14 Kickass Note-Taking Apps to Up Your Productivity Game in 2020

Once upon a time, note-taking used to be a cumbersome process that required lots of writing. But, thankfully, note-taking apps have taken all the difficulty out of it.

And, when you consider the fact that 40% of the world’s timber is being used to make paper, it’s not hard to see why today’s socially-aware society is so openly embracing note-taking apps.

With native apps for both smartphones and computers, app makers enable the 4.5+ billion active internet users to take and save notes digitally and, access them from anywhere in the world.

Moreover, nowadays, all the best note-taking apps also allow users to attach any videos, photos, or audio files with their notes. And, if that’s not enough, some note-taking apps also allow users to handwrite their notes or even draw up sketches.

The Best Note-Taking Apps in 2020

1. Evernote – Best Note-Taking App for iPad

Download: Android | iOS

Out of all the best note-keeping apps that we’re about to mention here, Evernote is the one that you’re most likely to have heard about before.

In the world of note-taking apps, Evernote has been one of the best available options for quite a while now. And, even though the app might seem a little pricey to some, its top-notch features ensure Evernote not only retains its hundreds of millions of users but keeps adding new ones as well.

Key Features

• Evernote’s sync feature keeps notes synced across all devices, allowing users to access and update their notes from any device they want.
• Web Clipper allows users to screenshot any web page or PDF file and add it to their notes. Users have the option to capture the entire web page or just a small part of it.
• Spaces in Evernote Business allows teams to collaborate and share ideas. And, thanks to strong synchronization, notes are shared with all team members instantly.
• Being one of the best cross-platform note taking apps, Evernote can recognize 28 typewritten and 11 handwritten languages.
• Evernote’s search feature can find search phrases in handwritten notes, to-do lists, and white-board photos that users scan into the app.
• The app also offers note templates to allow users to easily jot down notes. There are a total of 54 templates and they cover categories like creative writing, project management, marketing, etc.
• Evernote also realizes that one app can’t fulfill all note-taking needs and hence, the app offers integrations with apps like Slack, Salesforce, Google Drive, Gmail, and Outlook.

Pricing Plans

Currently, Evernote offers the following 3 plans:

• Free: This is the basic, free version of the app. It offers great note-taking features like attaching photos and recording audio notes. Moreover, it allows users to attach screenshots and PDFs into their notes. When compared to other free apps, this is hands down one of the best free note-taking apps.
• Premium: This version of the app costs $7.99 per month. It offers everything included in the free version of the app and features like searching inside PDFs and other documents, quickly turning notes into a presentation, and seeing related info as the user types.
• Business: This version is available for $14.99 per user per month and requires at least two users. If offers everything in the Premium version and some great team collaboration features as well. Some of its unique features include; offering related notes from other members, a central space for projects, permission-based content access and, real-time note editing.

2. Simplenote – Free Note-Taking App

Download: Android | iOS

While a big majority of the best note-taking apps focus on offering as many features as possible, some apps take the opposite route.

Apps like Simplenote believe that adding too many features to the app hurts the user’s ability to focus and hence, focus on providing a well-built but simple note-keeping app.

Simplenote is one of the most distraction-free note-keeping apps available and while it lacks a lot of advanced features, its minimalistic approach has won over many users.

Key Features

• Being one of the best note-taking apps for students, Simplenote keeps notes synced across all devices. And, the best thing is that syncing takes place in real-time.
• Simplenote also allows its users to add tags to their notes to keep everything neatly organized. These tags allow users to instantly search through their notes.
• The app also offers a neat search feature that allows users to quickly find any note by typing in any tag name or search phrase.
• Simplenote offers native apps for all major platforms. Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS, there is a native app available for all. Moreover, the app offers a web-based version as well.
• The app allows users to share notes and lists, post any important instructions for everyone to see or even publish their notes for the online world.
• Simplenote saves the older versions of its users’ notes as well. So, whenever a user needs to see the previous versions of their notes, they can simply see the version history.

Pricing Plans

What’s so amazing about Simplenote is that it doesn’t even offer any premium versions of the app. There is only one version of the app, everything is available in it and it is completely free to use.

