The Best Note-Taking Apps | PCMag

Compare SpecsThe Best Note-Taking Apps ; Evernote Business Logo. Evernote · $0.00 ; Microsoft OneNote logo. Microsoft OneNote · Visit Site ; Bear (for Mac) · Free. PCMageditorsselectandreviewproductsindependently.Ifyoubuythroughaffiliatelinks,wemayearncommissions,whichhelpsupportourtesting.Learnmore. Home BestProducts Productivity By JillDuffy Updated January14,2021 facebook twitter flipboard socialshare Flipboard Pinterest Reddit LinkedIn Email Copied Error! CopyLink https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-note-taking-apps Comments Our9TopPicks BestForBusinessUseandCollaboration 4.0 Excellent Evernote $0.00  atEvernote SeeIt Evernotehaslongbeenoneofthemostimpressivenote-takingapps,butitshighpriceleavespotentialnewuserswonderingifit'sworthit.Fordedicatedusers,itis,butnewcomersshouldtakeacloselookatOneNote,too. Pros Effortlessnote-takingandsyncing Powerfulsearch Excellentfeatures Flexibleaccesstoyournotes Cons Freelevelofservicetoorestrictive ExpensivePremiumplan ReadOurEvernoteReview Pros&Cons BestForStudents;FreeFeature-RichOption 4.0 Excellent MicrosoftOneNote VisitSite  atMicrosoftStore SeeIt OneNoteisafeature-richnote-takingapp,anditgivesyoualotforfree.It'sclearlyamongtheverybestinthespace,butwhetherit'sbestforyoudependsonwhatyouplantodowithit. Pros Richwithfeatures Canextracttextfromimages Generousfreeversion Plentyofstorage Equationsolving Cons Canbeslowandclunky So-sosharingoptions Webclipperneedsimprovement ReadOurMicrosoftOneNoteReview Pros&Cons BestForFreeandOpen-SourceOption 4.0 Excellent Joplin       Joplinisthebestfreeandopen-sourcenote-takingappavailable,aslongasyoudon'tmindmanagingstorageyourselfandforgoingahandfuloffeaturesfoundinmorepowerfulapps. Pros Freeandopensource Downloadableappsforallmajorplatforms Webclipperoffered Excellentinterfaceandimportertools Strongsecurity Cons Nocollaboration Noemailforwarding Nomobilescanning,OCR,sketchingorhandwritingrecognition Supportlimitedtoforums ReadOurJoplinReview Pros&Cons BestForOrganizingWithaSmallNumberofNotebooks 3.5 Good ZohoNotebook       WhetheryoutaketoZohoNotebookmaydependontheexpectationsyouhaveforanote-takingapp.Ithasalottooffer,butnoteverythingyouwillfindinthetoptwocompetitors. Pros Free Availableonallmajorplatforms Goodrangeoffeatures Canpassword-protectindividualnotes Easytouse IncludesimportertoolforEvernotecontent Cons NoOCRoremailforwarding Nolistviewsofnotebooksandnotesindesktoporwebapps Webclippercouldbemoreintuitive ReadOurZohoNotebookReview Pros&Cons BestForAppleUsersWhoLikeMarkdown 3.0 Average Bear(forMac) Free  atApple.com SeeIt Bearisalightweightamongnote-takingapps,thoughitcouldmeetyourneedsifyouonlyuseAppledevicesandenjoywritinginMarkdownlanguage. Pros SupportsMarkdownfortextformatting Goodoptionsforexportingandimportingnotes Inexpensive Cons Extremelylightonfeatures ForAppleusersonly Syncingrequiresapaidplan ReadOurBear(forMac)Review Pros&Cons BestForSpeed 3.0 Average GoogleKeep VisitSite  atGoogleKeep SeeIt Keepisafreeservicethathelpsyoujotdownideasfast.Buttoworkwith,organize,orsortthenotesyoumake,you'llneedtomovethemintoamorecapableapp.Additionally,itswebclipperisfartoobasictobetrulyuseful. Pros Fast Canextracttextfromimages WorkswellwithotherGoogleapps Free Cons Pooratorganizingnotes