How could I use a note taking app?
Writing stuff down helps you remember it. Sounds obvious, but millions of people rely on note-taking apps every day to capture ideas, organize thoughts, and build knowledge systems they can actually reference later. It's not just about jotting down grocery lists, though that works too.
Over the past few years, frameworks like GTD (Getting Things Done) by David Allen and Second Brain by Tiago Forte have pushed note-taking from "digital scratchpad" to "external brain." People are building interconnected knowledge bases, linking related concepts, and creating systems that genuinely help them think better and work smarter.
Here's how people actually use these apps in 2026:
**Checklists and planning** – Holiday packing lists, gift ideas for upcoming birthdays, house move priorities, weekly meal plans. Basically any list you don't want to lose or forget about. Some apps like Notion let you turn these into recurring daily checklists you can reuse.
**Idea capture** – That business idea you had in the shower. Project concepts for work. Random thoughts on how you could've handled that meeting better. The key is capturing them fast before they evaporate, then organizing them later when you have time to think.
**Memory vault** – Photos from trips with context about where you were and what made it special. Family recipes with notes about modifications. Stories you want to remember. Book highlights and your thoughts on them. It's like a personal archive that actually makes sense when you search it.
**Research and sources** – College bibliographies, bookmarked articles you actually want to read again, useful resources for projects, news stories relevant to your work. Instead of 47 browser tabs, everything lives in one searchable place.
The apps we've listed here cover different approaches to note-taking. Some focus on simplicity and speed. Others embrace complex linking and knowledge management. Pick what matches how your brain works, not what some productivity influencer insists is the "right way."
1. Obsidian
Best for PKM: Obsidian
Obsidian has become the gold standard for serious knowledge management, and honestly, once you get past the initial learning curve, it's hard to go back to simpler apps. Everything lives locally on your device, which means your notes are yours, no cloud dependency, no vendor lock-in, and zero storage fees eating into your budget.
The markdown-based approach might feel technical at first, but it's actually liberating. Your notes are plain text files you can open in any text editor, now or twenty years from now. No proprietary format that might become unsupported. Plus markdown lets you format quickly without touching a mouse, which speeds up note-taking once you learn the syntax.
Graph view is where Obsidian gets interesting. It visualizes all your notes and their connections as a network. Click a node and boom, you're looking at a note and can see everything linked to it. For building a personal knowledge management system, this is clutch. You start seeing patterns in how your ideas connect, which topics you reference constantly, and where gaps in your knowledge might exist.
Canvas view feels like having an infinite whiteboard where you can arrange notes, images, PDFs, and web links spatially. Great for planning complex projects, mapping out book chapters, or just brainstorming visually. Drag connections between items, zoom in and out, and organize thoughts in ways that linear note lists can't handle.
The bi-directional linking is stupidly powerful for writers and researchers. Link Note A to Note B, and Note B automatically shows that Note A referenced it. Over time you build this web of connected thoughts that's actually useful for rediscovering old ideas. Way better than traditional folder hierarchies where notes get buried and forgotten.
Pricing is fantastic. Core app is completely free, forever, for local use. Sync service costs $4 per month if you want your notes on multiple devices with end-to-end encryption. Publish is $8 per month for creating a public digital garden from your notes. Most people start free and only pay for sync once they're hooked.
Downside is the learning curve. You'll spend a few hours figuring out workflows, plugins, and how to organize your vault. Reddit's r/ObsidianMD community is huge though, lots of templates and advice for getting started. Updates roll out regularly based on user feedback, which keeps the app improving.
2. Capacities
Best for Objects: Capacities
Capacities takes a completely different approach to note-taking with its object-based system, and people are either immediately hooked or confused for the first week. The core idea is brilliant: instead of just creating generic notes, you define object types (meetings, people, books, projects, ideas) and each type has its own structure and properties.
Think of objects like smart templates. Create a "Book" object type with fields for author, publication year, rating, and notes. Now every time you add a book to your system, it's automatically structured the same way. Search for all books by a specific author, or see all 5-star rated books, or find every book you read in 2024. The structure makes your notes way more useful over time.
The design is gorgeous, honestly one of the best-looking note apps out there. Clean interface, thoughtful typography, smooth animations that don't feel gimmicky. They update features constantly based on user feedback, which keeps the app evolving. Daily notes for journaling work seamlessly, tagging helps connect related content, and you can add task items that integrate with your note system.
