Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the
shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in note-taking apps
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 12 tools, reviewed
#1 Obsidian
Local Markdown notes with links, plugins and optional sync · Canada · obsidian.md
Local Markdown Plugin ecosystem Optional E2E sync
Obsidian earns first place on durability. Notes are ordinary Markdown files in a folder you choose, the vendor says its apps collect no telemetry, and the pricing page makes the editor free without sign-up. Sync costs $4 per user per month billed annually and is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256, so a team can pay for convenience without handing over readable notes.
- Pricing: Free app + paid add-ons. Free to use. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Writers who want durable local files
- Strengths: Markdown notes in local folders; Backlinks and graph view; Community plugins and themes.
Where it falls short
Collaboration is its weak side: shared vaults exist through Sync, but there are no comments, permissions or live databases comparable to a hosted workspace.
Wrong for
Teams who need shared pages with comments and permissions on day one, and anyone who wants an app that works fully without choosing plugins.
Visit Obsidian →
#2 Capacities
Object-based notes with daily notes, links and offline use · Germany · capacities.io
Typed objects EU data storage Free Basic plan
Capacities treats every note as an object with a type, so a meeting, a book and a person each get their own shape and link to one another. The free Basic plan lists unlimited spaces, objects and blocks, sync across devices, import and export, and offline support, which is more than most free tiers.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Basic is free; Pro lists at $9.99 per month; Believer from $12.49 per month. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Individuals who want structured notes
- Strengths: Typed objects and properties; Daily notes; Backlinks and graph.
Where it falls short
It is built for individuals; the maker says it does not aim at shared workspaces or team plans, so a ten-person team will find collaboration thin.
Wrong for
Teams that need shared editing, permissions and project databases, and people who want a folder of plain files they can open in any editor.
Visit Capacities →
#3 Anytype
Local-first, encrypted notes and objects · Switzerland · anytype.io
Local-first End-to-end encrypted Source available
Anytype stores data on the device, encrypts it before it syncs, and works offline by default. Its FAQ says users can self-host a backup node or run local-only sync inside a network, which few note apps allow. The Free plan includes 100 MB of remote storage and 10 shared channels, and paid tiers raise storage and add a custom ID.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free includes 100 MB of remote storage. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Privacy-minded individuals and teams
- Strengths: End-to-end encryption; Offline-first by default; Typed objects and relations.
Where it falls short
Remote storage is small on Free, shared channels are limited to ten, and the object model takes time to learn. Applications are source available rather than fully open source.
Wrong for
Teams that need mature permissions, comments and integrations today, or buyers who want a conventional hosted workspace.
Visit Anytype →
#4 Notion
Hosted workspace for notes, wikis and databases · United States · notion.com
All-in-one workspace Databases Team permissions
Notion is the most capable shared workspace on this list: pages, databases, wikis and project tables in a single place, with free personal use and per-member team plans.
- Pricing: Per member / month. Free plan. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Teams wanting one shared workspace
- Strengths: Pages and nested pages; Databases with views; Comments and sharing.
Where it falls short
The exports on the help page are PDF, CSV and HTML, so linked databases and relations do not round-trip. Per-member pricing and AI credits raise the bill as a team grows.
Wrong for
Writers who want local files, privacy-focused buyers, and anyone who needs an archive that survives the vendor.
Visit Notion →
#5 Evernote
Notes, web clipper, tasks and calendar in one app · Italy · evernote.com
Web clipper Note archive Italian owner
Evernote built the category and still offers the broadest capture toolkit here: clipper, scanning, tasks, calendar and search in one app, on iOS, Android, web, Windows and Mac. The plan comparison lists tiers from Free to Unlimited, with Starter allowing 1,000 notes on three devices and Advanced unlimited notes and devices.
- Pricing: Tiered plans. Free, Starter, Advanced, Flexible and Unlimited tiers; the free plan holds 50 notes, 1 notebook and syncs to 1 device. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Longtime users with large archives
- Strengths: Notes and notebooks; Web Clipper; Tasks.
Where it falls short
The free plan stops at 50 notes, one notebook and one device, so it works as a demo rather than a home. Prices are not stated on the plan comparison we fetched, and owners have changed terms before.
