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Best of in Note-taking

The best note-taking apps in 2026

Nine note apps compared on where your notes are stored, what the free plan allows, offline use and price — verified on each vendor's site.

By Updated 9 apps fact-checked against vendor sources

The short answer

Obsidian is the best note-taking app for most individuals: it's free without limits and stores your notes as plain Markdown files you own. Choose Notion if you need shared team docs and databases, Apple Notes if you only use Apple devices, OneNote for handwriting, and Joplin if you want open source with end-to-end encryption.

  • Obsidian, Joplin and Logseq store notes as local files; Notion, Evernote and Google Keep store them in the vendor's cloud.
  • Evernote's free plan is limited to 50 notes and one synced device.
  • Notion's free plan is unlimited for individuals but caps uploads at 5 MB.
  • Bear and Apple Notes are Apple-only.

Our picks

  1. 1.

    Obsidian

    Best overall — and best for owning your notes

    Obsidian is free with no limits, even for commercial use, and your notes are ordinary Markdown files in a folder on your device. That means no export step, no lock-in and full offline use. Links between notes, a graph view and thousands of community plugins make it as simple or as powerful as you want. Sync across devices is a paid add-on from $4 a month (billed annually), or you can use your own Dropbox, iCloud or Git.

    Developer
    Obsidian
    First released
    2020
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
    Free plan
    YesThe app is free without limits, including commercial use. Sync and Publish are paid add-ons.
    Open source
    No
    • Sync Standard $4/mo
    • Sync Plus $8/mo
    • Publish $8/mo

    Checked against obsidian.md on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Notes are plain Markdown files in a local folder you own
    • Bidirectional links and graph view
    • Canvas for visual boards
    • Thousands of community plugins and themes

    Limits to know

    • The app itself is closed source
    • Built-in cross-device sync costs extra
    • No real-time collaborative editing like Notion or Google Docs

    Full Obsidian fact sheet or visit obsidian.md

  2. 2.

    Notion

    Best for teams and all-in-one workspaces

    Notion combines documents with relational databases, which makes it a wiki, project tracker and notes app in one. The free plan is unlimited for individuals, and paid plans start at $10 per member per month. Its notes live in Notion's cloud with no end-to-end encryption, and offline access has to be switched on page by page.

    Developer
    Notion Labs, Inc.
    Based in
    San Francisco, California, USA
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
    Free plan
    YesUnlimited for individuals; limited block trial for shared workspaces; 5 MB per upload; 7-day page history.
    Open source
    No
    • Plus $10/mo
    • Business $20/mo
    • Enterprise Not published

    Checked against notion.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Block-based pages and relational databases
    • Notion Agent and AI Meeting Notes (Business and up)
    • Forms and published sites (Plus and up)
    • Web Clipper extension

    Limits to know

    • No Linux desktop app
    • Offline must be enabled per page; embeds and forms don't work offline
    • Free plan: 5 MB uploads, 7-day history

    Full Notion fact sheet or visit notion.com

  3. 3.

    Apple Notes

    Best free app for Apple users

    Apple Notes is free on every iPhone, iPad and Mac and keeps adding features — Math Notes, audio recording with live transcripts, document scanning and Smart Folders. Notes aren't end-to-end encrypted unless you turn on Advanced Data Protection, and there's no Windows or Android app.

    Developer
    Apple Inc.
    Based in
    Cupertino, California, USA
    Platforms
    macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Web
    Free plan
    YesFree; iCloud sync uses your iCloud storage.
    Open source
    No

    Free — no paid tiers.

    Checked against support.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Math Notes: solves expressions as you type
    • Audio recording with live transcripts
    • Document scanning
    • Tags and Smart Folders

    Limits to know

    • No Windows or Android app
    • Not end-to-end encrypted by default

    Full Apple Notes fact sheet or visit support.apple.com

  4. 4.

    Microsoft OneNote

    Best for handwriting and Windows users

    OneNote is free on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web, and its digital-ink support makes it the strongest choice for stylus users. Copilot features need a paid Microsoft 365 plan.

    Developer
    Microsoft
    Based in
    Redmond, Washington, USA
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Web
    Free plan
    YesThe app is free; storage comes from your OneDrive quota.
    Open source
    No
    • Microsoft 365 Personal $99.99/yr

    Checked against microsoft.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Notebooks, sections and pages
    • Digital ink for handwriting and drawing
    • Copilot in OneNote (Microsoft 365)
    • Real-time collaboration

    Limits to know

    • Copilot requires a paid Microsoft 365 plan
    • No Linux app

    Full Microsoft OneNote fact sheet or visit microsoft.com

  5. 5.

    Joplin

    Best open-source app with encryption

    Joplin is free, open source and offline-first, with optional end-to-end encryption and sync through Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV, S3 or its own Joplin Cloud (from €2.99 a month). Encryption is off by default, so switch it on during setup.

    Developer
    Laurent Cozic and the Joplin community
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
    Free plan
    YesFree and open source; sync free through your own Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, WebDAV or S3.
    Open source
    Yes
    • Joplin Cloud Basic €2.99/mo
    • Joplin Cloud Pro €5.99/mo

    Checked against joplinapp.org on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Markdown and rich-text editors
    • Optional end-to-end encryption
    • Sync with Joplin Cloud or your own storage
    • Web clipper for Chrome and Firefox

    Limits to know

    • Cloud plans priced only in EUR
    • E2EE is off by default

    Full Joplin fact sheet or visit joplinapp.org

  6. 6.

    Logseq

    Best outliner

    Logseq is an open-source outliner built around blocks and backlinks. The classic version stores local Markdown files; the new database version is labelled beta, so back up your notes before switching.

