Note-taking is a personal but extremely important practice. For some people, it’s jotting down a few grocery ideas on a slip of paper shoved in a purse. For others, it’s a detailed analysis of complex initiatives stored in a variety of digital formats. For most, note-taking is a combination of tactics that help them to stay organized, be productive, and generally streamline daily activities.
However you take notes, there’s an app out there to help. No matter what your unique needs are, there is an app that is designed for your specific quirks and obscure preferences. You just need to do a little research to find it!
So what is the best free note-taking app? In this article, we’re covering three of the most depended-upon note-taking platforms. These options are part of larger technology ecosystems that you probably already use for work or other digital purposes. Pick one of these tools to integrate throughout your entire digital life for smooth and seamless note-taking.
Overview of the Best Note Apps
Let’s dive right into our favorite apps. As with all of our technology reviews, the answer to “what is the best note-taking app?” is: it depends.
Various note-taking apps are better for different users and purposes. Generally speaking, here is how we break down the note-taking apps from the largest technology providers.
- Microsoft OneNote - Best free note-taking app
- Apple Notes - Best for Apple addicts
- Google Keep - Best for Google power users
It’s worth noting that many apps claim to be “note-taking” apps, but not all of them are. As we evaluate these platforms, we focused first and foremost on what the app claims to do: support taking notes.
Not every note-taking app needs to have multimedia support or image-to-text conversion, but the ones that claim to should be able to support those claims. The main features of every tool should be well-executed and easy to use. Furthermore, we evaluated the speed and ease of use for each option. For many people, the main competition facing note-taking apps is a simple pen and paper. If the app isn’t as easy to use as that old-fashioned format, then it’s not easy enough.
Finally, we thought that being able to access the app from a browser and your larger digital ecosystem is crucial, but so is being able to use it from any device at any time. Whether you’re at your work desk or on your couch at home, or even flying across the country in an airplane, each app should be available on a desktop and mobile platform at a minimum. Offline functionality is crucial because important thoughts don’t just occur to you when you have wifi.
All of that being said, there are many apps that do not meet those criteria. In fact, there are a lot of note-taking apps that people tend to really like that are excluded because they don’t fall within those parameters. It doesn’t mean they are bad choices or won’t work for your needs - but we are focusing on these choices for the reasons mentioned.
OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is often referred to as the best free note-taking app and some users consider it the best overall note-taking app. Unless there are specific features that you need or want (that you know OneNote doesn’t have), then you might want to try this platform first.
OneNote is very freeform when it comes to notes, which means you can adapt to a lot of specific needs. Every notebook is modeled off of a ringbinder, so it has sections and subsections called pages. Every page is essentially a blank canvas where you can add whichever notes you like in any place. You can also add images, text notes, or even a drawing if your computer supports a stylus.
It’s especially useful for students or other people who want to take long, detailed notes about something or even doodle some diagrams or drawings. It’s a bit less effective for people who want to collect short snippets and random ideas, but it still works well.
Most users say OneNote is highly intuitive, but at the very least it’s familiar to most. If you’ve used Word, Excel, or PowerPoint recently, then you’ll find your way around. You can use it for complex meeting outlines or your grocery list - it’s equally simple to use for both. Additionally, Microsoft has a partnership with OpenAI, and is a big proponent of AI. New features are being developed around this technology, in particular a feature called Copilot. In OneNote, Copilot is able to create, summarize, and edit text. This is all designed to help you better organize and understand your notes. Right now it’s only available to some Microsoft 365 customers, but it’s likely to be more available soon.
Of course, as we mentioned above, OneNote is free. It does, however, use OneDrive storage. Though you get 5GB included (which is plenty for most people), you can hit that limit quickly if you store a lot of image and audio notes. You have the option to increase to 100GB for $1.99 each month.
Related Post: How to Manage Multiple OneDrive Accounts
Apple Notes
A lot of people are firmly entrenched in the Apple system and don’t want to stray too far from it. Luckily, they don’t have to with this free note-taking app.
Sometimes just called Notes or iCloud Notes, this tool is built into macOS and iOS, and can also be accessed through a browser. You can get an online version of the app with all of your synced notes at icloud.com/notes even on a PC or Chromebook. This way your notes aren’t held hostage to your Apple devices.
There are several great note-taking options for Macs, iPads, and iPhones which are worth looking into. However, this one wins out because it's free and already built in. That makes it convenient, easy to use, and very useful. Plus, Apple has done a lot to improve the functionality over the past few years. You can take advantage of features like tags, sharing, and a great search option. Users can also add text to notes, attach images, scan documents, draw or handwrite, and then format everything the way you want.
If you are especially attached to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then this app is likely the first one to try. Because everything syncs easily, it tends to work well. Though it’s not the most robust option available, it is ideal for occasional note-takers and is more than enough for regular Apple users.
Apple Notes is free for 5GB of storage across all iCloud services, and starts at $0.99/month for 50GB.
Related Post: The Best Productivity Apps for Students
Google Keep
Google Keep is interesting because it helps people to do other things. A lot of things that people take notes for require other apps or platforms. That’s where Google Keep excels.
As a notes app, Google Keep is pretty bare bones. There are usable web, iOS, and Android versions, but the best thing about Google Keep is the way it integrates with Google’s other services. When using Keep, you can access other Google tools. For example, if you use Google Keep, when you open Gmail in a browser, you’ll see a lightbulb icon in the right sidebar. When you click it, you’ll get quick access to all of your Google Keep notes. From there you can see any notes related to what you’re working on or search for something.