Wrong for
Anyone expecting a generous free tier, buyers who dislike subscription changes after an acquisition, and teams that need shared databases.
Visit Evernote →
#6 Joplin
Open source notes with Markdown, encryption and flexible sync · France · joplinapp.org
Open source Markdown Choose your sync
Joplin is the practical open source choice. Notes are Markdown or rich text, the apps run on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and sync can go through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or other services. The documentation covers importing full Evernote notebooks from ENEX files, which makes it a sensible landing spot for escapees.
- Pricing: Open source + paid sync. The apps are free. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Self-hosters and open source fans
- Strengths: Markdown or rich text editor; End-to-end encryption; Sync via Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or Nextcloud.
Where it falls short
The interface is functional rather than polished, and collaboration through Joplin Cloud is simpler than in hosted workspaces.
Wrong for
Teams wanting real-time collaboration, rich databases or a design-led editor.
Visit Joplin →
#7 Reflect
Open source Mac notes with daily notes and backlinks · United States · reflect.app
Open source Local Markdown Daily notes
Reflect has moved from a hosted product to Reflect Open, an open source notes app that keeps notes in a folder of your choice, syncs through iCloud Drive or Git and offers daily notes and backlinks. The Mac app is free with no subscription; the iPhone and iPad app is a paid subscription sold in the App Store.
- Pricing: Free Mac app + app subscription. Reflect Open is free on Mac. Free plan: open source.
- Best for: Mac users who like local files
- Strengths: Daily notes; Backlinks; Local Markdown files.
Where it falls short
Platform coverage is narrow: the vendor lists Mac and iPhone and iPad, with a Chrome clipper, and we found no Windows, Android or Linux app. There are no team features, and Reflect Classic users must migrate by import.
Wrong for
Windows or Android users, and teams needing shared workspaces, comments or permissions.
Visit Reflect →
#8 Apple Notes
Built-in notes for Mac, iPhone and iPad · United States · apple.com
Bundled iCloud sync Apple-only
Apple Notes is the notes app most people already have, and for personal use it is hard to dislike: quick, free, with folders, tags, Smart Folders, locked notes and shared notes.
- Pricing: Bundled with iCloud. No separate price. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Apple users with simple needs
- Strengths: Folders and tags; Smart Folders; Locked notes.
Where it falls short
It lives in Apple's ecosystem; the guide we read pictures Mac, iPhone and iPad and we found no native Android or Windows app described.
Wrong for
Teams with Android or Windows machines and anyone needing databases, permissions or an audit trail.
Visit Apple Notes →
Microsoft account Free web edition Drawing
OneNote is the default for organizations that live in Microsoft 365, and the vendor's web page advertises that you can take notes anywhere for free. Its help center covers taking and formatting notes, drawing and sketching, sharing and syncing, and organizing, so a team already on Teams and OneDrive can start without a procurement step.
- Pricing: Bundled with Microsoft account. The web edition is advertised as free; the paid parts come through Microsoft 365 plans, which we did not price here. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Microsoft 365 users
- Strengths: Notebooks, sections and pages; Draw and sketch; Share and sync.
Where it falls short
Notes belong to the Microsoft account system, and the vendor pages we could fetch did not state export formats, a standalone price or system requirements clearly.
Wrong for
Buyers who want local files, linked notes or transparent export.
Visit Microsoft OneNote →
#10 WorkFlowy
Infinitely nested bullet list for notes and tasks · United States · workflowy.com
Outliner Simple Cross-platform
WorkFlowy is a nested bullet list, and the vendor's argument is that a list does everything: notes, folders, todos and documents are all just bullets. It syncs instantly across web, desktop and mobile on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android, and Pro costs $6.99 per month billed annually.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Basic is free with 100 nodes per month; Pro is $6.99 per month billed annually ($8.99 monthly) with unlimited nodes. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Outliners who think in lists
- Strengths: Infinite nesting; Tags and search; Sync across web, desktop and mobile.
