7 note-taking apps for group

Be aware-taking is one thing all of us do in some capability. Regardless 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 allow you to preserve 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 proper note-taking app will will let 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 must also have group methods that make it straightforward to seek for and discover your notes in an effort to shortly reference info everytime you want it.

1 Microsoft OneNote

My favourite note-taking app

Microsoft / Pocket-lint

My prime total note-taking app

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote manages to suit the majority of Microsoft Phrase’s text-formatting and modifying talents into a light-weight note-taking app that handles all the things 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 greatest 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 day by day driver for each my skilled writing, but it surely’s additionally what I take advantage of to draft quick tales and jot down day by day reminders. It is not the snazziest note-taking app accessible, however for those who’ve used Microsoft Phrase, then OneNote’s interface, which options the identical “ribbon” bar, ought to really feel comfy to you. Better of all, you need to use OneNote with a free Microsoft Account.

The free model of OneNote will give you all of the options you will want, together with the flexibility to cross-sync your notes throughout Home windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and even iPadOS. You will want to pay further if you’d like greater than the 5GB of allotted cupboard space or if you wish to export your OneNote information to Workplace Phrase or Excel. If any of those apply to you, you’ll need to pay for a Microsoft 365 account, which begins at $7 per 30 days, 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 likelihood 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 function updates, and is totally built-in along with your different Apple units by means of your iCloud account.

Notes has improved enormously since its unique launch again with the unique iPhone. The most recent iOS replace permits you to have hidden conversations with the Notes app, in addition to create straightforward group notes for issues like get together planning or a category project. If you’re utilizing the Notes app on an iPad, the app is Pen appropriate, and you’ll hand-write notes. Be warned, nonetheless, it is not probably the most intuitive expertise, as you must insert a handwriting part into your be aware, as a substitute of drawing straight on the be aware.

Apple Notes could be accessed from almost anyplace, together with your browser. You possibly can entry your entire Apple notes by means of your iCloud account, and that is true even if you’re utilizing a Chromebook or Home windows PC. Whilst you can view and edit your Apple Notes information by means of an internet browser, I do not advocate 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

One of the best various to Apple Notes for iOS units

Bear / Pocket-lint

Nice various 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 modifying assist
• Apple Pencil assist
• Intuitive tagging system for group

Cons

• Solely appropriate with Apple merchandise

Bear is a good possibility for anybody who desires a extra feature-rich note-taking app for iOS units and Macs. The killer function of Bear is that it permits you to write in Markdown (a formatting software that permits you to format textual content in real-time) and tag every be aware to maintain your ideas neatly organized. You do not have to make use of the Markdown function, although. Bear is simple to make use of, and it is easy to arrange your notes your individual method. There’s additionally pen assist, so you need to 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 further fields to attract with the pen, and the app’s response to the pen is nice. Bear can be utilized at no cost, however the free model limits your exports to simply .TXT, Markdown, and Textbundle information. The cost tiers for Bear are a bit complicated, however for $3 a month or $30 a 12 months, you possibly can export your notes to almost any format, together with ePUB and OCR. The paid model additionally contains iCloud syncing, so your notes can go anyplace with you.

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4 Google Maintain

One of the best easy and totally free note-taking app

My prime light-weight note-taking app

Google Maintain

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

Execs

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

Cons

• Lack of group options
• Google Docs has higher integration

If you’re 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, contemplate Google Maintain. Google Maintain could be accessed from any machine and is a superb note-taking app for jotting down fast notes or for creating day by day to-do lists. You possibly can enter photos into Maintain notes and hyperlinks with ease, and Maintain is built-in with the remainder of Google’s ecosystem.

Maintain is accessible straight from Gmail, making it straightforward to jot down fast bits of knowledge from emails. It’s also possible to draft writings in Maintain and export them on to Google Docs, saving time within the writing course of. That is how I take advantage of Maintain, and whereas it is not my day by 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 is not any price for utilizing Maintain, however do remember the fact that your Maintain notes will influence your total Google account storage, so in case you have numerous already-existing Sheets and Docs, it’s possible you’ll have to pay for extra Google storage.

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5 Notion

One of the 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, but it surely’s nice for anybody because of its wide selection of customized templates and options.

Execs

• Extensive ranging use circumstances
• Totally different templates for various makes use of
• AI integration

If you happen to’ve labored for a startup or have labored on a technical workforce, there is a good likelihood you could 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 crucial versatile note-taking apps that I’ve examined, and for those who’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 individual Wiki, to-do lists, or day by 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 convey in additional than 10 individuals to your Notion, or create non-public pages, you possibly can pay for Notion beginning at $8 a month.

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6 Obsidian

Probably the most expansive note-taking app, for these with persistence

My favourite feature-rich note-taking app

Obsidian

Obsidian is a good, feature-rich note-taking app, but it surely 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
• Big selection of free plug-ins

Obsidian is probably the most feature-rich note-taking app on this record, but it surely’s additionally probably the most troublesome 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 record have. It additionally retains your be aware safe, however safety at all times comes at a price, and that primarily interprets to how troublesome 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. It’s also possible to reap the benefits of the lots of of free plug-ins which might be accessible for Obsidian. Obsidian’s greatest function is its customizable options. You may make issues look nonetheless you want, so long as you’re keen to discover ways to grasp the app.

I’ve spent numerous 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 function, 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 skilled with the app. You possibly can attempt it at no cost, however plans begin at $8 for limitless entry.

Execs

• Accessible interface
• Characteristic-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 a fantastic job at balancing being a feature-rich app with accessibility. Much like Notion, you possibly can 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 function, however it’s almost similar to how Notion operates on this regard.

The place Craft stands aside from Notion is in how briskly the app is. Craft responds instantly, even with giant information, whereas Notion is usually a bit gradual the larger your Notion will get. Whereas the training curve at occasions can really feel steep with Craft, the Craft workforce has an enormous repository of free movies that may train you how one can do something you need accessible on their YouTube. You possibly can really go far with Craft, in the identical method you possibly can with Obsidian and Notion to create your individual excellent note-taking app throughout the app itself.

Craft is free to make use of for the primary 1500 blocks, which the typical consumer will doubtless replenish in about two weeks. I hit the restrict a bit extra shortly, inside a week-and-a-half, however I used to be testing the app totally 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 have to pay for one of many plans, with probably the most fundamental plan beginning at $8 month-to-month. For $8 month-to-month, you possibly can 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 protecting client tech and life-style, I’ve examined many various note-taking apps over time. I constructed this record 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 record.

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

This finally relies upon by yourself particular person wants. If there’s a particular function 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 presently pay for any note-taking apps. As a author, nonetheless, I’ve no downside with paying for a note-taking app if I do know that it’ll make my life simpler.