Best Note Taking Apps for Mac in 2025

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. 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?

1. NotePlan

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. 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.

2. Bear Notes

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.

3. Obsidian

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.

4. Agenda

Agenda Notes does something very unique with its note-taking application, and it's very popular among 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.

5. OneNote

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.

6. Craft

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.

7. Evernote

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.

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.

8. Reflect Notes

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.

9. Notion

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.