The finest note-taking apps for amassing your ideas and information

These days, we’re all coping with enormous quantities of data, from assembly notes to social media, to photographs and movies, to no matter else we’ve collected — and we’re all looking for some strategy to retailer it, set up it, and discover it once we want it.

If you wish to get actually fundamental, you should use a spreadsheet or create a easy set of word-processing paperwork. Otherwise, you’ll be able to strive what’s considerably inaccurately described as a note-taking app. These apps, at their easiest, retailer your notes and different ideas and, at their extra advanced, are able to manipulating any and all content material you wish to drop into them.

One of probably the most well-known has been Evernote, which has gone by way of fairly a couple of adjustments through the years, each financially and in its characteristic set. However, there are a number of others on the market now with a variety of choices, from simply plain notes to purposes that may do nearly something so long as you may have the time and an inclination to be taught.

It’s a bit exhausting to suggest one above the others since they do supply such a variety of codecs and skills. Google Keep and Apple Notes are each nice methods to do fast and easy note-taking and have the benefit of being supported by their respective working methods; nevertheless, I do know a number of Apple machine customers preferring Bear Markdown Notes. For extra advanced information assortment, I at the moment favor Notion, which has a number of attention-grabbing options which can be inside a non-developer’s means to be taught; nevertheless, there are lots of people who swear by Joplin or Obsidian (and to inform the reality, if I had the time, I’d be trying into the latter a bit extra as properly). And for individuals who dwell in Windows, OneNote isn’t a nasty place to be.

And Evernote? Well, I’ve been utilizing it for my private notes for years. While I really feel that it’s develop into manner too overblown and, extra importantly, too costly, I haven’t been capable of inspire myself to drag my decade of knowledge out of there. At this level, although, I’m unsure I’d suggest it to a brand new consumer — particularly now that it’s limiting the options of its free model much more than it used to.

However, ultimately, the app you employ is determined by your private wants. Here are extra particulars on our prime picks on this class.

Bear Markdown Notes is an app for macOS and iOS gadgets with a wonderful interface and collection of options that would make me remorse my faithfulness to Android. Even the free model presents plenty of tweaks — for instance, the header can both be the primary sentence of the be aware or the date and time (or you’ll be able to go away it empty and put in something you need). You have a large selection of fonts and varied formatting choices. 

The app makes use of tags so as to set up its notes; you create a tag for a be aware by beginning your chosen phrase with a pound signal (or surrounding a phrase with them). The phrase / phrase will then seem within the left-hand column, the place you’ll be able to click on on it to seek out all of the tagged notes.

Besides the column on the left, you may have a second column that reveals all of the notes within the highlighted part, whereas the principle window reveals what’s within the chosen be aware itself. It’s a UI that’s utilized by a number of apps, together with Evernote.

You can format your notes in a wide range of methods by clicking a BIU (daring / italics / underline) icon on the prime proper of every be aware; you can even create subheads, bulleted and to-do lists, tables, hyperlinks, and add attachments. Another icon helps you to see the statistics for the be aware — variety of phrases, characters, and when it was modified. You also can see an overview of your varied heads, subheads, and any backlinks. In different phrases, even within the free model, there are many methods you’ll be able to play with Bear Notes. 

On the opposite hand, if you wish to sync your notes throughout gadgets, you’ll need to improve to the Pro model. With that, you additionally get password safety, the flexibility to look inside attachments, extra codecs, and the flexibility to export notes as PDFs, ePub, and different codecs (the free model helps you to export in Markdown, txt, and rtf).

Cost: Free model accessible. Pro model prices $2.99 a month or $29.99 a yr with a 7-day free trial.

Evernote began out in 2008 as an progressive and well-regarded note-taking app. Over the years, nevertheless, its status has suffered because it labored by way of privateness missteps, elevated charges, and an interface that may really feel bloated and feature-heavy. It is now owned by app developer Bending Spoons and has moved its operations to Europe (shedding most of its US workers within the course of). And as of December 2023, it is limiting its free version to 50 notes and a single notebook, making it primarily unusable for many customers besides as a trial model.

That being stated, the paid model of Evernote nonetheless does what it does properly, particularly if you happen to’re a kind of customers who has caught with it for some time. The fundamental appear and feel of the online app hasn’t modified a lot, though the homepage now reveals latest notes, a scratch pad, and just lately captured web sites. (The homepage will be personalised with different widgets if in case you have a paid account.) There are a number of methods to prepare your notes: they are often tagged and / or assigned to folders, and folders will be grouped into named “stacks.” You can create to-do notes. You can search inside all of your notes, clip webpages in a wide range of methods, and sync as much as two gadgets. You can add as much as 60MB of knowledge a month with a most be aware dimension of 25MB. And Evernote has been including AI options resembling AI Note Cleanup, at the moment in beta, which makes use of AI to “tidy up” your notes.

