When looking for a note-taking app, there were a few features which I was looking for:
- Markdown support - support for GitHub flavored markdown.
- Organization - tagging or the ability to create a hierarchy
- Inline Text Editor - being able to write markdown inline without the need for a side-by-side view.
- Cross-Platform - being able to access notes on your desktop as well as when you are on the move.
Some of the things I use these apps for are: taking meeting notes, organizing my daily todo list, planning longer-term goals, collecting recipes, and planning side projects.
In no particular order here are the best note-taking apps in 2021:
1. Evernote
Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux, Mobile, Web
Evernote is one of the most ubiquitous note-taking apps out there. It has a solid text editor with a wide variety of features, such as tables, nested lists, file attachments, and font colors. You can also set reminders on notes, something that most apps on this list do not allow.
The organization system is solid. You can create notebooks to group notes by topic. Notes can be tagged and searched by tag.
While Evernote has a solid feature set and great cross-platform support, it falls down in one key area, markdown support. I would consider this a must for any note-taking app for developers. The organization of notes is also somewhat limited in that you are restricted to notebooks and tagging.
Summary: Evernote is a solid choice if you can forgo markdown support. For non-developers, it’s a strong note-taking solution.
2. Typora
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Typora is a minimalist note-taking app available for desktop only. The inline editor is beautiful. Of all the note-taking apps I’ve tried this has one of the strongest editors. It has support for tables, various font families and nested unordered lists. Markdown works great in this editor, with a very seamless experience.
Sticking with the minimal approach, Typora allows you to organize notes using folders and subfolders. Markdown files are used under the hood for storing your notes. There is currently no tagging system which can make it difficult to organize notes across different functions.
Summary: One of the best editors on the list. A minimalist approach is taken to organizing notes.
3. OneNote
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Mobile, Web
Microsoft OneNote is a feature-rich note-taking app. It uses a similar system to Evernote for organizing notes, with notebooks being the main mechanism. OneNote does also allow you to create sub-pages though. More recent versions do have custom tags, though the UI for this is clunky.
The text editor has a large feature set. Most users will be familiar with the Microsoft Office UI. Tables, nested lists, attachments, to-do lists are all supported. There are also drawing tools, which is something that most other apps on this list are missing.
Like Evernote, a big drawback is the lack of markdown support and the plethora of features can seem overwhelming at times. I found the simpler todo apps were more pleasant to use.
Summary: A feature-rich to-do app with no markdown support. Windows users will be at home with OneNote.
4. Bear
Platforms: iOS, macOS
Bear is a beautifully crafted note-taking app. It features a fantastic inline text editor, with good markdown support. The current version of Bear is missing a few markdown features, such as tables and full support for indented lists.
The UI is excellently designed. There are a number of view options, that can allow you to move between an editor view and a menu view. The various themes help to create an excellent aesthetic. It’s clear the team behind Bear has taken great effort with the design and UX.
Where Bear really shines, is its tagging ability. You can tag notes within the editor itself using a #. Bear supports the nesting of tags allowing you to create a hierarchy while organizing your notes. Multiple tags are supported on a single note. The side menu is centered around these tags.
Bear does have a few notable drawbacks. It currently does not have an Android app or a web app. For those who are not fully bought into the Apple ecosystem, it means having Bear as your single note/todo app can be difficult.
The editor, while excellent does not have the flexibility of Notion or Slite.
Summary: A beautiful UI, fantastic text editor, and best in class tagging system make this a great choice for Apple users.
5. Notion
Platforms: Mac, Windows, Mobile, Web
The functionality of Notion goes far beyond note-taking. Its feature set boasts pages, databases, wikis, templates, todo, and boards. It offers a huge amount of flexibility and customization. Templates leverage this flexibility and provide examples of how to create pages for specific tasks. Examples of templates include a recipe book, a Kanban board or a CRM.
The inline text editor itself is very strong. It has solid markdown support and allows for multiple columns and drag n drop. It is missing a few markdown features such as proper nested lists and tables.
There are a variety of ways to organize notes. You can create pages and subpages. You can create databases with labels and links to notes. You can link pages from within other pages. Notion also allows you to share any given note or workspace with others using a shareable link or by inviting by email.
The one notable thing missing in Notion is tagging notes outside of a database. If Notion had the tagging functionality of Bear it would be close to the perfect note-taking app.
The fact that Notion themselves use the app for their support docs and release docs is a testament to how flexible the application is. This is where Notion really shines. If you want a do-it-all note-taking and organization app, look no further. It’s not the strongest in any one feature but it does most things very well.
