7 note-taking apps for group

Observe-taking is one thing all of us do in some capability. Irrespective of if it’s essential to write lists, copy down a cellphone quantity, or take detailed notes on a dialogue or class, there is a note-taking app on the market that is for you. The right note-taking app should simplify your workflow, and provide help to maintain issues organized. There’s a variety of choices now for a note-taking app; some are perfect for desktops, whereas others are designed for use with phones and tablets. There are even some new apps that I’ve included which have been featured by Apple and have simply been launched to the general public.

The suitable note-taking app will can help you seamlessly jot down or dictate your notes throughout a number of platforms and have them synchronized and able to go from anyplace. An excellent higher hub of ideas also needs to have group methods that make it straightforward to seek for and discover your notes so as to rapidly reference data everytime you want it.

1 Microsoft OneNote

My favourite note-taking app

Microsoft / Pocket-lint

My high total note-taking app

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote manages to suit the majority of Microsoft Phrase’s text-formatting and enhancing skills into a light-weight note-taking app that handles every part from textual content, to audio, to handwriting and drawing.

Execs

• Free to make use of
• Helps handwriting enter from tablets
• Cross platform assist on iOS, Android, and Mac

Cons

• Works finest inside Microsoft’s app ecosystem

Microsoft’s OneNote is my favourite, hands-down, and it is the note-taking app that I’ve used probably the most. OneNote is my every day driver for each my skilled writing, however it’s additionally what I take advantage of to draft quick tales and jot down every day reminders. It isn’t the snazziest note-taking app accessible, however if you happen to’ve used Microsoft Phrase, then OneNote’s interface, which options the identical “ribbon” bar, ought to really feel snug to you. Better of all, you should use OneNote with a free Microsoft Account.

The free model of OneNote will offer you all of the options you will want, together with the power to cross-sync your notes throughout Home windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and even iPadOS. You’ll need to pay additional in order for you greater than the 5GB of allotted space for storing or if you wish to export your OneNote information to Workplace Phrase or Excel. If any of those apply to you, you have to to pay for a Microsoft 365 account, which begins at $7 monthly, however you do obtain the remainder of Microsoft’s 365 productiveness suite.

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2 Apple Notes

The default and fully-free notes app for macOS and iOS

My favourite iOS note-taking app

Apple Notes

Apple’s Notes app comes pre-installed on all Macs and iOS units, and it is our favourite iOS note-taking app. Whereas there are different note-taking apps on the market for iOS, Notes has seen some nice enhancements over the previous few years that make it our favourite for the iOS platform.

Execs

• Current updates have improved the app
• May even be accessed from a bowser

Cons

• Expertise is not very intuitive

If in case you have an iPhone or Mac laptop, there is a fairly good probability you’ve got interacted with Apple’s free Notes app. That is most likely my second most-used notes app, and I prefer it as a result of it’s straightforward to make use of, has constant helpful characteristic updates, and is absolutely built-in together with your different Apple units by means of your iCloud account.

Notes has improved enormously since its authentic launch again with the unique iPhone. The newest iOS replace means that you can have hidden conversations with the Notes app, in addition to create straightforward group notes for issues like occasion planning or a category task. In case you are utilizing the Notes app on an iPad, the app is Pen appropriate, and you’ll hand-write notes. Be warned, nevertheless, it is not probably the most intuitive expertise, as you must insert a handwriting part into your word, as an alternative of drawing instantly on the word.

Apple Notes could be accessed from almost anyplace, together with your browser. You possibly can entry all your Apple notes by means of your iCloud account, and that is true even in case you are utilizing a Chromebook or Home windows PC. When you can view and edit your Apple Notes information by means of an internet browser, I do not suggest utilizing the Home windows model of the Notes app, because it interacts fairly poorly with the Home windows 10 and 11.

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3 Bear

The very best different to Apple Notes for iOS units

Bear / Pocket-lint

Nice different to Apple Notes

Bear

Bear is for iOS customers who need a clear design and feature-rich substitute for Apple’s Notes app. Bear incorporates a tagging system together with Markdown assist for simple organizing of your notes.