Considering the features that this app offers without charging its users for anything, it’s pretty clear Simplenote is one of the best free note-taking apps available today.

3. Dropbox Paper – Powerful Note-Taking App

Download: Android | iOS

From its reveal in October 2015 to its launch in January 2017, a lot of media sites calling Paper Dropbox’s answer to services like Google Drive and Microsoft’s OneDrive. Dropbox was touting this app as a place for collaboration and the media went crazy with that.

But, soon after launch, it quickly became clear that Paper was something completely different. If anything, Paper was Dropbox’s answer to Evernote and Microsoft’s OneNote. It was a place where teams could effortlessly share notes and bounce ideas off each other.

Key Features

• Being one of the best note-taking apps for iPad, Dropbox Paper allows users to embed content from 29 different services into their notes.
• Another great feature in Paper is its code box. Users can write code inside the code box in any of the 32 languages that Paper recognizes and the app will automatically format the code for them.
• The app allows users to share notes by adding people through email, sharing the link on Slack, or by selecting Google contacts. Users can also grant editing access to others.
• Dropbox Paper also allows its users to create checklists in their notes. Using these checklists, users can assign tasks to contributors and even set deadlines.
• Paper offers a slideshow feature as well. And, the fact that users can embed content from so many different sources gives Paper’s slideshow feature a big advantage over other services.
• Another key feature is Paper’s user-friendliness. From embedding to editing media, everything is just a click away. Moreover, the app offers keyboard shortcuts as well.

Pricing Plans

Paper itself is a free app but if a user does not have a Dropbox account, they cannot use Paper. Dropbox is currently available in 4 different price plans.

Individuals

• Plus: Costs $9.99/month and when billed yearly and $11.99/month when billed monthly. Offers 2 TB of storage and features like 256-bit AES data encryption, secure sharing, and top-class syncing.
• Professional: Costs $16.58/month and when billed yearly and $19.99/month when billed monthly. Offers 3 TB of storage and features like file locking, document watermarking and, 100GB of file transfers.

Teams

• Standard: Costs $12.50/month and when billed yearly and $15.00/month when billed monthly. Offers 5 TB of storage and features like account transfer tool, admin console and, company-managed groups.
• Advanced: Costs $20.00/month and when billed yearly and $25.00/month when billed monthly. Offers as much storage as needed and features like device approvals, access controls and, viewer history.

4. Milanote – Note-Taking App for Students

Download: Android | iOS

While the majority of the best note-taking app for Windows provides a never-ending notepad or sheet for users to jot down their notes on, Milanote takes a very different approach. Milanote provides a canvas on which users can visually express their thoughts and ideas.

While the approach may not work for everyone, Milanote has received great praise from people who think visually and like to use images along with words to note down ideas.

Key Features

• The app offers a detailed note-taking platform. Users have the option to make simple notes but they can also make pasteboards which are a collection of related notes.
• Another great thing about Milanote is that it instantly saves everything and syncs it across all devices. Meaning, in case of any device issues, your notes will stay safe.
• One of the best features that Milanote offers is a drawer on the right side. This drawer is used to store all uncategorized notes and can be accessed from anywhere inside the app.
• Users can share notes with friends and colleagues by adding their email addresses or sharing the link. Moreover, users can grant editing access to other people as well.
• To allow users to keep a copy of their notes on their computers as well, Milanote allows users to download them in formats like PDF, Word document, plain text, etc.
• Milanote’s Web Clipper allows users to save any text, image, or link from the web in their notes with just a single click.

Pricing Plans

Being one of the best note-taking apps for college, Milanote offers a paid version as well as a free version of the app. Here are the details:

• Free: Allows users to store up to 100 notes, images, or links. Moreover, users can upload up to 10 files. There are no limits on file sharing.
• Professional: Costs $9.99 per user per month when billed annually and $12.50 per user per month when billed monthly. Allows unlimited files, images, links, and uploads. Includes search features as well.
• Enterprise: For bigger teams. Companies can find out the details about their Enterprise plan by getting in touch with Milanote’s support team.