AI chat integration lets you query your notes in natural language. Ask "what were the key insights from meetings with Sarah last month" and it pulls relevant information from your meeting objects. The AI features are locked behind premium though, which is a bit annoying if you want to fully leverage them.
App integrations let you import tasks from other tools, so your note system can become the central hub for everything you're tracking. The flexibility here is impressive without being overwhelming like Notion can get.
Pricing is free for core features, which is generous. Pro plan runs $8 per month per user and unlocks AI features, unlimited file uploads, and version history. For people serious about building a comprehensive personal knowledge system, the $8 feels worth it. Try the free tier first to see if the object-based approach clicks for you.
3. NotePlan
Best for Calendar & Tasks: NotePlan
NotePlan bridges the gap between note-taking purists who love markdown and people who need their notes to actually integrate with tasks and calendar events. It's rare to find an app that nails all three without compromising on any of them, but NotePlan pulls it off.
The markdown support feels native and fast, not like some clunky afterthought. Create notes with headers, lists, links, and formatting using plain text syntax. But unlike pure markdown apps, you can also create tasks right in your notes with due dates, and they'll show up in your calendar view. Meeting notes automatically link to calendar events. Your daily note becomes your agenda for the day.
Calendar integration is where NotePlan really shines. It syncs with your existing calendars (Google Calendar, iCloud, etc.) so all your events appear alongside your tasks and notes. You're not managing two separate systems. Planning your day means seeing both your scheduled meetings and your task list in one timeline. Drag tasks to different days, reschedule on the fly, and everything stays connected.
The mobile app got a significant upgrade recently, which was needed. Now you can actually use the full planner capabilities on your phone without feeling like you're fighting a desktop UI crammed onto a small screen. Quick capture works well for jotting down ideas between meetings, and sync is fast.
We've been tracking NotePlan's progress through 2026 and they keep shipping updates that address user requests. The development team is responsive, active in their community, and genuinely seems to care about building a tool people love using daily.
Pricing runs around $13 per month or $100 per year. Not the cheapest note app, but you're getting three tools in one (notes, tasks, calendar). If you're currently paying for separate apps for each, the math works out. They offer a free trial so you can test whether the integrated approach fits your workflow.
4. Evernote
Best for All Round: Evernote
Evernote is the OG note-taking app that's been through some rough years but might be having a comeback. Between 2013 and 2020, it felt like they lost their way with constant pivots, feature bloat, and performance issues that frustrated longtime users. Then Bending Spoons acquired them with a clear vision: rebuild around AI and make the core experience fast and reliable again.
The traditional approach Evernote takes still works really well for a lot of people. Notes, tasks, and calendar integration all in one place. Clip web articles with browser extensions. Scan documents with your phone. Tag everything for easy retrieval. It's the classic digital filing cabinet approach, and when it works smoothly, it genuinely helps you stay organized.
What Evernote does better than newer apps is handling diverse content types. PDFs, images, audio recordings, scanned documents, web clippings, handwritten notes, typed notes. Everything lives in your notebooks and syncs across devices. The search is powerful too, even finding text inside images and PDFs, which is clutch when you're looking for that receipt you photographed six months ago.
The new AI features under Bending Spoons are actually useful, not just marketing fluff. AI-powered search understands context better. Note summaries save time when reviewing long meeting notes. Suggested tags help organize without manual effort. They're clearly investing in making AI a genuine productivity boost rather than a gimmick.
Downside is performance can still be sluggish on older devices, though it's improving. The app feels heavier than lightweight markdown editors, which makes sense given everything it does but can be annoying if you just want to jot quick notes.
Pricing starts free with limits on device syncing and monthly uploads. Personal plan runs about $10 per month and unlocks unlimited devices, 10GB monthly uploads, and offline access. Professional at $15 adds more storage and advanced features. For people who need a traditional all-rounder that handles everything, it's still competitive pricing.
We're watching Evernote's progress through 2026 with cautious optimism. The new team seems committed to speed and reliability, which is exactly what the app needs.
5. Reflect Notes
Best for PKM & E2E: Reflect Notes
Reflect oozes polish in a way most note apps don't even attempt. The design is beautiful, but more importantly, every interaction feels intentional and smooth. This isn't trying to be everything for everyone. It's focused on being the absolute best at networked note-taking with premium features that justify the premium price.