Execs

• Markdown textual content enhancing assist
• Apple Pencil assist
• Intuitive tagging system for group

Cons

• Solely appropriate with Apple merchandise

Bear is a good choice for anybody who needs a extra feature-rich note-taking app for iOS units and Macs. The killer characteristic of Bear is that it means that you can write in Markdown (a formatting software that means that you can format textual content in real-time) and tag every word to maintain your ideas neatly organized. You do not have to make use of the Markdown characteristic, although. Bear is straightforward to make use of, and it is easy to prepare your notes your personal method. There’s additionally pen assist, so you should use the Apple Pencil natively in Bear.

I actually respect how straightforward utilizing the Apple Pencil is with Bear when in comparison with Apple’s personal Notes app. You do not have to create any additional fields to attract with the pen, and the app’s response to the pen is nice. Bear can be utilized totally free, however the free model limits your exports to simply .TXT, Markdown, and Textbundle information. The fee tiers for Bear are a bit complicated, however for $3 a month or $30 a yr, you may export your notes to almost any format, together with ePUB and OCR. The paid model additionally consists of iCloud syncing, so your notes can go anyplace with you.

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4 Google Preserve

The very best easy and absolutely free note-taking app

My high light-weight note-taking app

Google Preserve

Google Preserve is free to make use of and accessible on all platforms, however it lacks group options in comparison with the opposite choices on this listing. Nonetheless, it’s a nice note-keeping app for anybody searching for a light-weight note-taking app.

Execs

• Simple to make use of
• Completely free
• Cross-platform

Cons

• Lack of group options
• Google Docs has higher integration

In case you are searching for a easy and light-weight note-taking app or one that does not have a steep studying curve with a ton of options, think about Google Preserve. Google Preserve could be accessed from any system and is a superb note-taking app for jotting down fast notes or for creating every day to-do lists. You possibly can enter pictures into Preserve notes and hyperlinks with ease, and Preserve is built-in with the remainder of Google’s ecosystem.

Preserve is accessible instantly from Gmail, making it straightforward to jot down fast bits of knowledge from emails. You may as well draft writings in Preserve and export them on to Google Docs, saving time within the writing course of. That is how I take advantage of Preserve, and whereas it is not my every day driver in the best way OneNote is, it is nonetheless in my rotation of apps. It is good with the ability to copy down necessary dates, cellphone numbers, or names from Gmail with out having to open a separate window. There isn’t any payment for utilizing Preserve, however do needless to say your Preserve notes will impression your total Google account storage, so you probably have a number of already-existing Sheets and Docs, it’s possible you’ll must pay for extra Google storage.

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5 Notion

The very best premium note-taking app

My favorite feature-rich premium note-taking app

Notion

Notion is a well-liked note-taking app usually utilized by software program builders, however it’s nice for anybody because of its big selection of customized templates and options.

Execs

• Huge ranging use instances
• Totally different templates for various makes use of
• AI integration

In case you’ve labored for a startup or have labored on a technical crew, there is a good probability you will have interacted with Notion. I’ve used Notion each in a job setting, however I’ve additionally used it as a digital journaling software. It is one of the vital versatile note-taking apps that I’ve examined, and if you happen to’re keen to spend time on studying all of the ins-and-outs, Notion can do almost something you need it to as a note-taking app.

Notion / Pocket-lint

Notion is constructed with blocks of your notes. It is simple to create your personal Wiki, to-do lists, or every day or weekly planner with Notion because of the block system of the UI. Notion runs in your browser, so it is usable from anyplace, and you’ll share something you create with some other Notion customers. It is free to make use of, however if you wish to carry in additional than 10 folks to your Notion, or create personal pages, you may pay for Notion beginning at $8 a month.