5. OneNote – Cross-Platform Note-Taking App

Download: Android | iOS

When talking about the best note-taking apps, it’s hard not to mention Microsoft OneNote. Belonging to Microsoft’s vast product lineup, OneNote has the advantage of being fully integrated with almost all other services offered by Microsoft. This is something that OneNote’s competitors cannot claim.

The two things that make OneNote so appealing are its features and its free version. Being the powerhouse that Microsoft is, they aim to make OneNote one of the most feature-filled apps out there, and they’ve succeeded at that.

But, what most people were not expecting was for Microsoft to add features like 5GB storage, option to embed photos and videos and, support for a stylus on the free version of their app.

Key Features

• OneNote allows users to add all related notes in one notebook which can then be divided into sections and pages. This allows users to keep their notes well-organized.
• With this app, users get the option to write all their notes with a stylus. Moreover, users can also draw a shape with a stylus and OneNote will turn it into a 2D shape.
• OneNote is also integrated with virtual assistants like Siri and Cortana. With these apps, users can dictate their notes and the app will make and save a typed version of that.
• The app is also able to extract text from an image. The extracted text can then be used for any purpose the user wants. Users can also annotate images in the OneNote app.
• With the premium version of the app, users also get the option to see any upcoming meetings or events listed in their Outlook account and then take notes about them in OneNote.
• OneNote comes with a couple of generic tags that users can add to their notes to keep them organized. Users also have the option to create new tags as well.
• OneNote’s web clipper allows users to capture any web page that they want to add to their notes. It also allows users to remove ads and any other unwanted HTML elements.

Pricing Plans

OneNote comes pre-loaded on Windows 10 devices and even if your device didn’t come with it, you can download it for free from Microsoft Store. Mac, Android, and iOS users too, can download the app for free from their respective app stores.

One of the cons of OneNote is that users cannot avail its premium version without getting a Microsoft 365 subscription. Following are the Microsoft 365 plans in which OneNote is included:

• Family: Costs $59.99/year or $5.99/month when billed monthly. Allows up to 6 people, offers 6TB storage, and includes apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneDrive, and Skype.
• Personal: Costs $79.99/year or $7.99/month when billed monthly. Allows only one user, offers 1 TB storage includes apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneDrive, and Skype.

6. Google Keep – Easy Note-Taking App

Download: Android | iOS

Ever had an idea, thought, or some important info that you just had to write down? Google Keep can be quite handy sometimes. Lots of people like to create a checklist on their Google Keep app when going out to run errands.

Google Keep is a simple and user-friendly note-taking app that allows users to quickly note down random thoughts and ideas. Keep does not bother with “notepads” and “pasteboards”, what it offers is an empty sheet for each new note, with each sheet able to hold 20000 characters.

Key Features

• Being fully integrated with other Google services, Keep users have the option to use their notes in services like Google Docs and Gmail.
• Another thing that makes Keep one of the best note-taking apps for Android is that unlike other apps, Keep users can simply select people from their contacts to share their notes with.
• Google Keep’s ability to set location-based and time-based alerts enable its users to use the app as a reminder app as well.
• One of Google Keep’s coolest features is its ability to grab text from images and convert it into searchable and editable content.
• Google Keep also allows its users to dictate the notes and the app automatically converts everything into an editable and searchable note.
• Another great thing about Keep is that its search feature allows users to search by type (checklist, reminder, etc). Moreover, users can also search based on the card color.

Pricing Plans

This is where Google Keep impresses even more. Google offers such a feature-filled app free of charge. There is no premium version of the app; everything is available in the free version.

For Android users, Google Keep comes pre-installed on their devices but iOS users can download the app from the App Store. Windows and Mac users can use the Google Keep web app or they can also download the Keep extension for Google Chrome from the Chrome Web Store.

7. Zoho Notebook – Best Note-Taking App for Android

Download: Android | iOS

In the note-taking app industry, Evernote and OneNote established themselves as the two most feature-filled note-taking apps pretty early on.

