Looking for the best notes app for Mac? Explore top options and see why NotePlan stands out for organizing tasks, notes and your schedule.
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As a working professional, constantly juggling multiple tasks and projects on my Mac, I've always been on the lookout for the perfect note-taking app for Mac that can keep up with my pace.
With what I found, I've curated this detailed guide to what I believe are the top 10 best note-taking apps specifically designed for Mac users like myself.
Each of these note-taking giants is unique and adjusts to different needs and workflows, but all work great on Mac. From the rich, feature-packed tools that cater to complicated project management to simple, minimalist apps that focus on pure writing, this guide aims to help you find the note-taking companion that best fits your professional lifestyle on your Mac.
Whether you're drafting your next big project plan, organizing your thoughts, or simply keeping track of your daily to-dos, I think one of these apps can dramatically improve your output and make your workday easier.
With so many note-taking and productivity apps available for Mac and other Apple devices, here are some key things to think about before committing:
Trying to keep up with scattered notes, endless to-do lists and a packed calendar? NotePlan brings them all together. Designed specifically for Mac users, it combines a beautiful interface with smart time management tools that help you get things done.
You can jot down ideas in Markdown, link related notes with backlinks and turn any thought into a task with a click or a voice command. NotePlan is an iOS app that syncs across your Mac, iPhone and iPad (offline or online) so everything stays up to date, even on the go. Add AI features like meeting summaries and voice-to-text dictation and you’ve got a setup that feels effortless but does a lot.
Privacy-first design: Your notes are stored in plain text on your device and synced via iCloud (not some mystery server). No vendor lock-in. No hidden copies. Just secure, transparent storage you control.
NotePlan is perfect for:
NotePlan offers a free 7-day trial, then costs $8.33/month billed annually or $12/month with a monthly plan. You can cancel anytime.
Notion is a highly customizable workspace that lets you take notes, manage tasks and build systems. For Mac users who like the idea of designing their own setup, Notion’s block-based editor makes it easy to mix text, lists, images and databases within the same page.
You can organize everyhing in nested pages, link related content, and use tags to keep everything connected. Notion supports real-time editing, comments and task assignments, so it’s useful for people working across multiple projects or collaborating with a team.
See also: Notion vs OneNote
Notion offers a free plan for personal use, with paid plans starting at $10/month billed annually or $12/month billed monthly for additional features.
Evernote has been around for years and remains a go-to for Mac users who want to collect different types of content in one place. It supports typed notes, images, web clippings and more, offering a workspace that suits both personal organization and light collaboration.
Its structure is built around notebooks and tags, making it easy to keep related information grouped. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, especially for those who prefer a traditional note-taking layout.
Evernote offers a free plan with basic features, while paid plans start at $10.83/month billed annually for Personal and $14.16/month for Professional tier.
Microsoft OneNote offers a notebook-style layout that mirrors traditional binders, making organizing notes by topic, project or subject easy. It supports a mix of text, images, links and drawings, with a flexible page structure that works well for both quick notes and long-form content.
As part of the Microsoft Office ecosystem, OneNote syncs easily with other Microsoft apps and stores notes in OneDrive for syncing across devices. It’s available for free on mac OS and is often a convenient option for users already working with Microsoft tools.
While the Mac version doesn’t include every feature found in Windows, it covers most note-taking needs with a straightforward, familiar interface.
See also: Goodnotes vs OneNote
OneNote is available with a paid subscription to Microsoft 365.
Bear is a lightweight notes app made for Apple users, offering a simple interface and a writing-first experience. It’s designed for those who prefer a clean layout and flexible organization without the complexity of full-scale productivity tools.
With its Apple-only focus, Bear works well across Mac, iPhone and iPad, making it a consistent option for users already in that ecosystem. While some features are limited to the Pro version, the core experience remains centered on distraction-free note-taking with a tidy workflow.
Bear offers a free plan with core features, while Bear Pro unlocks additional themes, icons and iCloud sync for $2.99/month or $29.99/year after a 7-day free trial.