In different phrases, Evernote has develop into a reasonably advanced product, though, as talked about earlier than, you’ll wish to take a look at the paid variations to make use of it correctly. The Personal plan helps you to sync an infinite variety of gadgets, add as much as 10GB of knowledge a month with a most be aware dimension of 200MB, join a Gmail account, and extra; the Professional plan provides extra app integration and a wide range of different options. 

Cost: Limited free model accessible. Personal plan prices $14.99 a month or $129.99 a yr. Professional plan prices $17.99 a month or $169.99 a yr.

Google Keep began out as a reasonably easy note-taking app, and whereas it has added a couple of options because it started, it’s nonetheless a very good, easy strategy to file your ideas. Because it’s so interconnected with different Google apps (for instance, you’ll be able to entry it straight from Google Calendar, and you may convert a Keep be aware to a Google Doc), it really works particularly properly if you happen to’re invested within the Google ecosystem. 

Keep isn’t fairly as sparse because it was once: you’ll be able to create new notes with instantaneous lists, drawings, or photos; you can even add collaborators and a wide range of backgrounds. In addition, there have been some attention-grabbing upgrades just lately which have been promised, resembling textual content formatting (though as of this writing, they had been nonetheless rolling out). Meanwhile, being Google, the search ain’t dangerous.

Joplin is an open-source app that, on first look, seems like a considerably less complicated model of Evernote. It has the record of folders (also called notebooks) on the far left, a column itemizing the contents of the folder to the best of that, after which an area to point out the contents of the highlighted entry. 

A significant distinction, although, is that Joplin produces easy Markdown recordsdata (versus Evernote’s proprietary .enex format), and there may be really a toggle that permits you to see every file in markdown or, if you happen to desire, wealthy textual content. Which is helpful, particularly if you happen to like to have a look at code; my solely downside is that hyperlinks should not dwell within the wealthy textual content format — though there may be most likely a strategy to tweak that.

And that could be a second attention-grabbing factor about Joplin: if you would like to have the ability to personalize your app, you’ll be able to. There are a wide range of plugins, and you may even create your individual scripts and plugins utilizing the Extension API. If, then again, you’re not snug with coding and APIs, Joplin’s current extensions ought to give you loads to work with. You simply might must seek the advice of its vigorous consumer discussion board.

In order to synchronize Joplin amongst your gadgets, it’s worthwhile to set it up with certainly one of a number of current cloud companies (resembling Dropbox or OneDrive). You also can use for-pay Joplin Cloud, which presents extra storage and different options. 

Cost: Free. Joplin Cloud begins at €2.99 ($3.27) a month or €28.69 ($31.36) a yr. 

If there’s one strategy to describe Notion, it will be formidable. You can begin with a number of several types of codecs — a desk, a board, a timeline, a calendar, an inventory, a created template — or simply an empty web page. If you’re a person, you’ll be able to create an infinite variety of pages, share your information with plenty of apps, together with Slack and GitHub, and share your content material with as much as ten “guests” without cost. In reality, for most individuals, free will likely be fairly ample. There are some limitations — for instance, file uploads are restricted to 5MB — however not sufficient to actually rely. A Pro model provides limitless uploads and a few extra group options.

Like Evernote and different higher-end apps, Notion organizes its notes into folders — besides on this case, every be aware can act as a folder and may comprise different notes, which might comprise different notes. Notion additionally appears to be always including new options, resembling AI writing capabilities and new sorts of sharing choices.

In reality, its lack of limitations could also be an issue for some customers. If you want to actually get into the workings of a fancy app and screw round with it till it does every part you need it to do — after which some — then chances are you’ll wish to try Notion and play a bit with its options. (For instance, I at the moment use Notion to trace my varied workflows and upcoming duties.) However, if all you wish to do is simply write down your ideas with perhaps a couple of further choices, you may wish to go together with one thing a bit less complicated.

Cost: Free model accessible. Plus model prices $10 a month or $96 a yr.

The Venn diagram of Evernote customers and OneNote customers seldom overlaps. This regardless of all they’ve in widespread: each have broad ranges of helpful options, and every appears so as to add new performance each couple of months or so. But the texture of every is totally different.

In OneNote, every entry is a web page, and every web page can comprise a wide range of totally different media, together with textual content, audio, photos, video, tables, and drawings, amongst others. Pages are organized into sections, and sections into notebooks. 

There are a number of methods you’ll be able to tweak your information, how it’s organized, and the way it seems. You can create to-do lists and reminders, mark textual content as vital, and alter the look of the textual content. You can spotlight and make a wide range of drawings in a wide range of colours. If you employ different Microsoft apps resembling Outlook, you’ll be able to sync your OneNote entries with them — for instance, to maintain monitor of Outlook conferences. You can change the web page coloration and magnificence, or swap from darkish to gentle.  

In reality, like Evernote, OneNote has had so many alternative skills added that it might develop into a bit overwhelming. For instance, after I needed to seek out out whether or not I may extract textual content from a photograph, I went to OneNote’s “Tell me” icon, which, if it might’t discover an instantaneous reply to your query, presents a wise lookup hyperlink. When “extract text” didn’t provide you with something, I clicked it and was supplied (through a facet column) a Wikipedia definition of a textual content file and hyperlinks to a number of third-party apps. (A easy “we don’t do that” would have been good.)

