I Examined 7 Finest Observe Taking Apps: Right here’s My Fingers-On Evaluate!

I’ve at all times been a note-taker. Whether or not it’s a fast grocery checklist, a random thought I don’t wish to neglect, or a full-blown define for a challenge, jotting issues down looks like my method of constructing sense of the chaos.

Over time, my word taking habits have advanced— from scribbling in numerous notebooks to typing furiously on my cellphone when inspiration strikes on the most inconvenient instances. And whereas I nonetheless love the texture of pen on paper, I can’t deny the magic of recent note-taking apps. They’re like an extension of my mind, solely far more organized.

What I’ve realized is that not all the very best word taking apps are created equal. Some are modern and easy, whereas others are feature-packed and designed that can assist you handle your whole life. The perfect half? There’s one thing on the market for everybody, regardless of your model or wants.

For those who’re seeking to degree up your word taking recreation or inquisitive about what these word taking apps can provide, this checklist may simply be the productiveness increase you’ve been ready for. Let’s dive into the checklist of the very best word taking apps!

7 greatest word taking apps I examined and beloved!

For me, the very best note-taking apps are like having a private assistant in my pocket—they assist me seize concepts, keep organized, and even remind me of issues I’d in any other case neglect. 

Some instruments are extremely versatile, letting you sketch, report audio, or collaborate with others, whereas others shine of their simplicity, specializing in simply jotting issues down rapidly. What I’ve observed is that the very best note-taking instruments are those that match seamlessly into your routine, making note-taking really feel easy quite than a chore. As soon as you discover the fitting word taking software program, it’s arduous to think about the way you ever managed with out it.

Whether or not you’re somebody like me who loves to jot down issues down, or somebody seeking to set up your ideas successfully, I hope my perspective helps you discover the right device on your wants. 

What makes the very best word taking apps price it? My perspective

Testing note-taking apps is about discovering what works greatest for you. A few of you may want easy and quick options whereas some might favor feature-rich apps. Determining which instruments are price investing time (and generally cash) into is essential. Listed here are some elements I prioritized whereas evaluating these instruments. 

• Writing and modifying expertise: A note-taking app ought to provide a clean and versatile writing expertise. Primary textual content formatting choices like daring, italics, bullet factors, and headers needs to be simple to make use of. Some apps additionally assist tables, checklists, and markdown formatting for extra structured notes.

  For those who ceaselessly connect pictures, hyperlinks, or paperwork, see how nicely the app integrates multimedia components. An intuitive textual content editor ought to assist you to concentrate on capturing your ideas with out getting slowed down by formatting limitations. I examined the instruments based mostly on the writing and modifying expertise they provide, how seamless the method is, and the way simply I can format my notes.

• Cross-device syncing: An amazing note-taking app ought to sync seamlessly throughout a number of gadgets, guaranteeing you may entry your notes whether or not you are utilizing a smartphone, pill, or pc. Listening to how rapidly adjustments made on one gadget replicate on one other. Delayed syncing can disrupt workflow and result in inconsistencies. I additionally checked out how nicely the app performs throughout completely different working programs—some apps work higher on Apple gadgets, whereas others have stronger assist for Home windows or Android.

  A really versatile lets you take notes anyplace, with out worrying about gadget compatibility. Notes typically have to be accessed on the go, whether or not in your cellphone, pill, or laptop computer. I regarded for the sync options of the highest apps.

