We are not biased. We test and review every product. Here’s our Methodology.

Best Note-Taking Apps in 2026

Looking for the best Note-Taking App? We will help you discover the best note-taking apps to streamline your tasks

Productivity 05 January, 2026

Are you tired of searching for the perfect note-taking app to suit all your needs? You don't have to be anymore. Finding an ideal electronic note-taking tool can be overwhelming, and people have so many different ideas they juggle at one time. Just imagine - no more sticky notes sprawling everywhere on your desk or lousy apps that are unable to offer what you want. Imagine all your ideas, plans, and inspirations structured ideally and at your fingertips on your smartphone or tablet. Now, that is something we all want. Read More

Best Note-Taking Apps

1.

Evernote

4.6
Rated 4.4
Rated 3.1
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version 10.120.1 10.120.1
    Device Supported Android 9 and up iOS 13.4 or later
    Subscription Free and in-app purchases Free and in-app purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

2.

Google Keep

Rated 3.5
Rated 4.0
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version Varies with device 2.2024.26203
    Device Supported Varies with device iOS 15.0 or later
    Subscription Free, In-App Purchases Free, In-App Purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

3.

Microsoft OneNote

Rated 4.7
Rated 4.6
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version 16.0.17531.20162 16.86
    Device Supported Varies with Device iOS 16.0 or later
    Subscription Free, In-App Purchases Free, In-App Purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

4.

Notes by Apple

Rated 4.9
Rated 0.0
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version N/A N/A
    Device Supported N/A iOS 10.0 or later
    Subscription N/A Free, In-App Purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

5.

Obsidian

Rated 4.5
Rated 4.2
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version 1.6.5 1.6.5
    Device Supported Android 5.1 and up iOS 14.5 or later
    Subscription Free, In-App Purchases Free, In-App Purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

6.

Simplenote

Rated 4.8
Rated 3.5
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version 2.35 4.55
    Device Supported Android 6.0 and up iOS 15.0 or later
    Subscription Free Free
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

7.

Notion

Rated 4.7
Rated 4.7
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version 0.6.2274 1.7.177
    Device Supported Android 8.0 and up iOS 15.0 or later
    Subscription Free, In-App Purchases Free, In-App Purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

8.

Zoho Notebook

Rated 4.7
Rated 4.4
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version Varies with device 6.4.7
    Device Supported Varies with device iOS 13.0 or later
    Subscription Free, In-App Purchases Free, In-App Purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

9.

Easy Notes

4.7
Rated 0.0
Rated 4.6
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version 1.2.52.0626 N/A
    Device Supported Android 5.0 and up N/A
    Subscription Free, In-App Purchases N/A
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

10.

UpNote

Rated 4.8
Rated 4.6
  • Tech Specifications

    Metrics Android iOS
    Latest Version 9.4.0 9.4.7
    Device Supported Android 6.0 and up iOS 13.0 or later
    Subscription Free, In-App Purchases Free, In-App Purchases
  • Why You'll Love It

  • Top Features

  • More about product

    What makes the best note-taking app?

    The best note-taking app has an intuitive user interface, robust organizational tools, and cross-device synchronization. These are the most important features that any app must have because they save time for the end user by making their work easier. A friendly interface makes the app easy to operate using different organizational tools like notebooks. Tags and labels that will also allow you to manage or find information from past notes quickly on any device including tablets or smartphones amongst other gadgets where such content may be stored/available while not at home but outside at friends’ places or other places. 

    When it comes to keeping the content as well as notes safe at all times from unauthorized eyes especially if they happen to land on one`s device accidentally with malicious intent this application comes in handy in offering both encryption and password protection which is a characterstic of a good notes app.

    The best note-taking apps at a glance

    The productivity and organization on most items may be much better improved when the right app for taking down notes is selected. Below are the topnotch apps for taking down notes that exist, each of which excels in its unique way subsequently catering for different users’ requirements:

    Best free note-taking app: Microsoft OneNote

    OneNote’s comprehensive features and flexibility make it the most highly-prized free note-taking app. Users have access to an entirely blank page on which they can write, draw and insert any content they wish. Furthermore, OneNote allows for the integration of other apps from Microsoft 365 and synchronizes well with all of the user’s devices, hence ideal for business people and students alike making it the best free note-taking app.

    Best note-taking app for Apple users: Notes by Apple

    Apple Notes offers a smooth experience for its users using Apple software. You can make some notes with text, photos, or even scanned documents among other things on this app. Besides that you can organize notes into folders based on various categories so you retrieve them whenever you want them through a search option available within the app. This application has been incorporated into iCloud hence it can be synchronized with all your Apple devices hence whenever you have written something on one device, then it will be available on all the others making it a good notes app to have.

    Best note app for Google power users: Google Keep

    Folks who are fully immersed in the Google environment will absolutely love the Google Keep service. Google Keep benefits users who have a Google account with an easily navigable design that allows them to make written notes, checklists, voice memos or upload pictures in no time. They can be categorized with tags and colors are used for easy identification while this service works well across different Google services such as Drive for storage or Calendar for events planning.

    Best note-taking website for collaboration: Notion

    Notion's famous for strong collaboration capabilities and is a place through which notes, databases, tasks and wikis can be created in a flexible manner. Teams shall find Notion a useful platform due to its ability to enable real-time collaboration while also serving as a place where they can store project documentation together. However, these various customization options have also played a critical role in increasing its versatility across different sectors as how they have tailored their selections for every sector​​​​.