    Developer
    Logseq
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web
    Free plan
    YesFree and open source (AGPL-3.0).
    Open source
    Yes

    Free — no paid tiers.

    Checked against logseq.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Block-based outliner with backlinks
    • Classic version stores local Markdown/Org files
    • New DB version (beta) stores data in SQLite
    • Plugins and themes

    Limits to know

    • New DB version is still in beta
    • Real-time collaboration and sync are alpha

    Full Logseq fact sheet or visit logseq.com

  7. 7.

    Bear

    Best writing experience on Apple

    Bear is a clean Markdown editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad. The free version keeps notes on one device; Bear Pro adds iCloud sync, note encryption and more export formats for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year.

    Developer
    Shiny Frog
    Platforms
    macOS, iOS, iPadOS
    Free plan
    YesNotes stay on one device (no sync); basic export formats.
    Open source
    No
    • Bear Pro $2.99/mo

    Checked against bear.app on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Markdown editor with tables and to-dos
    • iCloud sync (Pro)
    • Per-note encryption (Pro)
    • OCR search (Pro)

    Limits to know

    • Apple-only
    • Sync needs Pro
    • Forgotten note passwords can't be recovered

    Full Bear fact sheet or visit bear.app

  8. 8.

    Google Keep

    Best for quick capture

    Google Keep is for sticky-note style lists, reminders and voice memos, free with any Google account. There's no desktop app — on a computer you use it in the browser.

    Developer
    Google
    Based in
    Mountain View, California, USA
    Platforms
    Android, iOS, Web, Wear OS
    Free plan
    YesFree with any Google account.
    Open source
    No

    Free — no paid tiers.

    Checked against workspace.google.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Notes, lists, photos, drawings and audio
    • Reminders and labels
    • Real-time collaboration
    • Send to Google Docs

    Limits to know

    • No desktop app — web only on computers

    Full Google Keep fact sheet or visit workspace.google.com

  9. 9.

    Evernote

    Only if you're already invested

    Evernote still has a good web clipper and paid AI tools, but its free plan is now limited to 50 notes, one notebook and one synced device, and paid plans start at $14.99 a month. Most people starting fresh have better options above.

    Developer
    Evernote (Bending Spoons)
    Based in
    Milan, Italy (parent company)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web
    Free plan
    Yes50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 synced device, 1 GB storage.
    Open source
    No
    • Starter $14.99/mo
    • Advanced $24.99/mo

    Checked against evernote.com on Oct 6, 2026

    Stand-out features

    • Web clipper for Chrome, Firefox and Safari
    • Audio transcription
    • AI Edit and other AI tools (paid)
    • Notebooks, tags and Spaces

    Limits to know

    • Free plan limited to 50 notes and 1 device
    • Old Personal/Professional plans were retired
    • No Linux app

    Full Evernote fact sheet or visit evernote.com

Comparison table

The best note-taking apps in 2026. Facts verified against each vendor's own pages on Oct 6, 2026.
App Best for Free plan Paid from Platforms Open source Where notes live
Obsidian Best overall — and best for owning your notes Yes $4/mo Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android No Local Markdown files
Notion Best for teams and all-in-one workspaces Yes $10/mo Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web No Notion cloud
Apple Notes Best free app for Apple users Yes Free macOS, iOS, Web No iCloud
Microsoft OneNote Best for handwriting and Windows users Yes $99.99/yr Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web No OneDrive
Joplin Best open-source app with encryption Yes €2.99/mo Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Yes Local; sync of your choice
Logseq Best outliner Yes Free Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web Yes Local Markdown / SQLite (beta)
Bear Best writing experience on Apple Yes $2.99/mo macOS, iOS No Local + iCloud (Pro)
Google Keep Best for quick capture Yes Free iOS, Android, Web No Google cloud
Evernote Only if you're already invested Yes $14.99/mo Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web No Evernote cloud

The one question that matters most: where do your notes live?

Note apps fall into two camps.

Local-first apps — Obsidian, Joplin, Logseq — keep your notes as files on your device. You can open them with any text editor, back them up however you like, and they keep working if the company disappears.

Cloud-first apps — Notion, Evernote, Google Keep — store your notes on the vendor’s servers. You gain effortless sync and collaboration, but you depend on the vendor’s export tools to leave.

Neither is wrong. If you mostly write alone, local-first wins. If you mostly share, cloud-first wins.

Free plans compared honestly

  • Unlimited and genuinely free: Obsidian, Joplin, Logseq, Apple Notes, Google Keep, OneNote.
  • Unlimited for one person, limited for teams: Notion (5 MB uploads, 7-day history).
  • Free but single-device: Bear (sync requires Pro).
  • Free in name only: Evernote (50 notes, one device).

Frequently asked questions

What's the best free note-taking app?

Obsidian for most people — it's free without limits and works fully offline. If you use only Apple devices, Apple Notes is free and built in. Joplin is the best free open-source option with end-to-end encryption.

Is Obsidian better than Notion?

They solve different problems. Obsidian is best for personal knowledge you want to own as local files; Notion is best for shared documents and databases with a team. See our Notion vs Obsidian comparison.

How many notes can you have on Evernote's free plan?

50 notes and one notebook, synced to one device, according to Evernote's help centre.

Which note apps work offline?

Obsidian, Joplin, Logseq, Bear and Apple Notes keep notes on your device. Notion works offline only for pages you mark as available offline.

Sources & methodology

Every price, plan limit and platform on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing, download, security or help pages, checked on the date shown next to each app. We don't publish benchmark scores we haven't measured. Read the full methodology.

Update history

  • : First published. Plans, prices and storage models verified on vendor pages.

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