Best note-taking apps

Docs, wikis and databases in one connected workspace.

Private, local-first notes stored as plain Markdown files.

Open-source outliner for networked, local-first notes.

Open-source notes and to-dos with end-to-end encrypted sync.

Beautiful Markdown notes for Apple devices.

Local-first, encrypted workspace for notes, tasks and objects.

Long-running note app for capturing and organizing everything.

Free-form digital notebook from Microsoft.

The free notes app built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac, synced through iCloud.

An open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes app positioned as a private Evernote alternative.

An outliner for students that turns notes into flashcards with spaced repetition.

An outliner where supertags turn notes into structured data for tasks, meetings and projects.

Google's free sticky-note style app for quick notes, lists and reminders.

A notes app that organises everything as typed objects, like books, people and meetings.

The browser-based outliner that popularised daily notes, backlinks and block references.

A free, plain-text notes app from Automattic that syncs across every platform.

An open-source workspace that mixes docs, whiteboards and databases, local-first or self-hosted.

A clean, cross-platform notes app with a small free tier and a cheap lifetime licence.

A visual knowledge base that puts note cards on whiteboards to help you research and learn.

A Markdown notes app for Apple devices that combines daily notes, tasks and your calendar.

A free, open-source app for building a large, hierarchical personal knowledge base.

An open-source, self-hosted Markdown knowledge base you can program with Lua.

A simple, infinitely nested outliner for notes, lists and plans.

A minimal daily-notes app with backlinks, now rebuilt as open source on local Markdown files.

A polished documents and notes app that started on Apple devices and now runs everywhere.

An end-to-end encrypted notes app with open-source code and audited security.

A handwriting-first notes app for tablets, with PDF markup and AI study tools.

A handwriting and audio notes app that syncs your writing with recordings.

An open-source Notion alternative for docs, wikis and databases that you can self-host.

An open-source, local-first notes app with block references, databases and encrypted sync.

A free, card-based notes app from Zoho with text, checklists, audio and file notes.

A lightweight, self-hosted notes app that keeps your thoughts in a private timeline.

A long-running outliner with an unlimited free plan, from the team that later built Obsidian.

A date-focused notes app for Apple devices that ties notes to calendar events.

A notes app built around small, linkable notecards you can nest and share.

An AI-first notes app whose agent organises your notes and nudges you about follow-ups.

A free, open-source Markdown editor for academic notes and writing with citations.

A quick-capture text app for Apple devices that sends your notes anywhere with actions.

A Markdown notes app for developers, with encrypted sync and plugins.