End-to-end encryption is built-in from day one, which matters if you're taking notes about sensitive work, personal reflections, or anything you don't want sitting unencrypted on some company's servers. Your notes are encrypted before they leave your device. Even Reflect can't read them. For people in healthcare, legal, or just privacy-conscious users, this is a huge deal.
Graph view visualizes how your notes connect, similar to Obsidian but with a cleaner aesthetic. The meeting integration is clever: it connects to your calendar and automatically creates notes for upcoming meetings. Join a meeting, and your note is right there ready to capture discussion points and action items. After the meeting, those action items can flow into your task system.
Reflect AI is where things get interesting for productivity. Voice transcription works well for quickly capturing thoughts without typing. Ask the AI to create action lists from your meeting notes and it pulls out the tasks automatically. Custom prompts let you set up reusable AI workflows: summarize this article, extract key insights, turn these rough notes into a polished summary.
The focus on integrations and security is refreshing. They're not trying to lock you into a walled garden. Import highlights from Kindle, connect your calendar, integrate with other tools in your workflow. Everything syncs fast across devices.
No free plan though. It's $10 per month, period. They're clear about this: they want to build a sustainable business funded by users who value quality, not by selling your data or going freemium with crippled features. For some people, that's a dealbreaker. For others who've been burned by free apps that shut down or get acquired and ruined, it's reassuring.
We're watching Reflect closely through 2026. They keep shipping thoughtful updates and the team is responsive to feedback. If you value design, privacy, and polished AI features, the $10 is probably worth it.
Reflect Notes is a networked thought note-taking tool for notes, daily notes & tasks.
6. Anytype
Great for Object Based Notes
Anytype is the open-source challenger to Notion, built on principles that matter to people who care about data ownership and privacy. Everything is local-first with peer-to-peer networking, which means your notes live on your devices and sync directly between them without sitting on someone else's servers. For privacy advocates and open-source enthusiasts, this is exactly what they've been wanting.
Markdown support is native and feels fast on desktop. Create notes, documents, and pages using familiar formatting. The sets and collections system works similarly to Notion's databases but with the added benefit of knowing your data isn't being mined or stored in ways you can't control. End-to-end encryption is built-in, not an add-on premium feature.
The mobile apps on both iOS and Android are surprisingly well-rated, which isn't always the case for open-source projects. The community around Anytype is engaged and helpful, constantly sharing templates, workflows, and tips for getting the most out of the platform. This kind of active user base usually means the project has staying power.
Downside is the learning curve. Anytype can be overwhelming when you first dive in, especially if you're coming from simpler note apps. The interface isn't as polished as commercial options, and while the database abilities are solid, they're still not as sophisticated as Notion's. Features are actively being developed, which is great for long-term potential but means you might hit limitations in the short term.
Thing is, for people who value open-source principles and data ownership, these trade-offs are worth it. You're betting on a platform that won't get acquired by a big tech company and turned into something unrecognizable. Your notes are truly yours.
Pricing is free, because it's open-source. They're exploring sustainable funding models but the core app remains free to use. If you're philosophically aligned with open-source software and want a Notion alternative that respects your privacy, Anytype deserves serious consideration.
7. RemNote
Best for Students: RemNote
RemNote nails a specific use case better than almost any other app: active learning for students. The core idea is brilliant: take notes normally, then convert any part of those notes into flashcards with literally two clicks. For students drowning in lecture content who need to actually retain information for exams, this is game-changing.
The flashcard creation process is stupidly simple. Highlight a concept in your notes, press a keyboard shortcut, and boom, it's now a flashcard in your spaced repetition queue. Import lecture slides, PDFs, or notes from other apps, and you can turn those into flashcards too. Your study material transforms from passive reading into active recall practice without extra work reorganizing content.
Unlimited flashcard creation and notes on the free tier is huge for students on tight budgets. You're not hitting artificial limits when you're trying to study for finals. The spaced repetition algorithm surfaces cards when you're about to forget them, which is proven to work way better than cramming everything the night before.
Limitations kick in on the free plan for features like PDF annotation and file uploads per note. For undergrads taking basic courses, the free tier might be enough. For PhD and master's students dealing with tons of research papers and complex source material, the paid plans make sense.
Pricing is student-friendly. Pro plan runs around $6 per month, which is reasonable when you consider textbooks cost hundreds of dollars. Unlimited plan at $12 per month adds more storage and advanced features. They clearly designed pricing for students who need to invest in study tools but don't have unlimited budgets.
