Article · 19 min read

The 7 best note-taking apps in 2026

Harry Guinness · zapier.com Free Beginner

A tested comparison updated December 2025 of OneNote, Apple Notes, Google Keep, Notion, Obsidian, Joplin and Evernote, with each one's free plan: OneNote free up to 5 GB, Apple Notes inside iCloud's 5 GB.

  • The free app on your devices is the right starting point for most people.
  • Joplin is the open-source Evernote replacement.
  • Evernote's free plan is now 50 notes and one notebook.
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The question it answers

  1. Which note-taking app should I use?

Read with it

  1. Notion's plans: databases inside the same pages as your docs and wiki, for a small team whose records sit next to written... notion.com Tool · Pricing page Notion pricing Notion
  2. Obsidian is a notes app that stores Markdown files on your own device and links them. The app is free without limits and with... obsidian.md Tool · Pricing page Obsidian pricing Obsidian
  3. Apple's own guide to Notes, the free app built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac, covering quick notes, checklists, tags, folders... support.apple.com Article · Help guide Notes User Guide for Mac Apple
  4. Google's free notes and checklists app, built into Android and connected to Gmail, Docs and Calendar, with work accounts... workspace.google.com Tool · Product page Google Keep Google
  5. Microsoft's free notebook app for Windows, Mac, phones and the web, where you can click anywhere on a page to type, draw or paste. onenote.cloud.microsoft Tool · Product page Microsoft OneNote Microsoft
  6. The handwriting notes app for iPad and Apple Pencil, also on Android and Windows. Free for 3 files; Essential is $11.99 a year... goodnotes.com Tool · Pricing page Goodnotes plans and pricing Goodnotes
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