NorichtextformattingorMarkdownsupport Nodesktopapps Weakwebclipper Noaccessrestrictionsonsharednotes ReadOurGoogleKeepReview Pros&Cons BestForCreatives 3.0 Average Milanote       Milanoteisaweb-basednote-takingappthatthinksofnotebooksmorelikecanvasesthanlegalpads.It'sdesignedforvisualpeoplebutleavesouttoomanyfeaturestotrulysatisfythem,fornow. Pros Scrapbook/pasteboardstylenotes Workswellforimagesandnotesrelatedtodesign Commentingandreal-timecollaborationsupported Cons Expensive Notreestructuresshowingwherenotesarestored ReadOurMilanoteReview Pros&Cons BestForTextNotesOnly 3.0 Average Simplenote Free  atAutomattic SeeIt Forabasicnote-takingandsyncingexperiencewithcollaborationsupport,Simplenoteisareliablebutstripped-downchoice.Ifextremesimplicityiswhatyou'reafter,thisfreeservicemaybeworthatry,butotherappsoffermore. Pros Free Simpleandstraightforward Cross-platformcompatibility Collaborationincluded Noteversionhistory SupportsMarkdownonsomedevices Cons Onlysupportstextnotes Nonotebooks,folders,formattingtools,orwebclipper ReadOurSimplenoteReview Pros&Cons BestForTeamNotesandTaskManagementCombined 2.5 Fair Notion Free  atNotion SeeIt Notionisanote-takingappwithrealpotential.However,itgoesoverboardwithvisualiconsandcomesuptooshortonkeyfeaturesforustorecommendit,fornow. Pros ExcellentimportertoolforEvernote Supportscollaboration Strongsupportfortemplates Cons Disorganizedstructure NoOCR,emailforwarding,PDFannotation,sketching,scanning,oraudiorecording So-sowebclipper Expensivefortop-tierplan ReadOurNotionReview Pros&Cons Pros&Cons CompareSpecs TableofContents TableofContents ReturntoTheTop BestFreeNote-TakingApps BestforBusinessUseandCollaboration BestforStudents BestforCreatives BestforText-OnlyNotes TakeNotes,Sync,andGo CompareSpecs:OurPicksSidebySide Havingagoodnote-takingappislikehavingyourownpersonalinternetwhereyoucanlookupanythingyoumighteverneedtoknowaboutyourworkorpersonallife,nomatterwhereyouare.Whatmoviesandbooksdidmyfriendsrecommend?Inthatmeetinglastmonth,whendidtheclientsaytheyneededapprovalby?Where'sacopyofmyeyeglassesprescription? Note-takingappscanhelpyoubemoreorganizedandmoreproductive.Withtherightnote-takingapp,youcanmakenotesaboutanythingandsyncthemtoallyourdevices.Youcankeepadailydiary,snappicturesofwhiteboardsfilledwithmeetingnotes,savescreenshotsfromvirtualmeetings,andrecordlectureswhilealsowritingdowntheirmostimportantideasinthesameplace.Youcanmaketo-dolists,saveandannotaterecipes,keeparecordofeveryonetowhomyoushouldsendathank-youcard,savecopiesofyourkids'vaccinationrecords,andonandon.Theusecasesareendless. OurExpertsHaveTested38ProductsintheProductivityCategoryThisYear Since1982,PCMaghastestedandratedthousandsofproductstohelpyoumakebetterbuyingdecisions. (Readoureditorialmission.) Therealvaluecomesinbeingabletoorganize,share,andfindthenotesyouneedwhenyouneedthem.Thebestnote-takingappshavepowerfulsearchtoolsandvariouswaystoorganizeandcatalogyournotes.Someuseopticalcharacterrecognition(OCR)tosearchtextevenwhenit'sinanimageorPDF.Manyofthebestnote-takingappsalsohaveemailforwarding,meaningyoucanforwardanemailtoaspecialaddressandhavethemessageturnupinyournote-takingappasanote.Ultimately,thebestnote-takingappistheonethatclicksforyouandthetypeofnotesyoutake.BestFreeNote-TakingAppsSeveralofthebestnote-takingappsarefreeoratleasthaveadecentfreetierofservice.Typically,ifyouwanttouseanote-takingappforfreeyoucan,aslongasyoudon'texceedthefreestoragelimit.MicrosoftOneNotehasthemostfeaturesofanyfreenote-takingapp,andJoplinisourfavoritefreeandopen-sourceoption.BothareEditors'Choicewinners.WithOneNote,storagecomesfromOneDrive,whereyouget5GBforfree.Youcanpay$1.99permonthfor100GBofstorage,whichisafantasticdeal,orget1TBofstoragewithaMicrosoft365account,startingat$6.99permonth.WithaMicrosoft365account,youalsogetseveralOfficeapps,soit'salotofbangforyourbuck.WithJoplin,youhavetobringyourownstorage,sothetruecostofthatappcomesdowntohowmuchstorageyouneedandwhereyougetit.ItworkswithDropboxandOneDrive,amongothers.Othertotallyfreenote-takingappsthatwelistamongthebestareGoogleKeep,ZohoNotebook,andSimplenote.BestforBusinessUseandCollaborationWehaveonemoreEditors'Choicewinner,andthat'sEvernotePremium—whichisnotfree.AlthoughEvernotedoestechnicallyhaveafreetierofservice,wedonotrecommenditbecauseit'stoorestrictivetobeworthusing.EvernotePremiumcosts$7.99permonthor$69.99peryear.There'salsoaBusinessversionthatruns$14.99perpersonpermonthwithaminimumoftwopeople. Evernotehasamultitudeofimpressivefeatures,agenerousstorageallotmentthatrenewsmonthly,andimpressivecollaborationfeatures.Youcansharenoteswithothersandco-editnotes.Youcanevengetsuggestionsforrelatednotesbasedonkeywordsandothermetadataaboutthenotes,whichishelpfulinbusinessenvironmentsinparticular.Regardless,thepriceforEvernotePremiumishigh,andloyalEvernoteusershavebeenletdownbythecompanymorethanonceinthelastfewyears,duetounexpectedchangesinthepricingandplans,plusaninexcusablybuggyappupdate.AlthoughEvernoteremainsanEditors'Choicewinnerforitsoverallstandingamongnote-takingapps,we'velowereditsscoretoreflecttheseissues.Wehaveoneothersemi-relatedpickforbusinessuse,orrather,teamnotesandtaskmanagementcombined.Notionisarelativenewcomertothespacethatstillhasalotofkinkstoworkoutbutisapromisingapp.TogetintoNotion,youhavetoclearalotofsetuphurdles.Theapphasaconfusingstructure.It'salltooeasytocluttertheinterfacewithneedlessjunk.Ifyoucanmanage,however,Notioncanbeapowerfultoolforteams.BestforStudentsNote-takingappsaregreatforstudents,andourtoppickforthemisMicrosoftOneNote.Notonlydoyougetalotforfree,butalsotheapphasafewfeaturesthatstudentsmaywant.Ontouch-screens,forexample,youcanwritebyhandandmakesketchesforclassesinbiology,physics,andothers.WithaMicrosoft365account(freeforstudentsandeducators),OneNoterecognizesmathequationswrittenbyhandandcansolvethem.OneNoteisalsooneofveryfewnote-takingappstostillofferin-appaudiorecording,lettingyoucaptureentirelecturestolistentoagainwhenit'stimetostudy.Ifyoudogothisroute,besuretocheckoutourtipsonHowtoUseOneNotetoTakeNotesforSchool.BestforCreativesThebestnote-takingappfordesignersandothercreativesisMilanote.Thisapphasthefreeformfeelofadiagrammingormind-mappingapp,whilestillbeinganote-takingapp.Itgivesyouboards(insteadofpages)whereyouplaceimages,textnotes,to-dolists,colorswatches,URLswithpreviews,andothermaterial.Youmovetheelementsaroundhoweveryoulikeontheboard.Youcanoverlayarrowsandemoji,orpublishyourboardstoapubliclinktosharethemwithothers.Milanotealsosupportsfullcoauthoring,somultiplepeoplecanworkonaboardsimultaneously.Thoughunique,Milanotedoeshavesomeroomforimprovementstill.Evenso,it'sthebestnote-takingappcurrentlyavailableforcreatives.BestforText-OnlyNotesIftheonlykindofnotesyouintendtomakearetext-based,thenyoudon'tneedafeature-richapp.SimplenotebyAutomattic(thesamecompanybehindWordPress)isafreenote-takingappthatsyncstoallyourdevicesandcomeswithnostoragelimit,butitonlysupportstext.It'seasytouse,lightweight,andtotallyreliable.Ifyoudon'tneedanappthatcansaveimages,scanneddocuments,sketches,andothermultimedia,thenSimplenoteisaverygoodoption.TakeNotes,Sync,andGoInpastyears,PCMaghadonlyoneEditors'Choicewinneramongnote-takingapps,soit'sapleasantchangeofpacetonowhavethreetopcontenders:Evernote,OneNote,andJoplin.Theseappsandtheothersonthislist,letyoucaptureyourideasandstickthemsomewhereuseful.Thatway,nomatterwhatyouneedtoknowandnomatterwhereyouare,youcanpulluptheinformationyouneed.Whileyou'rethinkingaboutnotesandnote-taking,youmightalsocheckoutour10TipsforManagingYourDigitalNotes. Advertisement CompareSpecsTheBestNote-TakingApps OurPicks Evernote SeeIt $0.00 atEvernote MicrosoftOneNote SeeIt VisitSite atMicrosoftStore Joplin       ZohoNotebook       Bear(forMac) SeeIt Free atApple.com GoogleKeep SeeIt VisitSite atGoogleKeep Milanote       Simplenote SeeIt Free atAutomattic Notion SeeIt Free atNotion Editors'Rating Editors'Choice 4.0 EditorReview Editors'Choice 4.0 EditorReview Editors'Choice 4.0 EditorReview 3.5 EditorReview 3.0 EditorReview 3.0 EditorReview 3.0 EditorReview 3.0 EditorReview 2.5 EditorReview FreeStorage 60MB/Month 5GB BringYourOwn Unlimited BringYourOwn 15GB 100Notes,Links,Images Unlimited Unlimited StorageforPriceListed 10GB/Month 1TB BringYourOwn Unlimited BringYourOwn 15GB Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited MaxFileUpload 200MB 100MB None 1GB None 10MB,25MP 10MB N/A None WebClipper WebApp MacApp WindowsApp AndroidApp iOSApp OCR SketchingSupported EmailForwarding Scanning PDFAnnotation Geolocation AudioNote-Taking CollaborationTools WheretoBuy $0.00 atEvernote   VisitSite atMicrosoftStore       Free atApple.com   VisitSite atGoogleKeep     Free atAutomattic   Free atNotion   LikeWhatYou'reReading? SignupforLabReporttogetthelatestreviewsandtopproductadvicedeliveredrighttoyourinbox. Email SignUp Thisnewslettermaycontainadvertising,deals,oraffiliatelinks.SubscribingtoanewsletterindicatesyourconsenttoourTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Youmayunsubscribefromthenewslettersatanytime. Thanksforsigningup! Yoursubscriptionhasbeenconfirmed.Keepaneyeonyourinbox! Signupforothernewsletters DigDeeperWithRelatedStories OtterReview 3.5 TrintReview 3.5 HowtoGoPaperless:5SimpleSteps By JillDuffy BeMoreProductiveWithWindows11’sFocusSessions By MichaelMuchmore PCMagStoriesYou’llLike Editors'Choice AboutJillDuffy JillDuffyisthedeputymanagingeditoroftheSoftwareteamatPCMag.Shehasbeenwritingforandcontributingtothesitesince2011,coveringproductivityappsandsoftware,aswellastechnologiesforhealthandfitness.ShewritestheGetOrganizedcolumn,withtipsonhowtoleadabetterdigitallife.HerlatestbookisTheEverythingGuidetoRemoteWork.FollowheronTwitterorgetintouchontheJillDuffycontactpage. ReadthelatestfromJillDuffy TheBestOnlineCollaborationSoftwarefor2022 TheBestWritingAppsfor2022 TheBestBusinessMessagingAppsfor2022 TheBestProjectManagementSoftwarefor2022 TheBestMeal-KitDeliveryServicesfor2022 MorefromJillDuffy CompareSpecsTheBestNote-TakingApps