• Voice and audio integration: Some note-taking apps provide built-in voice recording, making them excellent for capturing lectures, conferences, or brainstorming classes. For those who depend on audio notes, take a look at whether or not the app lets you report whereas taking notes concurrently. Some superior instruments, like Otter.ai and Notability, even present automated transcription, changing speech into textual content. This characteristic is especially helpful for college kids and professionals who want correct assembly minutes or lecture summaries.
• Search and retrieval effectivity: The power to rapidly discover data inside an app is simply as necessary as taking notes within the first place. A robust search perform ought to be capable of find notes utilizing key phrases, tags, and even handwritten textual content (if OCR know-how is supported). Some superior apps assist you to filter outcomes by date, word sort, or class, making retrieval much more environment friendly. For those who ceaselessly take in depth notes, testing how nicely the search perform performs is crucial to make sure you received’t waste time digging by way of outdated entries. I regarded for apps with highly effective search options, like key phrase search, scanned paperwork, and filters to find notes by date, tags, or content material sort. Because the variety of notes grows, discovering what you want rapidly turns into a problem.
• Media integration: I examined how nicely apps deal with multimedia components like pictures, movies, sketches, and audio recordings, as these improve the flexibility of note-taking. Notes are not restricted to textual content. The power to embed pictures, sketches, movies, or audio permits customers to seize concepts in no matter format fits the context, making the app extra versatile and creative-friendly.
• Stylus assist: For individuals who favor handwritten notes, stylus assist is a game-changer. Some apps permit for pure handwriting enter and even provide handwriting-to-text conversion. handwriting-supported app ought to present clean pen strokes, customizable pen kinds, and the power to spotlight and annotate immediately on paperwork or PDFs. For those who use an Apple Pencil, Samsung S Pen, or one other stylus, take a look at how responsive the app is to your handwriting model.
• Collaboration and sharing: Collaboration options could be extremely helpful, particularly for groups or college students who work on shared notes. Some apps permit for real-time collaboration, the place a number of customers can edit the identical word concurrently—very like Google Docs. Test whether or not the app helps completely different permission ranges, comparable to “view-only” or “edit” entry. For those who typically share notes with others, see if the app permits simple exporting in a number of codecs like PDF, Phrase, or Markdown. Robust collaboration instruments be sure that teamwork and communication stay seamless.

These are the principle elements that guided my testing and analysis course of. My checklist incorporates choices that cater to completely different wants and budgets. Whether or not you’re a person consumer or seeking to jot workforce assembly notes and collaborate, there’s an answer current. 

To be included on this class, an answer should:

• Create editable, text-based paperwork
• Permit customers to create and retailer a number of notes
• Present restricted performance for lists, comparable to entry cross-off or test bins
• Supply collaborative note-taking instruments or word sharing

*This knowledge was pulled from G2 in 2025. Some evaluations might have been edited for readability.  

For those who love staying organized and having all of your notes in a single place, Notion may simply be your new favourite factor.

As somebody who makes use of Notion for all my note-taking and challenge monitoring wants, I like how versatile it’s. Want a to-do checklist? Achieved. An in depth challenge tracker? Straightforward. A spot to handle your workforce’s workflow, consumer databases, or perhaps a private studying checklist? Notion’s acquired you lined. 

Whereas it could take a while to regulate to all of Notion’s options (there’s a lot you are able to do!), when you get the cling of it, it’s a recreation changer for positive. Notion is a kind of instruments you should utilize each personally and professionally. Right here’s a method I exploit Notion to trace my every day duties. 

One other game-changer? Customized templates & automation. I don’t should reinvent the wheel each time I arrange a brand new challenge or workflow. I exploit templates that pre-fill fields, rushing up my course of dramatically. The power to create database templates is very helpful for issues like content material calendars and recurring duties.

For these of us who love textual content formatting, Notion helps Markdown and wealthy textual content. It even permits for code blocks with syntax highlighting, which is a large plus for builders holding documentation in a single place. I like the truth that I can write freely and format simply with out having to take care of clunky menus.

Whereas Notion does a lot proper, it isn’t excellent. The studying curve is actual—it takes time to determine one of the best ways to construction your workflow, and new customers can really feel overwhelmed by the limitless potentialities. I undoubtedly needed to watch tutorials to get probably the most out of it. After which there’s the offline limitation. Notion isn’t a real offline-first app, which could be irritating once I’m touring or working in a spot with poor web. Whereas lately accessed pages stay out there, it’s not as seamless as I’d like.

