad?
GoodNotes 6 is a top choice for iPad users, offering a paper-like experience, Apple Pencil support, and powerful organization tools perfect for students and professionals.
Which is the best note taking app for android?
Microsoft OneNote is a top pick for Android, offering freeform notes, multimedia support, and seamless integration with Microsoft services across devices.
What is the best free note taking apps for iPad?
Apple Notes is a great free option for iPad, offering text formatting, checklists, multimedia support, and seamless iCloud syncing across Apple devices.