While that perception may be somewhat intact at this point, people have started noticing Zoho Notebook as an app that could easily challenge their monopoly.

What makes Zoho Notebook stand out is that it’s available for free. Moreover, while the app doesn’t offer a native app for desktop, its stunning web app more than covers the gap.

So, while Notebook’s userbase may not be as big as Evernote’s, it’s not hard to see Notebook’s potential.

Key Features

• As one of the best note-taking app for iPhone, Notebook allows users to make six types of notes; text, checklist, audio notes, photo notes, sketch notes, and document files.
• Zoho Notebook’s web clipper allows users to capture any webpage link, highlighted content, or screenshots and insert them in their notes.
• For better organization, Notebook allows two ways to group related notes; users can make a notebook and add all notes in that or, users can group related notes into a stack.
• Notebook also supports a couple of useful gestures to allow users to easily group notes or to quickly find out more info about them.
• A unique feature that Notebook offers is that it allows users to select a custom cover for each of their notebooks. This allows users to easily recognize each notebook.
• Notebook’s mobile apps also offer a virtual assistant using which users can easily search for a specific note, set reminders, and create new notes.
• Another noteworthy feature offered by Notebook is that it allows its users to set up a passcode for any particular notebook for added privacy and security.

Pricing Plans

Not only does Zoho Notebook offers premium features like creating unlimited notebooks and a built-in virtual assistant, but it does so free of charge. Just like Google Keep, Zoho Notebook has no premium version; everything is available in the free version of the app.

So, if you’re looking for a capable note-taking app that’s available for free, or if you want a note-keeping app that doesn’t require any downloads, Zoho Notebook just might be the most suitable app for you.

8. Apple Notes – Best Note-Taking App for iPhone

Download: Android app not available | iOS

While Apple Notes has been coming pre-installed on iOS devices for a while now, for a long time, users were only relying on it for small tasks like creating checklists or noting down random thoughts. But thankfully, with iOS 13, Apple has upped its note-taking game.

What’s interesting about Apple Notes is that unlike other built-in apps, Apple has always tried to add new features in Apple Notes and released frequent updates. And now, with the big iOS 13 update, Apple Notes has become the best note-taking app for iOS.

Key Features

• As a part of the Apple ecosystem, Notes can sync with all other devices on the same iCloud account. Moreover, Notes enjoys the same great security as all other Apple services.
• Like many other apps, Apple Notes allows users to attach documents to their notes but what’s interesting is that it also allows users to search notes by attachment type.
• Another thing that sets Apple Notes apart is its great user experience. Notes follows the same clean and simple design language of Apple and it works well for the app.
• To enable users to organize their notes, Apple Notes allows users to create folders and subfolders to add notes in. The app also allows sorting notes by date and title.
• Users can share notes, or an entire folder via email, text message, another app, or through a direct link. Moreover, users can also grant editing access to the people they’re sharing with.
• Another great thing about Notes is that it comes pre-installed on all iOS devices. Meaning, users don’t have to download anything. Moreover, there’s a web app also available to access Notes.

Pricing Plans

With Notes, Apple does not generate revenue but provides important functionality to its users. This is why the app has been made available for free and does not show any ads either.

There are not any premium versions of the app to upgrade to; the free version is the only version available and it has got all the listed features.

9. Notion – Best Note-Taking App for iPad

Download: Android | iOS

A lot of best note-taking app for iPhone try to provide a very simple and easy-to-use UI. But, some apps take the opposite route. Some apps feel the need to provide maximum functionality to their users and thus, add in a lot of features.

Among such apps, Notion is one of the biggest names.

Notion uses a very sleek and sophisticated design to provide some topnotch features to its users. While a lot of note-taking apps limit things to just plain text, Notion allows users to add things like tables and Kanban boards. In short, Notion embraces sophistication.