Efficiency is one other subject when dealing with giant quantities of knowledge. For those who go overboard with nesting pages and databases, issues begin to decelerate. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it surely’s one thing to bear in mind for those who depend on Notion for heavy-duty challenge administration.

What I dislike about Notion: 

• After I first began utilizing Notion, I felt overwhelmed. It’s not the form of device you may simply choose up and use effortlessly; I needed to watch tutorials and experiment quite a bit earlier than I felt comfy.
• Notion is nice when I’ve an web connection, however once I’m offline, it’s irritating. I can solely entry lately opened pages, and actual offline performance continues to be missing.

What G2 customers dislike about Notion: 

“The one downside with the offline mode in Notion is that it doesn’t work too nicely, and it has a problem when my web just isn’t too secure. It has solely delayed me once I wanted these notes throughout a gathering. The search performance is one other disadvantage because it fails to hint older information. The options are additionally difficult with crusing, so it makes onboarding slower for brand spanking new workforce members, which in flip will get in the way in which of effectivity with workflow.”

– Notion Evaluate, Ron H. 

First off, the benefit of use in terms of Google Workspace is unimaginable. Every part simply works. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides make collaboration easy. I can actually see my workforce making edits in actual time, go away feedback, and observe adjustments with out ever hitting the save button. It’s all cloud-based, which implies I can entry my information from anyplace—whether or not I’m on my laptop computer, cellphone, and even borrowing a buddy’s gadget.

Talking of entry, Google Drive is a lifesaver. It integrates completely with Gmail, making it tremendous simple to connect information, share paperwork, and set up every little thing. And let’s not neglect Varieties—in all probability some of the underrated instruments within the suite. I exploit it for surveys, suggestions assortment, and even easy knowledge entry duties.

One other large win? Google Meet. It’s a stable video conferencing device, and because it’s constructed into Gmail and Calendar, scheduling and becoming a member of conferences is a breeze. I don’t have to obtain additional software program—simply click on a hyperlink, and I’m in.

Whereas Google Workspace integrates nicely inside its personal ecosystem, connecting it to third-party instruments (like CRMs) isn’t at all times seamless. Some integrations really feel clunky, and I’ve run into occasional compatibility points.

Lastly, the training curve. For those who’re used to Microsoft Workplace, switching over can really feel a bit bizarre at first. Some options work in a different way, and there are minor limitations (like fewer superior formatting choices in Docs in comparison with Phrase).

What I dislike about Google Workspace: 

• It’s nice for fast notes, however I’d love folders or higher tagging choices to maintain every little thing structured.
• Google’s note-taking instruments don’t provide superior stylus assist or handwriting-to-text conversion.

What G2 customers dislike about Google Workspace: 

“The search performance inside Google Drive could be irritating, because it generally struggles with finding older information or paperwork with generic names. Moreover, the shortage of some superior options in comparison with desktop software program (e.g., Excel for energy customers) could be limiting for particular use instances.”

– Google Workspace Evaluate, Verified consumer in medical companies.  

I’ve been utilizing Fathom, and I’ve to say—it’s been a game-changer in how I seize and set up my assembly notes. One of many largest benefits is its extremely correct transcription, which makes reviewing conversations easy. I additionally love the way it robotically generates notes and motion objects, saving me tons of time. The search performance is extremely highly effective, permitting me to immediately discover previous discussions with out digging by way of limitless information. Plus, the seamless integrations with Zoom, Groups, and GoTo make it tremendous handy to make use of in my every day workflow.

That stated, there are some things that could possibly be improved. Whereas I personally haven’t confronted main points, I would love a bigger display view. There are occasional minor glitches, however nothing that has considerably disrupted my expertise.

See the underside left? That’s the place you may entry the transcript and abstract particulars! There’s a characteristic on the high to seek for notes. 

