7 note-taking apps for group

Observe-taking is one thing all of us do in some capability. Regardless of if you should 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 appropriate note-taking app will help you seamlessly jot down or dictate your notes throughout a number of platforms and have them synchronized and able to go from anyplace. A good higher hub of ideas also needs to have group techniques that make it simple to seek for and discover your notes in an effort to rapidly reference info 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 modifying 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 help 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 essentially the most. OneNote is my every day driver for each my skilled writing, however it’s additionally what I exploit to draft brief tales and jot down every day reminders. It isn’t the snazziest note-taking app obtainable, 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 offer you all of the options you may 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 if you would 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 will have 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 gadgets, 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

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

Cons

• Expertise is not very intuitive

When you’ve got an iPhone or Mac pc, 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 simple to make use of, has constant helpful characteristic updates, and is totally built-in together with your different Apple gadgets by your iCloud account.

Notes has improved vastly since its authentic launch again with the unique iPhone. The newest iOS replace lets you have hidden conversations with the Notes app, in addition to create simple group notes for issues like social gathering planning or a category task. In case you are utilizing the Notes app on an iPad, the app is Pen suitable, and you’ll hand-write notes. Be warned, nonetheless, it isn’t essentially the most intuitive expertise, as it’s important to insert a handwriting part into your observe, as a substitute of drawing straight on the observe.

Apple Notes may be accessed from almost anyplace, together with your browser. You may entry all your Apple notes by your iCloud account, and that is true even in case you are utilizing a Chromebook or Home windows PC. Whilst you can view and edit your Apple Notes information by 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 most effective various to Apple Notes for iOS gadgets

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 includes a tagging system together with Markdown help for simple organizing of your notes.

Execs

• Markdown textual content modifying help
• Apple Pencil help
• Intuitive tagging system for group

Cons

• Solely suitable with Apple merchandise

Bear is a superb possibility for anybody who needs a extra feature-rich note-taking app for iOS gadgets and Macs. The killer characteristic of Bear is that it lets you write in Markdown (a formatting instrument that lets you format textual content in real-time) and tag every observe 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 help, so you need to use the Apple Pencil natively in Bear.

I actually admire how simple 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 free of charge, 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 contains iCloud syncing, so your notes can go anyplace with you.

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4 Google Hold

The most effective easy and totally free note-taking app

My high light-weight note-taking app

Google Hold

Google Hold is free to make use of and obtainable on all platforms, however it lacks group options in comparison with the opposite choices on this record. Nonetheless, it’s a nice note-keeping app for anybody on the lookout 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 on the lookout 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 Hold. Google Hold may 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 may enter pictures into Hold notes and hyperlinks with ease, and Hold is built-in with the remainder of Google’s ecosystem.

Hold is accessible straight from Gmail, making it simple to jot down fast bits of knowledge from emails. It’s also possible to draft writings in Hold and export them on to Google Docs, saving time within the writing course of. That is how I exploit Hold, and whereas it isn’t my every day driver in the way in which OneNote is, it is nonetheless in my rotation of apps. It is good with the ability to copy down vital dates, cellphone numbers, or names from Gmail with out having to open a separate window. There is not any price for utilizing Hold, however do remember that your Hold notes will impression your total Google account storage, so when you have lots of already-existing Sheets and Docs, you could have to pay for extra Google storage.

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5 Notion

The most effective premium note-taking app

My favorite feature-rich premium note-taking app

Notion

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

Execs

• Large ranging use circumstances
• Completely different templates for various makes use of
• AI integration

In the event you’ve labored for a startup or have labored on a technical group, there is a good likelihood you’ve interacted with Notion. I’ve used Notion each in a job setting, however I’ve additionally used it as a digital journaling instrument. It is some of the versatile note-taking apps that I’ve examined, and for those who’re prepared 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 easy to create your personal Wiki, to-do lists, or every day or weekly planner with Notion due to 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 every 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 personal pages, you may 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 superb, feature-rich note-taking app, however it includes a steep studying curve. It is free to make use of for people, however companies might want to pay for a business license from Obsidian.

Execs

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

Obsidian is essentially the most feature-rich note-taking app on this record, however it’s additionally essentially the most tough to study. 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 observe safe, however safety at all times comes at a price, and that primarily interprets to how tough Obsidian is to study.

There is a ton you are able to do with Obsidian. You may make a nesting doll of your notes, graph them, and set up connections inside an internet design. It’s also possible to make the most of the tons of of free plug-ins which might be obtainable for Obsidian. Obsidian’s finest characteristic is its customizable options. You may make issues look nonetheless you would like, so long as you’re prepared to discover ways to grasp the app.

I’ve spent lots 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 superb instrument for storyboarding due to its graphing characteristic, and it is my most well-liked technique 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 easy to make use of, though there’s a steep studying curve if you wish to change into an skilled with the app. You may attempt it free of charge, however plans begin at $8 for limitless entry.

Execs

• Accessible interface
• Function-rich design
• Completely 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 excellent job at balancing being a feature-rich app with accessibility. Just like Notion, you may create backlinks in any doc in Craft with the intention 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 equivalent 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 sluggish the larger your Notion will get. Whereas the educational curve at occasions can really feel steep with Craft, the Craft group has an enormous repository of free movies that may educate you methods to do something you need obtainable on their YouTube. You may actually 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 seemingly 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 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 may have to pay for one of many plans, with essentially 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 would like, however you may 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 various note-taking apps through the years. 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 price paying for a note-taking app?

This finally relies upon by yourself particular person wants. If there’s a particular characteristic that you should pay for for a note-taking app, and also you assume it can simplify your workflow, I’d say go for it. I’ve paid for note-taking apps up to now due to sure options I wished 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.