Key Features

• What makes Notion one of the top note-keeping apps is its free version, which allows users to create unlimited notes and syncs notes across devices in real-time.
• The app also supports version history, which allows users to access older versions of their notes in case they ever need them.
• As one of the best note-taking apps for iPad Pro, Notion also allows its users to share notes with unlimited guests. Users can also grant editing and sharing access to contributors.
• Not only does Notion allows its users to upload documents in a wide range of file formats but it doesn’t put any limits on the file size either.
• The app version that Notion offers for teams allows users to manage all members through an admin panel. Moreover, it offers more advanced access options as well.
• Notion offers a solution for large organizations as well and the great thing about this is that it offers customer contracts to companies based on team size and availed features.

Pricing Plans

Currently, Notion is available in 4 different options:

• Personal: Available for free. Includes features like unlimited notes and blocks, cross-device syncing and, ability to share notes with up to 5 guests.
• Personal Pro: Costs $4/month on a yearly payment basis and $5/month on a monthly payment basis. Includes everything in Personal and features like version history, sharing with unlimited guests, and unlimited file uploads.
• Team: Costs $8/user/month on a yearly payment basis and $10/user/month on a monthly payment basis. Includes everything in Personal Pro and features like admin tools and advanced permissions.
• Enterprise: Cost varies based on team size and availed features. Users can contact Notion’s sales rep to get a quote. Includes everything in Team, and features like advanced security and custom contract.

10. Slite

Download: Android | iOS

Almost all the best note-taking app for iPad mentioned here offer collaborative features in one form or another. But, with most of these apps, it is the note-taking process that forms the core. Of the few apps that give equal importance to both note-taking and teamwork, one is Slite.

Slite is a cross between a note-taking app and a team chat app. It allows teams to easily create and share ideas. And, team members can quickly give their feedback via the comments section.

Key Features

• Slite lets users upload files and documents in almost any format. Moreover, Slite’s revision history feature also lets users access older versions of their notes.
• Slite has also been integrated with the team collaboration app Slack. This allows users to access a lot of Slite’s features from within Slack.
• Another thing that must be mentioned here is that although Slite offers quite a few features, it manages to keep things extremely organized and well-structured.
• Templates are a big part of Slite. The app offers built-in templates for things like project roadmaps and employee onboarding but users can create new templates as well.
• The one feature that sets Slite apart from a lot of other apps is that Slite has a feature to help users import their notes from apps like Google Docs and Confluence.
• Slite users also have the option to invite team members from services like Slack, Google, and any OKTA provider.

Pricing Plans

Being one of the best note-taking app for Windows, Slite offers plans for all kinds of users:

• Free: Available for free. Includes features like unlimited personal documents, up to 50 per month shared documents and, unlimited team members.
• Core: Costs $6.67 per active member per month. Allows users to create unlimited shared documents, see usage dashboard and, use advance admin controls.
• Enterprise: Cost varies by team size and features availed. Users have to contact Slite to get a quote. Includes features like account manager, priority support, custom contract, and invoicing.

11. Typora

Download: Mobile apps not available

Out of all the best note-taking app for students mentioned in this list, Typora is probably the one that will impress the most. With its neat and minimalistic design language, Typora keeps everything simple and easy to use.

But, simple does not mean that Typora skims on features. One of the best things about this app is how it manages to pack in so much functionality while keeping things so light and easy.

Key Features

• Typora’s file tree panel allows user to easily organize their files and find what they are looking for. Users can also put their files in sync services like iCloud and Dropbox.
• The app also helps users keep an eye on the length of their notes by letting them know how many lines and words the note holds. The panel also tells the approximate reading time.
• Thanks to the outline panel, users can see the outline structure of their notes and quickly access any specific part of the file.
• Being one of the best note-taking apps for Windows, Typora also allows its users to export their notes in PDF. Users can also import files in DOCX, EPUB, LaTeX, and many other formats.
• Two neat little features offered by Typora are its Focus and TypeWriter modes. The former blurs the inactive text lines while the former always keeps the current line in the center.
• Typora also allows users to implement custom themes by editing the app’s CSS code.

Pricing Plans

Currently, Typora is still in beta which is why it is being offered for free. But, the company does plan on charging its users once the app leaves beta. If you’re looking to test a simple yet capable note-taking app, this just might be the best time to try Typora.

