These are the best note-taking apps in 2025: learn about their key features and best use cases here, to pick the perfect one for your needs!

Can one app really replace your entire productivity stack?
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If you are tired of scribbling your thoughts on sticky notes that keep piling up and eventually end up lost, then it’s time to level up.
Modern note-taking apps are more than just a digital notepad! They're powerful tools that can help you organize your notes, create to-do lists, simplify task management, enable real-time collaboration and do so much more.
Whether you're a student, professional or simply looking to make your life easier, there's a note-taking app out there that's perfect for you.
In this article we'll dive into some of the best note-taking apps available today, each offering unique features tailored to meet various needs.

When it comes to unifying the calendar and note-taking features, nothing beats NotePlan.
It combines elements of a calendar, a to-do list, and a note-taking app to provide a comprehensive productivity solution. Users can manage their daily tasks, take notes, and plan their schedules all in one place.

Evernote is a note-taking app that allows users to store and organize their notes, tasks, and files across all their devices. It serves as a digital notebook, helping them capture ideas, create to-do lists, and collaborate on projects. Evernote's flexible platform supports a variety of content types and is widely used for both personal and professional purposes.

OneNote is a digital note-taking app from Microsoft, built as a part of the Office suite. It’s designed to be an all-encompassing notebook for various types of information gathering and collaboration. It allows users to create, organize, and share notes across multiple devices.

If you're an Apple user, you've likely come across Apple Notes. It provides a straightforward and integrated way to capture ideas, create checklists, and save information directly from other apps or websites. The app is designed to function seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem, using iCloud for synchronisation across devices.

Notion is a comprehensive workspace platform that combines note-taking, task management, databases, and collaboration tools into a single, flexible interface. It has gained significant popularity for its ability to adapt to various workflows and functions, making it a favorite among individuals and teams looking for a customizable organizational tool.

Google Keep is a straightforward, efficient and free note-taking app developed by Google. It offers a user-friendly platform for capturing quick notes, creating checklists, and setting reminders. Available on the web and as a mobile app for Android and iOS devices, Google Keep is designed to sync seamlessly across all devices linked to a user's Google account, providing accessibility and convenience for capturing ideas and tasks on the go.

Bear stands out by being minimal and stylish. Bear combines the simplicity of plain text with the power of markdown formatting to provide a distraction-free environment for writers and note-takers.

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base that works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files. Designed for linking thoughts and ideas, it allows users to create a second brain to help manage complex data and information. Obsidian is an open-source app popular among researchers, students, writers, and anyone interested in building a personal knowledge management system.

Zoho Notebook is a note-taking application that is part of the Zoho suite of productivity tools. It offers a visually appealing interface where each note is represented as a customizable card.

Dropbox Paper is a collaborative workspace that helps teams create and share early ideas. It's a note-taking software designed to be a flexible and dynamic tool where teams can work together in real-time on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Your notes are only useful if you return to them.
Make it a habit to review your notes regularly, reflect on them, and update as needed. This routine will reinforce what you've learned, keep your notes accurate and up-to-date, and ensure you don't forget any critical tasks or information.
Navigating the world of note-taking apps doesn't need to be daunting. All you need to do is choose an app that fits your needs, explore its features, create an organization system that works for you, integrate it into your technology ecosystem, and regularly review your notes.
With these easy steps, you'll be on your way to a more productive and organized workflow.
Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.
NotePlan is getting better and better! I tried pretty much all the to-do and notes apps in recent years but none of them combine to-do’s, notes, journaling, planning, calendar and second brain like NotePlan does. Try it out. You will not be disappointed!

We were looking for a note-taking tool for our collaborators, something that's fluid and easy to use, with a collaboration option. Today, we have a tool that allows everyone to take notes and focus on their tasks efficiently and securely.
Overall, I love Microsoft OneNote to keep track of important things to note throughout the day, everyday--whether personal or professional. It is also a good way to keep study notes for topics that are interesting where you don't necessarily to access the information from a website.
Notion at first didn't make sense to me, but when it clicked, boy did it click. I run my business from Notion, I track my habits, I track my reading notes and daily notes—it all lives inside Notion. And with AI tools getting better, I only see my use of Notion growing.
It's been good. The fact that it syncs with your Google account is good because you can retrieve it from anywhere once logged in. It has a nice UI but it definitely has some work in terms of managing the notes.
Bear is amazing. I was searching for something that I don't need to pay and I can keep my routine and daily tasks at work organized. Well, that's Bear. Simple, practical, and very easy to use.
It is great, I use it in my work to keep all the knowledge i gather from the task I do, and also in my personal life to study, as you have this digital record to come back and review, for me is better tool than One note or Evernote, and if you dont have something you want, there are additional modules you can add for free.
The amazing instantaneously syncing feature that gives the ability to sync notes created across all devices with the same sign in. The ability to use the search feature to locate key words text created in any note.
Dropbox Paper is super easy to learn to navigate and use. With all of the choices available to you, you can make some pretty aesthetically-pleasing documents! If the people you'll be sharing with appreciate that sort of thing, I highly recommend giving it a try.
| App name | Key features | Best for | Pricing | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NotePlan | Tasks, notes, calendar integration, Markdown support | Students, writers, project managers | 7-day free trial $9.99/mo | Apple App Store: 4.8/5 |
Evernote | Note-taking, organizing, task management | Students, freelancers, teams | Free $14.99/mo | G2 Crowd: 4.4/5 Capterra: 4.4/5 |
OneNote | Flexible canvas, integration with Microsoft Office Part of Microsoft 365 | Students, business professionals, creatives | $6.99/mo | G2 Crowd: 4.5/5 Capterra: 4.6/5 |
Apple Notes | Simple, integrated with iOS; sketching, document scanning | Apple users, students, writers | Free with iCloud (includes 5GB of storage) | Apple App Store: 4.9/5 |
Notion | Customizable workspace, task management | Project managers, students, freelancers | Free | G2 crowd: 4.7/5 Capterra: 4.7/5 |
Google Keep | Quick notes, reminders, color-coded labels | Professionals, families, students | Free with Google Workspace | Capterra: 4.7/5 |
Bear | Markdown support, hashtag system | Writers, creatives, students | Bear Pro starts at $2.99/mo | G2 crowd: 4.6/5 Capterra: 4.5/5 |
Obsidian | Linking notes, customizable, local files | Writers, software developers | Free | G2 Crowd: n/a Capterra: 4.9/5 |
Zoho Notebook | Customizable cards, integration with Zoho apps | Professionals, students, teachers | Free version (no need to buy Zoho Suite) | G2 crowd: 4.4/5 Capterra: 4.5/5 |
Dropbox Paper | Collaborative workspace, integrates with Dropbox | Creatives, teams, educators | Starting from $9.99/mo | G2 crowd: 4.1/5 Capterra: 4.4/5 |
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