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6 Obsidian

Essentially the most expansive note-taking app, for these with endurance

My favourite feature-rich note-taking app

Obsidian

Obsidian is a good, feature-rich note-taking app, however it incorporates a steep studying curve. It is free to make use of for people, however companies might want to pay for a industrial license from Obsidian.

Execs

• Free to make use of for people
• Graph notes
• Wide selection of free plug-ins

Obsidian is probably the most feature-rich note-taking app on this listing, however it’s additionally probably the most tough to be taught. It shines by domestically saving your notes, eliminating the requirement for an web connection that a lot of the different apps on this listing have. It additionally retains your word safe, however safety all the time comes at a price, and that primarily interprets to how tough Obsidian is to be taught.

There is a ton you are able to do with Obsidian. You may make a nesting doll of your notes, graph them, and manage connections inside an internet design. You may as well make the most of the tons of of free plug-ins which are accessible for Obsidian. Obsidian’s finest characteristic is its customizable options. You may make issues look nevertheless you want, so long as you’re keen to discover ways to grasp the app.

I’ve spent a number of time with Obsidian, and whereas I have never mastered the app by any means, I’ve gotten a style of simply how helpful and deep Obsidian options go. I’ve used Obsidian to draft tales, however the place I’ve actually seen it shine personally is with long-form writing. Obsidian is a good software for storyboarding because of its graphing characteristic, and it is my most popular methodology of utilizing the app.

7 Craft

As featured by Apple at WWDC

Craft

Craft is a feature-rich note-taking app that rivals Notion in each design and options. It is simple to make use of, though there’s a steep studying curve if you wish to turn into an professional with the app. You possibly can attempt it totally free, however plans begin at $8 for limitless entry.

Execs

• Accessible interface
• Function-rich design
• Totally different note-taking choices

Cons

• Steep studying curve
• Month-to-month subscription

Craft is a brand new note-taking app that has discovered some buzz on-line after Apple featured the app at WWDC. Craft does an ideal job at balancing being a feature-rich app with accessibility. Just like Notion, you may create backlinks in any doc in Craft in an effort to hyperlink to different notes. I used backlinks to simply hyperlink again whereas planning the analysis for future articles, and I discovered it to be an intuitive characteristic, however it’s almost an identical to how Notion operates on this regard.

The place Craft stands other than Notion is in how briskly the app is. Craft responds instantly, even with massive information, whereas Notion is usually a bit gradual the larger your Notion will get. Whereas the educational curve at instances can really feel steep with Craft, the Craft crew has an enormous repository of free movies that may educate you the best way to do something you need accessible on their YouTube. You possibly can really go far with Craft, in the identical method you may with Obsidian and Notion to create your personal good note-taking app throughout the app itself.

Craft is free to make use of for the primary 1500 blocks, which the typical consumer will probably refill in about two weeks. I hit the restrict a bit extra rapidly, inside a week-and-a-half, however I used to be testing the app completely and used extra options than I’d if I used to be utilizing it for myself. After the free trial with Craft ends, you will must pay for one of many plans, with probably the most primary plan beginning at $8 month-to-month. For $8 month-to-month, you may create as many paperwork in Craft as you want, however you will want a marketing strategy if you wish to add others to your Craft.

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FAQ

Q: How did you resolve on these picks?

As a author masking shopper tech and life-style, I’ve examined many alternative note-taking apps over time. I constructed this listing by prioritizing ease of use and price whereas contemplating options. The highest picks are what I’ve present in my very own testing to be the easiest-to-use apps, whereas the extra feature-rich apps are additional alongside within the listing.

Q: Is it price paying for a note-taking app?

This in the end relies upon by yourself particular person wants. If there’s a particular characteristic that it’s essential to pay for for a note-taking app, and also you assume it would simplify your workflow, I’d say go for it. I’ve paid for note-taking apps previously due to sure options I needed to make use of, however I do not at present pay for any note-taking apps. As a author, nevertheless, I’ve no drawback with paying for a note-taking app if I do know that it’ll make my life simpler.