Where it falls short
The free Basic plan caps you at 100 nodes per month, which a heavy day can exhaust. There are no rich databases, no linked-note graph and no document layout; long-form writing is awkward in a bullet tree.
Wrong for
Writers of long documents, teams needing structured databases, and people who want files they own.
Visit WorkFlowy →
#11 Tana Outliner
Outliner built on supertags, nodes and AI · United States · outliner.tana.inc
Supertags Knowledge graph AI credits
Tana Outliner turns bullets into typed things with supertags, so a note can become a task, a project or a person and then show up in a saved view. The Free plan includes the graph editor, supertags, task management, three workspaces and 0.5 GB of uploads, with Markdown or JSON export.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Free is $0 with 500 AI credits. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Power users building a knowledge graph
- Strengths: Supertags; Nodes and live searches; Task management.
Where it falls short
There is a real learning curve, and the free plan's 5 MB upload limit and 500 AI credits run out quickly. AI features require credits, and the company's attention appears split with its meeting product.
Wrong for
Casual note takers, and buyers who want a free-forever tool with no metered AI.
Visit Tana Outliner →
#12 Simplenote
Free, simple notes synced across every platform · United States · simplenote.com
Free Plain text Cross-platform
Simplenote does one thing: keep plain notes in sync on every device you own. The vendor lists apps for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the browser, tags with instant search, a history of changes, Markdown support and publishing a note online, all free. It is a sound choice for a freelancer who wants a text scratchpad with no account tiers.
- Pricing: Free. Free for the apps, backups, syncing and sharing. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: People who only need plain notes
- Strengths: Tags and instant search; Real-time sync; Version history.
Where it falls short
There are no folders or notebooks, no rich-text layouts and no team permissions. Notes are plain text with Markdown preview, so a client brief with tables and images does not fit well.
Wrong for
Teams, researchers and anyone building a linked archive.
Visit Simplenote →
Questions and answers
What is the best note-taking app in 2026?
Obsidian ranks first of 12, best for writers who want durable local files. Capacities is second (individuals who want structured notes) and Anytype third (privacy-minded individuals and teams). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
Is there a free note-taking app that works for a small business?
Yes, several, with different limits. Obsidian is free including for work, with a commercial license listed at $50 per user per year as an optional way to support it. Joplin and Reflect Open are open source.
Should a note-taking app use Markdown files or its own database?
Files travel better; databases structure better. A Markdown folder opens in any editor and survives the death of the vendor, which is the Obsidian and Joplin model.
Can I move my Evernote notes to another app?
Yes, and most competitors read Evernote's ENEX export. Joplin's documentation describes importing complete Evernote notebooks with tags and attachments via ENEX files, and Apple Notes lists ENEX among its import formats. Expect formatting differences in tables and clipped web pages.
Do note-taking apps encrypt notes so the vendor cannot read them?
Only some do, and the detail matters. Obsidian Sync uses AES-256 end-to-end encryption, Anytype encrypts data before it leaves the device, and Joplin offers end-to-end encryption as an option.
How are note-taking apps usually priced?
In four ways. Per member per month for workspaces (Notion lists Plus at 9.50 euros and Business at 19.50 euros in the euro view).
Notion or Obsidian: which should a small team choose?
Notion if the team needs shared pages, comments and databases in one hosted workspace; Obsidian if each person wants private, durable files and a team can accept less real-time collaboration.
Which note-taking apps work offline?
The file-based and local-first ones do it best. Obsidian stores notes on the device, Anytype is offline-first by default, and Capacities states that you can open, create and edit content without a connection.
Do AI features in note apps cost extra?
Often. Notion says its agents are free to try, then $10 per 1,000 monthly Notion credits. Tana Outliner meters AI by credits, with 500 on Free and 2,000 on Plus at $8 per month.
What should a small team check before moving all its notes to a new app?
Four things: permissions, export, owner and cost. Confirm that people can be invited without a full paid seat if they only read. Export a representative sample and open it elsewhere.
Is a simple app like Simplenote or Apple Notes enough?
For many people, yes. Simplenote is free, syncs across iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the browser, and supports Markdown, tags and version history. Apple Notes covers folders, tags, locked notes and shared notes on Apple devices.
