10 Best Mac Note-Taking Apps for 2024
Best Note Taking Apps For Mac
Nov 24
As a Mac user, you might be looking for the perfect note taking app to use whilst working on your desktop. We have found ten of the best note taking apps for Mac and gathered them inside this list. Have a read and find the best notes app for your Mac.
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Find the perfect Mac note-taking app
So many beautiful Mac apps can help you take better notes.
Maybe you are using the traditional paper and pen method but losing important information, or your current app doesn't fulfill all your note-taking needs. Without a good note-taking app for Mac or any other device, you risk losing notes, forgetting great ideas, and spending a ton of money on notebooks, pens, paper, and so on.
We have created a list of the best note apps for Mac users to enhance their note-taking experience. So, when working on your Mac, you can work alongside the best notes app to save and store everything that comes to mind.
Are you looking for the best email apps for Mac users, too?
10 Best Note-Taking Apps for Mac in 2024
Here are the top picks for the best Mac apps for note-taking out there:
Recommendation | Best For |
|---|---|
All round notes | |
Markdown notes | |
PKM note-taking | |
Date-based notes | |
Powerful, free notes | |
Documents & notes | |
Traditional note-taking | |
PKM-like note building | |
Digital planning & notes |
How did we pick these Mac note-taking apps?
Before we dive in, let's take a look at what makes a good notes app for Mac:
What's Important? | Why? |
|---|---|
User-friendly interface | Being approachable is one of the most important things for macOS users. |
Security & reliability | With the security and power of macOS, you want your note-taking to be secure. |
Great for organization | These applications can be organized and folderized for later access. |
Let's begin the list of recommendations for you Mac users.
What is NotePlan?
NotePlan is a note-taking application with tasks and a calendar.
Designed to be an all-in-one productivity hub, it connects with Apple Calendar and Reminders to help organize tasks, notes, and calendar events in one space.
Why NotePlan is a good Mac note-taking app?
NotePlan is a note-taking app that works particularly well on Mac.
While it’s also available on iPhone, iPad, and the web, the Mac version is the most comprehensive. It allows you to view your notes, to-dos, and calendars in one place.
The Mac application is user-friendly, enabling you to capture information quickly through the command bar. This feature even includes AI tools like summarize and rewrite, which help you enhance your notes effortlessly.
Command Bar & More
The application is easy to navigate, thanks to its time-blocking features that are especially effective on Mac.
You can seamlessly drag and drop notes and tasks into relevant sections. Additionally, it supports markdown formatting, offers keyboard shortcuts, and includes a global command bar, making it a highly accessible tool for managing your notes on Mac.
Once you subscribe, NotePlan offers iCloud Sync, which keeps your data synchronized across devices, ensuring easy access on the go. The app also provides a variety of templates, saving you time when setting up. It’s an excellent choice for Mac users who want to manage their calendars, notes, and tasks in one place. Apple recognized NotePlan as one of the top 10 note-taking apps, and It has been available on Apple platforms since 2016, earning a solid reputation.
How much does NotePlan cost per month?
NotePlan doesn't come with a free plan; here are the premium options:
Plans | Pricing | Included |
|---|---|---|
Monthly | $9.99 per month | All features |
Annually | $99.99 per year | All features |
Is NotePlan free?
NotePlan does not offer a free pricing tier.
What is Bear Notes?
Bear Notes is a note-taking application that uses markdown. It is available on iOS and macOS and is built natively for easy use. Users store ideas, capture quick notes, and organize them using Bear's unique hashtag folders.
Students commonly use Bear to organize their notes, and those who like simple, minimal note-taking apps use markdown. Apple has praised Bear Notes for their build quality.
Why is Bear Notes a good Mac app?
Bear Notes does a really good job of handling their Mac experience. The application works well on iPhone and iPad.
Still, the real estate on Mac makes it much easier to utilize things like themes, markdown editor abilities, and tables, which, while they can be accessed on the go, are much easier and better on the Mac version.
You can change your themes with the Mac version. The free version has some limitations, but the Pro version has many more.
There’s also local note storage, which allows you to keep everything on the device. However, in the Pro version, there’s an iCloud Sync option, which means that your Mac will sync with the iPhone and iPad editions.
Power of Markdown Notes on Mac
The markdown works really well, and the great thing on the Mac version is that you can quickly see a table of contents and backlinks, which will save you a lot of time. There are also some really nice abilities in the Pro version, like OCR Search, which allows you to search the text inside of photos and PDFs. While you can’t use the Sketch abilities as well on the Mac version, the fact that you can export to a range of different formats, like TXT, markdown, text bundle, and more, is a great bonus in the Pro version on the Mac.
There’s also document scanning too, which will save you a lot of time bringing your documents into one location. Now, the Mac version of Bear is really attractive to use.
The themes make it look better, but the power in markdown and the editor abilities make things look really, really nice. Overall, this is really good and offers more affordable pricing for the Mac version for note-taking.