12. Boost Note

Download: Android | iOS

A lot of note-keeping apps try to cater to as many people as possible. While this decision may lead them to add a lot of basic features to their app, they cannot introduce any advanced features related to any specific field. Boost Note is one of those apps that are not afraid to focus on just one field.

With Boost Note, the main focuses are programmers and developers. And, almost all the app’s features help programmers, in one way or another, to make the process of writing code easier.

Catering to just one specific field frees Boost Note from having to focus their resources on adding generic features for everyone. Instead, Boost Note can focus on adding even more advanced features to help developers. And, that’s what makes it the best note-taking app for Android.

Key Features

• Not only does Boost Note offer native apps for PCs and mobile devices but it has a web app as well that can be accessed from any web browser.
• The safety of their code is extremely important to a programmer which is why Boost Note automatically saves all changes to notes and stores data in the cloud for cross-device syncing.
• One of the best things about this app is that it can recognize code in more than 100 programming languages. And, it highlights code according to defined hierarchy.
• To help developers write complex mathematical equations, Boost Note supports math blocks which use the LaTeX syntax for writing equations.
• The app is completely open-source which allows users to change the app UI whichever way they want to. Users can even add new features.
• To allow users to keep a copy of their notes and code, Boost Note allows its users to send their files to any cloud storage service.

Pricing Plans

Being one of the best note-taking apps for Mac, Boost Note offers 3 different versions of the app to cater to all sorts of programmers and developers:

• Basic: This is the free version of the app. Includes features like 100 MB of cloud storage, unlimited local storage, and cross-device syncing.
• Premium: Costs $3 per month. Includes everything in the Basic version and 2 GB of cloud storage. Premium users can also increase their cloud storage space but it costs $5 for every 5 GB.
• For Teams: Boost Note offers a version for teams as well and users can download it for a free trial. The cost of the app depends on team size and hence users will have to contact Boost Note to get a quote.

13. Roam Research

Download: Mobile apps not available

One common thing among all the best note-taking apps is that they allow users to set up a hierarchy among their notes. Some apps allow users to create notes inside a notebook and then notebooks are stored inside a stack. Some apps allow users to create infinite notes inside a note.

Roam Research is an app that does things quite differently. With this app, all notes are independent.

With Roam Research, users can set up a structure if they want to, by linking a note inside another note. But, that does not mean that one note is contained inside the other. All notes are separate and can be linked with any other note.

Key Features

• By allowing users to link any two notes with each other, Roam Research allows users to use the same note inside numerous other notes.
• All links are bidirectional, if a user clicks on one link, it’ll take them to that particular note. But inside that note, they’ll also see the link back to the same note and also all other links that the note has.
• Another awesome feature offered by Roam Research is that, upon clicking a link, the app also shows all the unlinked notes containing related information.
• Roam Research’s sidebar lets users open a linked note in the sidebar to quickly see the data inside that note without having to go back and forth.
• One thing that really stood out about Roam Research is that it lets users merge all the notes inside similar tags. All the user needs to do is change the tag name.
• Links between notes can form pretty quickly and to let users see how everything is connected, Roam Research provides a graphical overview to show the connections.

Pricing Plans

Roam Research is available in the following two plans:

• Professional: Costs $13.75/month on an annual payment basis and $15/month on a monthly payment basis. Includes features such as the option to add unlimited collaborators and up to three Roam graphs. Has a one-month free trial.
• Believer: This plan has a 5-year commitment and costs $500 (~$8.33/month). Includes everything in Professional and features like community calls with the team and priority support.

14. Bear Notes App

Download: iOS | Android app not available

One thing you’ll notice about the note-keeping apps we’ve talked about is that most of them either go the minimalistic route or the feature-filled route. Bear is one of those rare apps that strike a nice balance between the two.

Bear is exclusive to Apple devices and after testing this app, our feeling is that this is one of the best note-taking apps for iPad Pro. From the features to the pricing of the app, Bear is a complete package.