Apple Notes comes pre-installed on macOS and offers a familiar, no-setup-required option for taking notes on your Mac. It supports basic formatting and media attachments, with folders and tags to help keep everything organized.
As part of the Apple ecosystem, your notes stay updated across your Mac, iPhone and iPad using iCloud, making it easy to access notes on any device. They can also be shared for collaborative editing or locked for privacy.
Apple Notes is free with an iCloud account on Apple devices.
Unlike other applications on the list, Joplin is an open-source note-taking app designed for users who want full control over their setup. Built with privacy and flexibility in mind, it offers a traditional notebook structure and supports Markdown for structured writing.
Joplin allows syncing through a range of services, including Dropbox, OneDrive and custom servers, without locking users into a single cloud provider. It also supports customization through themes and plugins, making it adaptable to different workflows.
Joplin is free and open source, meaning that all of your notes live on your computer under your control. But if you want to access them across devices, you can buy Joplin cloud storage. The pricing starts at $2.40/mo.
Notebooks is a note-taking and writing tool for Mac that focuses on flexibility and structure. It supports everything from plain text notes to full-length documents, using a familiar folder and subfolder layout to keep content organized.
It's the right app for users who need detailed organization, manage larger writing projects or prefer keeping notes and tasks together in one place. They can be written in plain text, Markdown or a visual editor, with support for multimedia content and file attachments.
Notebooks for Mac is available as a one-time purchase of $32.99.
Obsidian is a Markdown-based note-taking tool designed for users who want to connect and organize ideas in a more flexible way. Instead of relying on folders alone, it supports bidirectional linking between notes, making it useful for knowledge management.
Notes are stored locally as plain text, giving users control over their data and features like graph view, tagging and daily planning notes are geared toward those who prefer non-linear organization. The app can be extended with plugins and custom themes to fit different workflows.
See also: Obsidian vs OneNote
Obsidian is free to use with no limits. Optional add-ons include Sync for $4/user/month and Publish for $8/user/month, both billed annually.
Ulysses is a writing-focused app built for Apple devices, offering a structured environment for long-form content and focused note-taking. Its interface emphasizes minimalism, while its library system helps organize notes into groups and subgroups for different projects or topics.
The app supports Markdown and includes tools for formatting, tracking writing goals and managing attachments. Ulysses also allows publishing to platforms like Medium and WordPress or exporting to multiple file formats.
Ulysses offers full access for $39.99 per year or $5.99 per month, with iCloud sync, regular updates and Apple Family Sharing included.
Choosing the right notes app for your Mac can change how you stay organized and get things done. The best one fits your workflow, keeps everything in one place, and makes it easier to focus and follow through.
If you’re looking for a clean, flexible setup that combines notes, tasks and your calendar, NotePlan is worth a look. It’s designed for Mac users who want structure without distractions, with features like Markdown support, time blocking and voice input.
| App | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
NotePlan | Staying on top of tasks, notes and calendar in one clean, time-managed space | 7-day free trial |
Notion | Building custom workflows, linking ideas and managing team or solo projects | Free plan |
Evernote | Capturing mixed media notes, clipping web content and organizing research | Free plan Paid plans start at $10.83/mo |
OneNote | Structuring notes like a digital binder with multimedia and collaboration | Part of Microsoft 365 |
Bear | Writing distraction-free notes with simple tagging | Free plan Paid plans start at $2.99/mo |
Apple Notes | Quick note capture with iCloud syncing across Apple devices | Free with iCloud |
Joplin | Private, customizable note-taking with open-source flexibility | Free plan Paid plans start at $2.99/mo |
Notebooks | Managing large writing projects and organizing files in a folder-based system | $32.99 one-time payment |
Obsidian | Creating a personal knowledge base with linked notes and graph visualization | Free plan Paid plans start at $5/mo |
Ulysses | Focused long-form writing with goal tracking and publishing tools | Starting at $5.99/mo |
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