The best part is that the sidebar is there in all of your Google Docs, Google Calendar, and even Drive (it’s not on YouTube, though). Keep also integrates with Google in other cool ways. Click on a note and then copy it to Google Docs to convert to a new document. Or, drag and drop a note from the sidebar if you have Docs open. You can set reminders by clicking the small bell icon, and the note will appear in your Google Calendar. You can even create an audio note on your smartphone and Google will automatically transcribe it.
If you operate in Google products a lot, you should be using Keep. Even if you use other note-taking solutions for other aspects of life, you can take advantage of this tool that comes as part of your Google account. It can really help to streamline all of the work you do in other Google apps.
Google Keep is free for 15GB of storage across all Google apps, and starts at $1.99/month for 100GB of storage.
Related Post: How to Access Google Keep From Your Browser
What is the Best Free Note-Taking App?
As you saw above, the best free note-taking app is Microsoft OneNote. Many users find it to be the best free option available for a few reasons?
- Organizational structure - OneNote uses a notebook structure, allowing users to create sections and pages, making it easy to organize notes into different categories.
- Cross-platform availability - It is available on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, as well as through a web app, enabling access from almost any device.
- Rich formatting options - OneNote supports various media types, allowing users to incorporate text, images, audio recordings, and even videos into their notes.
- Collaboration features - Users can share notebooks with others for real-time collaboration, making it ideal for group projects or study sessions.
- Integration with Microsoft ecosystem - OneNote integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products like Word, Excel, and Outlook, enhancing productivity for users within the Microsoft ecosystem.
- Tagging and search functionality - It offers tagging options for easy categorization and advanced search features to quickly find specific notes.
- Handwriting recognition - For users with touch-enabled devices, OneNote supports handwriting input, which can be converted to text.
- Cloud syncing - Notes are automatically synced across devices via OneDrive, ensuring that users can access their information anywhere.
These features, combined with its user-friendly interface and no cost, make Microsoft OneNote a popular choice for individuals looking for a versatile and powerful note-taking solution.
The Best Note Apps: Comparing Specific Features
Ease of Use
OneNote - Offers a user-friendly interface with a notebook-style layout. It may have a steeper learning curve due to its rich features but will be familiar to Microsoft users.
Google Keep - Very straightforward and minimalistic design, making it easy for users to create and manage notes quickly. It’s especially useful with other Google products.
Apple Notes - Intuitive interface, especially for Mac and iOS users, with features that are easy to navigate. Users are able to take advantage of functionality quickly.
Multimedia Capabilities
OneNote - Supports a wide range of multimedia, including text, images, audio recordings, and drawings. Users can embed files and documents.
Google Keep - Allows users to add images, audio, and checklists, but is more limited in terms of complex multimedia integration compared to OneNote.
Apple Notes - Works with images, sketches, checklists, and document scanning, providing decent multimedia options.
Compatibility Across Devices and Platforms
OneNote - Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and has a web version. Syncs across all platforms well.
Google Keep - Works seamlessly on any device with internet access, including browsers, Android, and iOS, but lacks a dedicated desktop app.
Apple Notes - Primarily optimized for Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad), but can be accessed via the web on iCloud. Limited compatibility outside the Apple ecosystem.
Integration With Other Software
OneNote - Integrates well with Microsoft Office, Outlook, and other Microsoft products, making it great for users in the Microsoft ecosystem.
Google Keep - Integrates with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, etc.) and allows easy sharing and collaboration with other Google apps.
Apple Notes - Integrates well within the Apple ecosystem (Mail, Safari, etc.) but has limited options outside of it.
Searchability and Organization
OneNote - Offers robust search capabilities and organizational tools like tags, sections, and notebooks, allowing for detailed categorization.
Google Keep - Simple search functionality and uses labels and colors for organization, but lacks advanced categorization features.
Apple Notes - Provides good search functionality, and users can organize notes into folders, but it may not be as powerful as OneNote's organizational tools.
Customization
OneNote - Highly customizable with options for formatting text, creating tables, and using various templates.
Google Keep - Limited customization options; users can change colors and add labels, but overall formatting options are minimal.
Apple Notes - Offers basic formatting options and the ability to create checklists, but is less customizable compared to OneNote.
Cost
OneNote - Free with Microsoft account; additional features available through Microsoft 365 subscription.
Google Keep - Completely free with a Google account; additional storage options are available for additional monthly fees.
Apple Notes - Free for Apple device users; additional storage requires a subscription to iCloud.
Choosing between OneNote, Google Keep, and Apple Notes largely depends on your specific needs and which of these factors matter most to you. OneNote is great for comprehensive note-taking with multimedia capabilities, Google Keep excels in simplicity and quick access, while Apple Notes is ideal for users within the Apple ecosystem looking for a seamless experience.
Using Note-Taking Apps in a Browser
All three applications support browser access. This provides a more flexible experience to a wide variety of users. Because they integrate with larger technology systems, they are available for your entire digital life.
Shift integrates with each of these note-taking options, so you can take advantage of notification management, enhanced security, and a unified inbox. Browse more than 1500 native integrations so that you can make the most of the tools you already rely on.
Related Post: Why Everyone Needs an App Integrated Browser
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