Key Features

• Talking about the editor, it offers functionality without overdoing it. From changing the text size and inserting markup to adding images, the number of features is just enough.
• Adding tags to notes hardly takes any time and whenever the user wants to see all the notes with a specific tag, all they need to do is click on the tag name in the side panel.
• To allow writers and authors to keep track of their text, the app also offers an information sheet that shows the word count, reading time, and some other stats.
• Bear also allows its users to export notes in PDF, HTML, DOCX, and many other formats. Moreover, the app also has an option to directly email the note.
• The app also offers quite a few colorful themes to let users play around with the UI a little.
• Notes can easily pile-up once you start using a note-taking app. This is why Bear has a fantastic search bar as well, thanks to which, users can easily find both tags and search phrases.

Pricing Plans

Currently, the app is available in two versions:

• Free: The free version of the app offers features like creating notes, adding attachments and, exporting files to PDF, HTML, and many other formats.
• Pro: This version costs $1.49 per month on a monthly payment basis and $14.99 on an annual payment basis. This version includes everything in the Free version and features like cross-device syncing, themes and, more file exporting options.

Note-Taking Apps – Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Note-Taking Apps?

Note-taking apps are the 21^st century’s replacement for the slow and manual way of taking. These apps can be installed on the user’s phone or computer and allow users to easily create and manage notes. Here are some common features among note-taking apps:

• Attachments: Along with the ability to write pretty much anything, most note-taking apps also allow users to attach photos, videos, audio files, and PDF documents in their notes. Moreover, a lot of apps let users embed media from online sources in their notes as well.
• Cross-Device Sync: Another common feature among note-taking apps is real-time cross-device syncing. This allows the user to access their notes from anywhere and on any device.
• Sharing: Almost all the best note-taking apps allow users to share their notes with friends and colleagues through email or other options. A lot of apps also allow the user to grant editing rights to the person they’re sharing their file with.
• Search: Notes start piling up and the user needs to be able to quickly find any specific note. For this purpose, a lot of apps provide a search bar to help users find what they’re looking for.
• Mobile Apps: Users should be able to instantly access their notes on their phone or computer. Due to this, almost all note-keeping apps offer native apps for major platforms like Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux.

What is the Best Note-Taking App?

There are some great note-taking apps out there but in my opinion, Evernote is the most complete package.

Firstly, it allows users to add almost anything in their notes; images, audio files, sketches, handwritten notes, lists, and even clipped web pages. Literally, anything that a user might find important, Evernote allows you to add it in your notes.

Secondly, it allows users to neatly organize their notes inside stacks and notebooks. Moreover, the search feature works excellently at helping users find whatever they’re looking for.

The app supports all major platforms and it’s even got a Business version with real-time chat and other collaboration features. Then there’s the fact that the app can read text from images and even scan PDF attachments.

Lastly, the app offers a decent free version as well. So, all things considered, if I was to pick a note-taking app that I know I would be really happy with, Evernote would be my pick.

Which Note-Taking App is Best for the iPad?

Out of the many note-taking apps available in the App Store, I feel Bear Notes App is the one that is the best note-taking app for iPad.

First and foremost, Bear is one of those few apps that are exclusive to Apple devices. This means that iOS and macOS always remain Bear’s focus and the company spends all its energies on perfecting the app just for these two platforms.

Moreover, the app’s editor allows users to attach all sorts of files and media. And, the part where Bear shines the most is its support for Apple Pencil that allows users to draw sketches and even write notes with their hand. The app also supports markup which is a big plus for writers and programmers.

If that’s not enough the app also offers several themes for the app and the Pro version also allows users to encrypt notes and set a password.

Another noteworthy detail is that the app offers a free version as well that has all the features needed by an average user. Lastly, the app’s Pro version costs just $14.99/year which is an extremely budget-friendly rate when compared to other apps.

Conclusion

As time passes, the competition between the top note-keeping apps is only set to get tougher. And, that means we can expect app makers to add even more innovative features to their apps. One thing is certain though; there has never been a better time to be a fan of note keeping.

So, while we wait and see which features note-taking apps introduce in 2021 and beyond, you go ahead and give our favorite note-taking apps of 2020 a shot.

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