Summary: A do-it-all note-taking app that is strong in most areas with strong cross-platform support.
6. Boost Note
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Web
Boostnote is an open-source note-taking app built for developers. It uses a straightforward side by side editor. It has good markdown support which includes tables, lists and code blocks.
The editor itself is pretty basic. For me, inline editors such as Typora and Bear offer a better note-taking experience.
Boost Note is pretty strong when it comes to organization. It allows you to tag individual notes and the side menu allows you to easily find notes by tag. You can store notes in the cloud or locally.
Summary: A note-taking app with a basic editor and good organization.
7. Notable
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Notable is very similar to Boost Notes. It has a side-by-side editor, markdown support and tags. It does outshine Boost Note on two features, its text editor and its tagging system. Nested tags are supported in Notable, a big plus on the organizational front. Its text editor has better markdown support and is easier to use than Boost Notes.
The Notable UI is simple, clean and easy to use.
There is no mobile or web version at this time.
Summary: A free no-frills note-taking app for desktop with tagging and markdown support.
8. DropBox Paper
Platforms: Web
Dropbox paper provides a great online note-taking experience. It has good markdown support and a fantastic inline editor. It allows teams to collaborate on notes with features such as commenting, todo, and sharing. The organization of notes is pretty bare bones. You can create folders and subfolders and that’s it.
Dropbox paper is currently only available on the Web; meaning that, internet access is needed when accessing your notes.
Summary: A nice online note-taking app with good collaboration tools.
9. Slite
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Mobile, Web
Slide bills itself as a collaboration tool and note-taking app all in one. It features a beautiful UI and excellent text editor. The drag and drop functionality and markdown support make this one of the strongest editors on the list.
Slite is aimed at teams. It allows you to create organizations within the app to share notes across teams. You can use Slite as a wiki for your team or as your own personal note-taking app.
Slite uses the concept of channels for organizing notes. The side menu that allows you to browse channels is beautifully designed. Unfortunately, there is no tagging support for now.
Summary: Slite is a great option for teams and organizations who want to share notes and create wikis. It has one of the strongest text editors and a beautiful UI.
10. StackEdit
Platforms: Web
StackEdit is a straightforward markdown editor that concentrates on integrating with platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and GitHub.
Its UI is certainly not the prettiest on the list but as a note-taking app, it gets the job done. The editor is quick and easy to use.
The organization is basic and relies on folders with no tagging support.
Summary: A basic editor with Google Drive integration
The Winner
Many of the apps on this list focus on different areas. Several present themselves as an all-in-one solution for documentation, wikis, and note-taking. Others focus on offering an inexpensive note-taking solution specifically for developers. Each app has its own specialty and no one app performs perfectly across all areas.
I made a conscious decision to ignore the price. Most of these apps are inexpensive and if you use them correctly should be worth far more to your productivity than their price tag.
With that being said, here are my picks of the bunch:
Overall Winner: Notion
This was a close race between Note, Bear, and Slite. Notion’s flexibility and cross-platform support make it the best all-in-one solution. It has a huge feature set and a good editor. If you want to use a single app to store notes and stay you organized, look no further than Notion.
Best Editor: Dropbox Paper & Typora
There is little to choose from both of these excellent editors. Both have excellent markdown support and a clean inline editor. Typora is best if you need offline support. Dropbox wins if you want to collaborate. Slite should also get a special mention here.
Best Apple Specific App: Bear
I’m a huge fan of Bear. Its note-taking experience is great and its tagging is an excellent way of staying organized. The UI is pleasing to use and beautiful on the eye. All it is missing is cross-platform support and some extra features in the editor such as drag and drop.
Honorable mentions:
- Google Keep
- Ulysses
- Quiver
- Simple Note
- Joplin
- TiddlyWiki
- Cherry Tree
Closing thoughts
With so many options for note-taking apps and so many features available there is a good chance that I missed out on some features. I will gladly update any of the points above to fix inaccuracies.
I use a combination of Notion and Bear. Notion for ToDo’s and project planning and Bear for note-taking.
So what is your favorite note-taking app? Comment below.
*EDIT: Update honorable mentions with suggestions from comments.
Top comments (30)
Thank you for this article, I think that taking notes is very important, especially to organize next steps and remember the new knowledges while attending a course.
Previously I used OneNote and Evernote, now I am using Google Keep, I think it is the best among these three apps: easy to use, fluid and free.
Google keep is great. I use it on my phone for keeping lists.