Pros:
- Comes with a markdown editor
- Reasonable pricing per year
- Easy to use for all types of note-takers
- Well-developer and respected developer
- Bunch of themes and app icons to customize
Cons:
- It might be too basic for some
- Limited to iOS and macOS devices
Pricing:
Bear Notes is priced at $29.99 per year for the premium experience.
Recommendation
Obsidian Notes
Quick Facts
- Pricing: Free, starts at $4 per month
- What it does: Effective note-taking using PKM
- Type of tool: Personal knowledge management
- Alternative to Obsidian: Anytype, Logseq & Capacities
- Ease of use: Intermediate
What is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a note-taking application designed to help you connect and organize your ideas effectively. It’s a local-first, markdown note-taking app, meaning your notes are stored securely on your device, prioritizing privacy.
Obsidian is accessible on Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android, and no account or sign-up is required unless you want to sync between devices. This makes it easy to use, and Obsidian is becoming a well-known Evernote alternative.
Why is Obsidian good for Mac?
Obsidian is a well-known application for personal knowledge management (PKM). Still, it also comes with an easy-to-use Mac app that allows you to take offline notes as a primary focus. Obsidian uses something called "local first," which means you can manage your notes on the device.
For Mac users, this will be inside something called an Obsidian Vault, which means you can store it locally. However, if you want to sync it with iCloud or with Obsidian's sync service, it offers end-to-end encryption between devices, allowing you to access your notes on the go. However, if you primarily use the Mac or prefer that Local First focus, then this is going to be great.
Obsidian on the Mac version allows you to take great notes that connect and visualize them in a graph view, which is basically like your brain extended on the page.
There's also an additional view for Mac users, which you'll love. It allows you to combine images and objects in a canvas-like view, helping you connect the idea you're trying to work on.
There are also Community Plugins, which extend the way you use the Mac version—something you can't do as much on mobile—but it allows you to add features like a calendar view, Kanban, outliner views, and even a range of community themes, which is pretty extensive on the Mac version.
What is the killer feature on Mac?
The Canvas mode is probably the killer feature when it comes to bringing ideas to life, but Core Plugins also allow you to switch features on and off to your liking. Primarily, this app is best if you're a Mac user and want to think more securely about how you take your notes.
There are additional abilities for sharing your notes, like a knowledge base or a digital garden called Obsidian Publish, but largely this is one of the better Mac apps for those who are taking more advanced notes and want to be able to control how they access and store their notes.
What is Agenda Notes?
Agenda Notes is a note-taking app for managing notes and calendars in one. It helps you organize notes and assign them a date, allowing you to plan event-based notes ahead of time. This app is perfect for meeting agendas and trip planning.
It won the Apple Design Award and is popular for macOS.
Why is Agenda good for Mac?
Agenda Notes does something very unique with its note-taking application, and it's very popular among Mac users.
This popularity is partly because it is a one-time winner of the Apple Design Award, a highly coveted award that Apple offers to select few applications with outstanding design.
Agenda aims to be a bit like NotePlan, allowing you to add notes and connect them with your calendar for agenda-like planning. This feature is great for meetings, planning tasks, and organizing projects.
A "On the Agenda" feature helps you see everything ahead of time.
The Mac application is particularly powerful and visually appealing, making it ideal for connecting your calendar and planning ahead.
Many people appreciate the Mac app because it offers features like markdown, HTML, and a large workspace for organizing notes into folders. It also supports adding reminders and detailed elements like images, which you can insert inline with your text. Additionally, you can share notes with others who are also using Agenda.
Is it worth it for Mac users?
The Mac application is free, but there is a premium version that upgrades the entire experience. The user interface is beautiful and works very well for those who want a combination of markdown and a way to plan ahead with a focus on dates.
This app is perfect for Mac users who are very date-oriented, such as those with numerous meetings, trips, board meetings, or projects that are closely tied to specific dates and want to plan them in line with their tasks and notes.
Free Buyer's Guide to Note-Taking Apps
Get the free PDF and report on how to pick the best note-taking apps for 2025 and beyond. Unlock insights from note-taking tool expert Francesco D'Alessio with over 10+ years of insight into one PDF.
Recommendation
Microsoft OneNote
What is Microsoft Onenote?
Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking app that allows users to create and organize notes flexibly and intuitively. This is part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Why OneNote is good for Mac?
Microsoft OneNote got a new lick of paint a few years ago.
The application has a really high score on the Mac App Store, but it still feels very old-fashioned, like Microsoft Word, in its general design and function. If you're looking for a beautiful Mac application for taking notes, this probably isn't the one.
However, it is super functional, allowing you to use it for various tasks, from memory writing to sketchbooks, which lets you organize and create visuals on the screen with features like automatically converting hand-drawn shapes if you're using it alongside an iPad or other device.