One factor about OneNote that offers it a bonus over Evernote: it’s nonetheless fully free. So if you happen to’re on the lookout for options, it’s price giving OneNote a strive.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t embrace Apple Notes on this record, primarily as a result of it is a wonderful different for individuals who can use it — unsurprisingly, these with Apple gadgets.

Notes is Apple’s model of Google Keep (or Keep is Google’s model of Apple Notes). It’s a built-in, easy strategy to take notes, save photographs, scan paperwork, and make sketches. You can set up your notes into folders, create tags utilizing hash indicators, and create “Smart Folders” that may mechanically acquire notes that may match a wide range of choices, together with tags, mentions, or sorts of notes, amongst others. 

Using iCloud, it syncs the content material to a formidable extent — for instance, you may make a sketch on an iPad and it’ll instantly seem in a be aware, or you’ll be able to scan a enterprise card along with your iPhone, after which, from Notes, add the telephone quantity to your contact record or go to the listed web site.

Notes is a wonderful useful resource for individuals who are within the Apple ecosystem and who desire a strong, simple-to-use note-taking app. 

If there ever was an trustworthy title for an app, that is it. Simplenote is precisely that: it presents easy note-taking for anybody who simply needs to, properly, take notes. It doesn’t do something however textual content (though it does have an audio characteristic that may learn you what’s on the web page), and it doesn’t supply any organizational choices aside from tags (that are listed for you on the left facet of the app). It does allow you to create checklists, however not far more than that. 

However, Simplenote should be fulfilling some folks’s wants, as a result of it has been round some time. (In reality, after I put in it, I discovered some current notes: I had apparently used it in 2010 to maintain fast notes throughout a CES commerce present.) According to Wikipedia, it was initially developed in 2008 and went fully open supply in 2016.

Simplenote is straightforward, straightforward, and works on all main platforms (together with Linux). You wish to simply take text-based notes? This could also be for you.

Some apps are well-liked, some are very fashionable — and a few even have what amounts to fan clubs. Obsidian is likely one of the latter.

This app is the type of factor that, if you happen to’re into it, could have you exploring its varied ins, outs, and add-ons for days and weeks on finish. Obsidian makes use of the Markdown format for its notes (which suggests they can be utilized on a wide range of different apps). Your notes and different media are stored domestically in a Vault (in different phrases, a major folder). There are methods to sync between gadgets without cost — depending on which devices you want to sync — or you’ll be able to pay a couple of {dollars} a month to make use of Obsidian Sync.

As you’ll be able to think about, one thing this versatile is tough to explain.

Even at the start, there are a number of attention-grabbing codecs that you simply don’t get in most different note-taking software program. When you first open it after set up, you get a number of selections on the left facet of the web page: a graph view, a canvas view (which helps you to create a circulate chart, pinboard, or different association), and certainly one of my present favorites, a day by day be aware (which is solely a dated be aware however is a pleasant thought if you wish to maintain a journal). You also can create templates. And none of this takes into consideration all the various plug-ins which have been created by its neighborhood — there have been 1,233 when final I checked.

Of course, which means if you wish to actually reap the benefits of Obsidian, it’s a must to make investments some effort and time. But for these into tweaking their apps to go well with them fully, it’s going to most likely be price it.

Cost: Free. Obsidian Sync prices $8 a month.

Zoho Notebook is likely one of the best-looking apps on this roundup. It organizes your notes by dividing them up into separate notebooks; every pocket book can comprise notes, audio recordsdata, photographs, or different attachments. You also can have to-do lists and share your notebooks with others. You can play with the typeface, have totally different background colours, insert tables, and set reminders. Recently, it added the flexibility to share notebooks and use a noteboard format.

As a kind of further, every pocket book has a colourful cowl: you’ll be able to select from a free gallery, pull in a photograph or different graphic file out of your laptop, or choose extra graphics if you happen to select to be a premium member. Premium also gets you the flexibility so as to add bigger recordsdata, entry histories of your notes, and use good tags, amongst different options.

Interestingly, Zoho is likely one of the least identified long-term workplace suites round. Its first product, Zoho Writer, was launched in 2005, and it has been steadily including extra apps since then. (And often eradicating them; one app, Zoho Docs, was discontinued final yr utilizing a relatively awkward migration course of.) And whereas most of Zoho’s apps are centered on small- and medium-sized companies, a few of its longer-term apps, resembling Zoho Notebook, are nonetheless excellent for people and price trying out.

Cost: Free model accessible. Pro model prices $1.99 a month or $19.99 a yr.

Correction, November sixteenth, 2023, 4:25PM ET: I initially acknowledged that Obsidian is open-source software program. It isn’t. I remorse the error.

Update November thirtieth, 2023, 9:19AM ET: This article was initially printed on November sixteenth, 2023, and has been up to date to account for adjustments in Evernote’s free plan and within the pricing of different apps.