Google Keep would be perfect, but the lack of markdown is a killer for me - most of my coding-related notes need code blocks. Also, it's by Google and I'm trying to reduce my use of Google products... That said, Keep also has the best UI/UX of all the apps imo
I really like the drag and dropping and overal veel en useage of the UI from Keep. That 'keeps' me from moving to another platform.
Agreed! Those are the sorts of "little" UX things that make a big difference
Great article, personally my favorite are Typora and Notable. I tried to reproduce it in web application (with mobile support) but I've never finished it. If you're interested you can take a look at nwotable.herokuapp.com/app/
I was pretty impressed with Notable as well. If you only need a desktop app its a great solution!
Nice app by the way! Have you tried to get others to contribute? Is it open source?
Thank you! The application is open source but no one has contributed so far. I don't know how to get visibility and people that enjoy contribute to it.
If you are interested : Source code
Awesome! I really like Notable.! Your app looks great!
I would add archbee.io since it's a notes app MADE for developers.
With Markdown support, GraphiQL, SwaggerUI, changelogs, embedded VS Code, Slack, Github, Trello integration.
Disclaimer: I am the founder of Archbee.
Thanks for the list, Tom.
I really wish Bear had a non-Apple app/alternative. I use both a MacBook Pro and an iPhone, but I also sometimes use a Windows Desktop, meaning I won't always have access to the notes.
Typora looks fantasic though. I'm going to give this a go syncing with Google Drive.
I'm in a similar situation in that I have a Macbook and really like Bear. I keep my ToDos in Notion so that I can access them anywhere. I use Bear mainly for meeting notes and planning blog posts.
You should check out Slite. It has a nice editing experience but also stores notes in the cloud. They have windows, mac and browser apps so it might be a good fit for you.
Hi Tom, I am also building a notes app for developers.
It has multiple developer friendly editors, git sync and many more things that developers require while taking notes. Can you also give it a try?
upnotes.io
I don't see it in the list or in the comments, so I think TiddlyWiki should be mentioned. While not strictly a note-taking app (or even an app, by some definitions) it has some peculiar features, it is free and very upgrade-friendly, and can work without remote services for total privacy.
By the way, I'm planning to use Notion to organize a university course I'll be teaching next fall: its feature set is very interesting for educational use.
I prefer offline note-takers with a quick upload/download cloud storage feature. Cloud services like Evernote and especially Notion are too clunky and distracting for simple notes for me and I end up spending so much time organising instead of note-taking.
On Android, I use the open source Markor app from F-Droid. I have a synced Google Drive folder structure set up and my docs are saved in there automatically. I much prefer this mostly offline, rudimentary approach and by having my files directly accessibile (unlike notion etc) I can choose whichever app(s) I want per platform!
Additional note: I also like this approach because I can use several apps per platform. Your example I might write a blog post in Typora but fiction in Calmly. Again, the direct file approach is much better for this use case!
I'm using roamreasearch.com which I think trounces most of the other services in terms of long term nurturing of ideas and output versus simply hoarding notes for the sake of hoarding notes.
Here's the canonical demo:
youtube.com/watch?v=YcNW-eidDJk
Thanks for the link. I'm going to take a look at this once I have some free time. Looks very cool!
Newer, I really have to mention Znote here as a solution designed for developers.
Znote offers interactive notes to build your personal knowledge base, allowing to prototype directly from Markdown files.
znote.io
Thank you so much for this article!!! Typora is amazing. I would've never known about it if I didn't read this.
Cool post!
Thank you for sharing
I have been using Bear for more than 1 year. I really like it!! I hope it can have a web platform so that I can use it on all my devices 😻
Completely agree. I would likely switch over to Bear as my sole note-taking app if it had a web platform. They did have it on their roadmap, not sure when it will be complete though:
mailchi.mp/shinyfrog/bear-sneak-pe...
The newest version allows you to reorder ToDo items, a feature which I was looking forward to them adding.
What about CherryTree?
It is not supported on Mac. Have you used it? How do you like it?
I used it, first on Linux then on Windows. I really like it, it's free, open-source, fast and organized. Only thing that is missing from it is support for MacOS, iOS and Android.
Nice list, if your privacy conscious I would go with Standard Notes. It's the best out there by far.
Thanks for the post, Tom. I really loved Treepad, but since it ended, I migrated thousands of notes to OneNote 2010 and have been using it since then. I was never going to post all my private data in the MS cloud and now with the constant nagging to upgrade to the cloud version, I got really tired of it and the layout was never great for me anyway. I recently created a homelab server and decided to migrate thousands of notes to self-hosted and open source Trilium in a Docker container. It's really awesome!