What I dislike about Fathom: 

• I’ve observed that the app’s digicam stays on throughout conferences, which could be distracting and pointless.
• I’ve observed that fathom generally lacks voice recognition talents, which could be a problem when a number of customers are talking.

What G2 customers dislike about Fathom: 

“On the subject of the varieties of conferences with which Fathom works most successfully, I’ve recognized two most important points – first, the occasional lack of voice differentiation in giant group conferences, and second, the failure to separate voices if contributors discuss concurrently. It could even be much more highly effective if its transcription accuracy could possibly be enhanced in such circumstances.“

– Fathom Evaluate, Rohit W.

I have been utilizing ClickUp for some time now, and general, it has been an amazing expertise. One of many issues I admire probably the most is how nicely the product and tech groups work collectively to constantly enhance the platform. The design is crisp, clear, and straightforward to navigate, which makes it a pleasure to make use of. 

First off, the activity administration options are completely sensible. You may create duties and subtasks and even break issues down right into a hierarchy that works for you. There is a ton of flexibility, which implies you may tailor it to match your workflow completely. The collaboration instruments are a game-changer. I additionally examined out the whiteboard! With options like feedback on duties, file sharing, and real-time updates, it looks like the entire workforce is on the identical web page, even for those who’re unfold throughout the globe. 

That stated, some customers (and I’ve observed this myself) complain about occasional slowness or bugs. For instance, sure options—just like the Gantt charts—don’t at all times load as rapidly as you’d like, particularly throughout peak work hours.

The studying curve is price mentioning. Whereas the fundamentals are simple, mastering superior options like automation and detailed experiences may take a little bit of trial and error. One of many extra irritating limitations is the shortcoming so as to add each subtasks and most important duties throughout completely different sprints, which is a standard want in agile workflows. Moreover, the way in which filters and the “Me Mode” work just isn’t very intuitive—it took a number of assist conversations to determine correctly view solely assigned duties. Synchronization additionally doesn’t at all times replace in real-time, requiring handbook refreshes all through the day to make sure the newest model of the dashboard is seen. 

What I dislike about ClickUp: 

• One of many largest frustrations I encountered was the shortcoming to assign most important duties and subtasks to completely different sprints. For note-taking in an agile setting, this was a noticeable disadvantage since I typically set up assembly notes into completely different motion objects.
• Though I admire ClickUp’s capacity to combine with different apps, some integrations had been tough to arrange. I struggled with sure configurations.

What G2 customers dislike about ClickUp: 

“Wrestle to search out one of the best ways to have a spot of simply note-taking in the course of the name. I lump them collectively underneath completely different duties I’ve opened beforehand. Usually I discover myself working from the identical 5-8 duties and simply go away notes as we go.”

– ClickUp Evaluate, Stephan B.

One of many issues I like most about Microsoft OneNote is its flexibility—it permits me to construction my notes precisely how I would like, whether or not by way of freeform note-taking, embedded media, or a well-organized pocket book format. The combination with different Microsoft instruments like Phrase, Excel, and Outlook makes my workflow a lot smoother, and the power to sync throughout gadgets ensures that I at all times have entry to my notes, whether or not I am on my laptop computer, pill, or cellphone.

One other main plus is its search performance. Discovering particular notes, even from years in the past, is easy due to the highly effective search device that scans each typed and handwritten notes. 

From a technical perspective, OneNote’s efficiency could be inconsistent. Sometimes, it turns into gradual and unresponsive, significantly when dealing with giant notebooks with a variety of embedded media. One other subject is the shortage of superior export choices—whereas OneNote integrates nicely throughout the Microsoft ecosystem, exporting notes into different codecs can generally be cumbersome and restricted. 

What I dislike about Microsoft OneNote: 

• Whereas the cloud-based sync is helpful, it’s not at all times dependable, particularly when switching between a number of gadgets or working offline. There have been moments the place my adjustments took longer to replace, inflicting slight workflow disruptions.
• There are occasions when OneNote turns into sluggish or throws errors like “quota exceeded,” making it more durable to work easily.