The learning curve exists but it's worth it. Spend a weekend setting up your system and importing your first course materials. After that, the workflow becomes second nature and you'll wonder how you ever studied without turning notes into active recall practice.
8. Amplenote
Best for All Round: Amplenote
Amplenote is ambitious in the best way: they want to be your external brain for everything, and they're actually building the features to pull it off. Notes, tasks, and calendar all live together in one system designed around Getting Things Done methodology. The feature list is long, maybe too long if you just want simple note-taking, but for people who want an all-in-one productivity system, it's compelling.
What surprised us most about Amplenote isn't the note-taking (which works fine), it's the task management. The task scoring system uses parameters like urgency, importance, and effort to automatically rank your to-dos. Add a task, answer a few quick questions about it, and Amplenote calculates what you should actually work on today. For people who get overwhelmed by long task lists, this ranking takes the decision paralysis out of "what do I do next."
Notes and tasks integrate seamlessly. Write meeting notes, highlight action items, and they become tasks in your system without copy-pasting or switching apps. Add context to tasks by linking related notes. Everything connects in ways that make sense for getting work done, not just collecting information.
Calendar integration lets you see your schedule alongside your tasks and notes. Plan your day with actual awareness of when you have meetings and when you have focused work time available. The daily jots feature gives you a space for quick thoughts and journaling without cluttering your main notes.
Downside is the interface can feel overwhelming at first. There are a lot of features, and figuring out which ones you actually need takes time. Some people love having all these options, others just want to write notes without learning a whole system.
Pricing starts free with basic features. Unlimited plan is around $8 per month and unlocks full task scoring, unlimited notes, and calendar integration. For people committed to building a comprehensive personal productivity system, the price makes sense. If you just need basic notes, you might be paying for features you won't use.
They're constantly iterating and improving based on user feedback, which we love. The development roadmap is transparent and they actually ship the features they promise.
What is the best simple, free note-taking apps?
Not everyone needs linked notes, graph views, and AI assistants. Sometimes you just want to write stuff down without learning a whole knowledge management system. That's totally valid.
Simplenote lives up to its name. Plain text notes, tagging for organization, sync across devices. That's it. No premium upsells, no feature limits, completely free forever. It's fast, reliable, and does exactly what it says. Perfect for people who tried complex apps and realized they only used 10% of the features.
Apple Notes is underrated if you're in the Apple ecosystem. Free, syncs instantly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You can sketch, add photos, scan documents, create checklists, and lock notes with passwords. Collaboration works well for shared grocery lists or trip planning. The search is solid, even finding text in images. For Apple users who don't want another app subscription, it's genuinely good.
Google Keep is great for quick capture. Voice memos that auto-transcribe, photo notes with OCR, location-based reminders, color-coded organization. It's more about capturing fleeting thoughts than building a knowledge system. Free, works everywhere including web, and integrates with Google ecosystem. If you're already using Gmail and Google Calendar, Keep slots right in.
The common thread here: free, simple, no learning curve. You lose the advanced features like bi-directional linking or object-based organization, but you gain speed and simplicity. For many people, that's exactly the right trade-off.
Choosing Your Note-Taking App
Match the Tool to How You Actually Work
Here's how to actually pick which app to use instead of endlessly researching.
If you're building a second brain or doing serious knowledge work, go with Obsidian or Reflect. Both handle linked notes and graph views well. Obsidian is free and local-first. Reflect costs $10 monthly but adds polish and AI features.
Students cramming for exams should try RemNote. The flashcard integration alone makes it worth the learning curve.
Need tasks and calendar integrated with notes? NotePlan or Amplenote both nail this. NotePlan feels more streamlined, Amplenote has more features but more complexity.
Like structured organization with object types? Capacities is your pick. The approach either clicks immediately or feels confusing, try the free tier to find out.
Want the traditional all-in-one approach with web clipping and document scanning? Evernote is improving under new management. Give it another look if you bounced off it years ago.
Care deeply about open-source and data ownership? Anytype is the privacy-focused Notion alternative you've been wanting.
Just need basic notes that work? Simplenote, Apple Notes, or Google Keep. Pick whichever matches your device ecosystem.
Honestly, the best note app is whichever one you'll actually open and use consistently. Download two that sound interesting, try them for a week each with real work, and stick with the one that feels natural. Your perfect system is the one you'll maintain in 2026 and beyond.