    Best notes app for power note-takers: Obsidian

    Obsidian is ideal for sophisticated users requiring advanced linking and customization options: it facilitates bi-directional linking and allows notes to form a network of interconnected ideas, which makes the software particularly useful for detailed project planning and knowledge management while also supporting Markdown and being highly flexible for powerful making is the best notes app for users​​​​.

    How we choose the best note-taking apps

    We have found it prudent to consider several factors when selecting the ideal note-taking apps that can cater for students, professionals, and anyone else who may need them. What we look out for in our selection process are how functional these apps are, their level of user friendliness, the protections they offer against unauthorized access among others.

    • User Interface and Ease of Use: The application should have a user-friendly UI to enable simple surfing and speedy notice writing down. A neat intuitive layout is required inorder to be more productive.
    • Cross-Device Synchronization: Whenever users switch devices, it is very important to synchronize notes on different devices so that they can have access to all the notes from anywhere and at any time. This helps maintain consistency, and helps the user who operates different devices.
    • Organizational Tools: An important aspect is effective organization. Notebooks, sections, tags, and labels should be provided by apps to support users to categorize and find their notes in a number of ways, such as quickly and efficiently.
    • Multimedia Support: The app’s support for a variety of content types, like text, audio, images and documents allows it to cater for multiple note-taking requirements thereby making it versatile.
    Criteria  Importance
    User Interface Clean, intuitive design for ease of use
    Synchronization Syncs notes across multiple devices
    Organization Tools Notebooks, sections, tags, and labels for effective organization
    Multimedia Support Supports text, images, audio, sketches, and documents
    Collaboration Real-time editing and sharing features
    Security Robust security measures like encryption and password protection
    Additional Features Reminders, to-do lists, handwriting recognition, and document scanning

    Security and Privacy Features

    In choosing a to-do list app, it is important to look at it from a privacy and security perspective, especially for individuals who manage sensitive information. The most outstanding to-do list apps provide strong security features to protect your information from third parties.

    • Encryption: The most popular note-taking apps for taking notes implement end-to-end encryption to safeguard personal information. Consequently, it implies that when you jot down any piece of information in these applications, such information will be encoded right in your gadget then it can just be decoded by the person it is meant for. For example, Joplin or Cryptee are implied to rely on solid cryptographic techniques like AES-256 while transmitting or storing data.
    • Privacy Practices: Users do not have to hand in personal information when they start by using services from apps that are designed for taking notes secretly. Such apps do not mine data and they do not offer adverts for the purposes of marketing, so they will not take advantage of what they know about you. Some apps provide functions such as app locks and password protection in order to stop other people who do not have permission to read what you have written like Notion as well as Apple Notes.
    • Offline Access and Local Storage: There are a number of secure note-taking app that provide alternative access and the option of caching notes on your hardware hence reducing incidents of data loosing related to cloud storage.For individuals who are more in control over their own data, this is ideal aspect.
    • Additional Security Features: Your data security is further improved with two-factor authentication (2FA), biometric locks (Face ID or Touch ID), and the option of manually backing up notes by added advanced security features.
Why Trust MobileAppDaily?

We cut through the deafening digital noise to find what truly works. Every product on our list survives a relentless, hands-on analysis—no exceptions. We do the grunt work to deliver verified, trustworthy recommendations, so you can choose the right tools with absolute confidence.

  • Products Reviewed - 4,000+
  • No. Of Experts - 20+
  • Categories - 65+
Explore Our Methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are there any free best note-taking apps?

    Yes, you can use many good free applications for taking notes. Joplin is one of the top options alongside Google Keep and Microsoft OneNote. It has powerful encryption features for privacy protection that are desirable in an open-source version while still being reliable​​​​​​.

  • Are there any note-taking apps that support voice notes?

  • Can I scan documents with note-taking apps?

  • Can I use a note-taking app offline?

  • Do note-taking apps support handwriting and drawing?

  • How secure are note-taking apps?

  • Is there a note-taking app that works well across all devices?

  • What features should I look for in a note-taking app?

  • Which is the best note-taking app for students?

WRITTEN BY
Sakshi Kaushik

Sakshi Kaushik

Content Writer

Sakshi Kaushik is a curious storyteller who brings clarity to the chaos of innovation. She dives into artificial intelligence, blockchain, fintech, and healthtech, turning complex concepts into content that's both insightful and easy to follow. With a knack for making tough topics feel approachable, Sakshi writes for readers who want to stay informed without getting overwhelmed. Her work is where smart meets simple—blending curiosity with clarity, and delivering tech stories that resonate in a world that never stands still.

Read More by Sakshi Kaushik

View All
Didn’t Find What You Were Looking For?

We’ve got more answers waiting for you! If your question didn’t make the list, don’t hesitate to reach out.

More in Productivity

Explore More In Productivity

8 Best Email Cleaner Apps To Declutter Your Email Mess

Cleanfox
Cleanfox Productivity
Unroll.Me
Unroll.Me Productivity
Clean Email
Clean Email Productivity
Trimbox
Trimbox Productivity

Best Helpdesk Software: Automate, Prioritize & Resolve Issues Effortlessly

Monday Service
Monday Service Productivity
Freshservice
Freshservice Productivity
Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk Productivity
Freshdesk
Freshdesk Productivity

The 10 Best Digital Asset Management Software to Organize & Secure Your Brand Assets

Fill in the details, and our team will get back to you soon.

Contact Information
+ =

Fill in the details, and our team will get back to you soon.

Contact Information
+ * =