What G2 customers dislike about Microsoft OneNote: 

“What I dislike about Microsoft Onenote is the shortage of superior formatting choices. Whereas does gives primary formatting, it does not have as many options as another note-taking/ phrase processing software.”

– Microsoft OneNote Evaluate, Jasmine Ok.

One of many issues I like most about Fellow is the power to assign motion objects and observe them effortlessly. Having all my assembly notes in a single place, with clear follow-ups, has considerably improved my workflow. The built-in templates are one other main plus—they make structuring my notes a lot simpler, guaranteeing that I don’t miss important factors throughout discussions.

One other standout characteristic is the AI-powered transcription and summaries. They’re surprisingly correct and save me a variety of time when reviewing assembly outcomes. The power to combine with my calendar and collaborate with my workforce in real-time can also be an enormous benefit. It’s an effective way to maintain everybody on the identical web page with out juggling a number of apps.

Whereas it really works nicely as a meeting-focused device, it generally feels extra like a private to-do checklist quite than a fully-fledged note-taking app. For individuals who depend on in depth word group past conferences, it’d really feel a bit restricted. Moreover, a number of the extra superior options, like personal notes and deeper integrations, are locked behind the paid plans, making the free model considerably restrictive.

I’ve encountered minor sync points and occasional lag when dealing with bigger units of notes. 

What I dislike about Fellow: 

• I discovered that there are occasional bugs or syncing delays, which may generally be irritating. 
• For those who’re wanting to make use of it for non-meeting notes, it’s a bit extra restricted in flexibility. Fortunately I used to be utilizing it for work.

What G2 customers dislike about Fellow: 

“How folks use it. Individuals have a tendency so as to add notes as speaking factors within the default template that are by no means checked off. Motion objects haven’t got clear reminders and might simply get misplaced. The AI options are cool, however their accuracy, particularly round motion objects, is low.” 

– Fellow Evaluate, Verified consumer in pc software program. 

One factor I like about taking notes in Lark is  that I can create structured notes with bullet factors, headings, and attachments, making it simple to doc assembly summaries, to-do lists, and challenge concepts. The power to collaborate in real-time with my workforce has additionally been a game-changer—everybody can contribute to shared notes, eliminating the necessity for limitless electronic mail chains and fragmented discussions.

That stated, there are a couple of limitations. Formatting choices are considerably restricted, which could be irritating once I wish to customise my notes past the fundamentals. Moreover, whereas Lark’s cellular app is helpful, it doesn’t provide the identical clean expertise because the desktop model—sure actions, like rapidly accessing saved notes, can really feel barely clunky.

One other draw back is that syncing throughout gadgets is not at all times prompt. There have been instances once I’ve made updates on my laptop computer that didn’t instantly replicate on my cellphone, requiring a handbook refresh. This isn’t a significant subject however could be annoying once I want fast entry to the newest model of my notes.

One factor that actually stood out (sadly, not in a great way) is the shortage of split-screen or full-screen modes for notes. It could make multitasking method simpler, particularly once I’m referencing slides or different paperwork. 

What I dislike about Lark: 

• I discovered that there have been some challenges with organizing or engaged on notes inside different workflows (e.g., importing/exporting notes or collaborating with non-Lark customers).
• Whereas I like the built-in communication options, video conferencing tends to lag often, particularly when sharing my display.

What G2 customers dislike about Lark: 

“I would say there are some unintuitive interactions – though minor.

One new characteristic that I’ve an enormous gripe with is the default to opening docs in Lark quite than in a browser tab like earlier than. It makes doc group messier – it is also potential to layer open docs contained in the Lark UI, so that you’d have to “x out” of 3-4 docs inside Lark earlier than seeing the folder hierarchy once more.” 

– Lark Evaluate, Tim L. 

Observe-taking and bettering activity administration go hand in hand. Discover the greatest activity administration software program to extend general enterprise and private productiveness.