The great thing is that it’s integrated with the Microsoft 365 structure and OneDrive, but it also allows you to share and collaborate with others. The application is robust, easy to use, and will enable you to do quite a lot within one experience.
While it does offer a free experience overall, it is not the most attractive Mac note-taking application, but it’s one to consider in your lineup.
Recommendation
Craft Documents
Why Craft is a good Mac note-taking app?
Craft is a document application at heart, but it is really popular for note-taking and is very well-loved on iPhone and Mac for the native feel it provides across the experience.
The Mac version comes with pretty extensive abilities, like managing the cards that you can add to each of your Craft documents to help bring them to life and create internal wikis for yourself.
This feature is becoming increasingly popular among those who want an easy-to-use experience. You can also create a range of features like Reminders, a Table of Contents, and Attachments for each document you create within this platform. This is one of the reasons why Craft was a winner of the App Store Best App of the Year and a finalist in the Apple Design Awards, which is always something to consider when looking at these Mac apps.
There are also newer features like Whiteboards, similar to what Obsidian Canvas offers, but Craft provides a much more robust experience around these features, similar to what you might see in apps like Notion. Overall, the experience works incredibly well on Mac, allowing you to perform various tasks such as creating Tables, adding Images, embedding Videos, and structuring your content. It also has a solid offline mode, which brings all your ideas into one location. You can easily reach, explore, and mark down files and much more.
Craft also focuses on your security and safety. The application is really easy to use, great for sharing with others, and has a long history of reliability on Mac, as evidenced by its strong credibility on the Mac App Store.
What is Evernote?
Evernote is a note-taking application that was first built in 2000. It is available on iOS, Android, macOS, web, and Windows. Professionals and individuals use it to take notes, add tasks & manage calendar notes in one.
It is famous for note-taking and has a traditional format for collecting and organizing notes. Bending Spoons acquired Evernote and are the developers and owners.
Why Evernote is good on Mac?
Evernote is evolving into a very different application from what it was years ago. It now aims to be a planner app, allowing you to organize your calendar, tasks, and documents all in one location. Evernote’s Mac version supports a variety of new features, such as viewing your tasks and plans in a single place, as well as powerful tools for organizing meeting notes once you connect with your Google Calendar. The focus has shifted away from Evernote being just a note-taking application, and the Mac version showcases a well-designed, comprehensive app.
However, it's important to note that the free version of Evernote on Mac is quite limited. If you're using it on just one device, you can manage up to 50 notes for free. But if you want to use it on more than one device, you'll need to upgrade your plan.
Since recent updates, the Evernote Mac version has worked faster and more smoothly. While the app had performance issues in the past, these seem to have been resolved.
Video: Evernote Review
Here's everything you need to know about Evernote in 2024:
What is Reflect Notes?
Reflect Notes is a note-taking application with networked thought abilities and AI.
It is available on macOS, web, and iOS and has been featured as a good AI note-taking app.
Why Reflect Notes works well on Mac?
Reflect Notes is a really beautiful application on Mac, offering a great way to experience PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) note-taking similar to Obsidian, but with the added benefit of end-to-end encryption across your devices. The Mac version of Reflect is also invested in AI, helping you transcribe voice notes from the app, generate custom prompts, and create key takeaways and action items using artificial intelligence.
The application is exceptionally well-built for Mac, making it easy to take notes during meetings and, more recently, manage tasks as well. If you're a Mac user who uses Kindle, Google Chrome, Safari, or Readwise, Reflect is a great choice because it offers excellent integrations with these platforms, allowing you to consolidate all your knowledge into one place.
Reflect Notes works incredibly well on Mac, making it perfect for users who want something visually appealing and regularly updated, potentially outpacing the development cycle of Obsidian on Mac. It also emphasizes security, ensuring that your notes are end-to-end encrypted once you've subscribed. However, it's important to note that Reflect offers a more premium experience compared to Obsidian, which is reflected in its pricing.
What is Notion?
Notion is an all-in-one productivity app for notes, project management, tasks, and calendar management. It is available for macOS, Windows, web, iOS, and Android. Although it is a complex tool, users can use the no-code layout to build workspaces for any scenario.
Notion has been a popular Evernote alternative.
Why is Notion good for Mac users?
Notion is a great note-taking tool for Mac users thanks to its flexibility, AI writing support, Notion templates for easy starting, and collaboration features. It's important to note that Notion isn't just a notes app, it's an app with many levels that allow you to create project management systems, ways to organize data, and much more.
For now, in terms of note-taking, you can create pages and use AI to support writing such as generating, summarizing, and rewriting text. You have tons of flexibility with your notes and can create powerful wikis and documents inside Notion. Use headings, tables, lists, add videos, and more by using the Notion Blocks.
Free Buyer's Guide to Note-Taking Apps
Get the free PDF and report on how to pick the best note-taking apps for 2025 and beyond. Unlock insights from note-taking tool expert Francesco D'Alessio with over 10+ years of insight into one PDF.
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