6 note-taking apps for group

Observe-taking is one thing all of us do ultimately. Regardless of if you’ll want to write lists, copy down a telephone 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 show you how to preserve 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.

The fitting 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 wherever. An excellent higher hub of ideas must also have group methods that make it straightforward to seek for and discover your notes in an effort to rapidly reference data 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 enhancing 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, and it is the note-taking app that I’ve used essentially the most. OneNote is my each day driver for each my skilled writing, but it surely’s additionally what I exploit to draft brief tales and jot down each day reminders. It isn’t the snazziest note-taking app out there, however in case you’ve used Microsoft Phrase, then OneNote’s interface, which options the identical “ribbon” bar, ought to really feel snug to you. Better of all, you should use OneNote with a free Microsoft Account.

The free model of OneNote will give you all of the options you will want, together with the power to cross-sync your notes throughout Home windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and even iPadOS. You will have to pay additional if you’d like greater than the 5GB of allotted space for storing or if you wish to export your OneNote recordsdata to Workplace Phrase or Excel. If any of those apply to you, you have to to pay for a Microsoft 365 account, which begins at $7 per 30 days, 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

• Current 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 have interacted with Apple’s free Notes app. That is in all probability my second most-used notes app, and I prefer it as a result of it’s straightforward to make use of, has constant helpful function updates, and is absolutely built-in together with your different Apple gadgets by your iCloud account.

Notes has improved tremendously since its authentic launch again with the unique iPhone. The newest iOS replace means that you can have hidden conversations with the Notes app, in addition to create straightforward group notes for issues like get together planning or a category project. If you’re utilizing the Notes app on an iPad, the app is Pen suitable, and you’ll hand-write notes. Be warned, nevertheless, it is not essentially the most intuitive expertise, as it’s a must to insert a handwriting part into your notice, as an alternative of drawing immediately on the notice.

Apple Notes might be accessed from almost wherever, 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. When you can view and edit your Apple Notes recordsdata by an online 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 perfect different to Apple Notes for iOS gadgets

Bear / Pocket-lint

Nice different to Apple Notes

Bear

Bear is for iOS customers who desire a clear design and feature-rich alternative for Apple’s Notes app. Bear incorporates a tagging system together with Markdown help for simple organizing of your notes.

Execs

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

Cons

• Solely suitable with Apple merchandise

Bear is a superb choice for anybody who needs a extra feature-rich note-taking app for iOS gadgets and Macs. The killer function of Bear is that it means that you can write in Markdown (a formatting instrument that means that you can format textual content in real-time) and tag every notice to maintain your ideas neatly organized. You do not have to make use of the Markdown function, although. Bear is straightforward to make use of, and it is easy to arrange your notes your individual manner. There’s additionally pen help, so you should use the Apple Pencil natively in Bear.

I actually recognize how straightforward 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 at no cost, however the free model limits your exports to only .TXT, Markdown, and Textbundle recordsdata. The fee tiers for Bear are a bit complicated, however for $3 a month or $30 a 12 months, you possibly can export your notes to just about any format, together with ePUB and OCR. The paid model additionally contains iCloud syncing, so your notes can go wherever with you.

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4 Google Maintain

The perfect easy and absolutely free note-taking app

My high light-weight note-taking app

Google Maintain

Google Maintain is free to make use of and out there on all platforms, but it surely lacks group options in comparison with the opposite choices on this listing. Nonetheless, it’s a nice note-keeping app for anybody in search of 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

If you’re in search of a easy and light-weight note-taking app or one that does not have a steep studying curve with a ton of options, take into account Google Maintain. Google Maintain might be accessed from any system and is a superb note-taking app for jotting down fast notes or for creating each day to-do lists. You may enter photographs into Maintain notes and hyperlinks with ease, and Maintain is built-in with the remainder of Google’s ecosystem.

Maintain is accessible immediately from Gmail, making it straightforward to jot down fast bits of data from emails. You can too draft writings in Maintain and export them on to Google Docs, saving time within the writing course of. That is how I exploit Maintain, and whereas it is not my each day driver in the best way OneNote is, it is nonetheless in my rotation of apps. It is good having the ability to copy down necessary dates, telephone numbers, or names from Gmail with out having to open a separate window. There is not any payment for utilizing Maintain, however do take into account that your Maintain notes will influence your total Google account storage, so when you have numerous already-existing Sheets and Docs, you might have to pay for extra Google storage.

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5 Notion

The perfect 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, but it surely’s nice for anybody due to its wide selection of customized templates and options.

Execs

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

When 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 in case you’re keen 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 simple to create your individual Wiki, to-do lists, or each day or weekly planner with Notion due to the block system of the UI. Notion runs in your browser, so it is usable from wherever, and you’ll share something you create with some other Notion customers. It is free to make use of, however if you wish to carry in additional than 10 individuals to your Notion, or create non-public pages, you possibly can pay for Notion beginning at $8 a month.

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6 Obsidian

Probably the most expansive note-taking app, for these with endurance

My favourite feature-rich note-taking app

Obsidian

Obsidian is a superb, feature-rich note-taking app, but it surely incorporates a steep studying curve. It is free to make use of for people, however companies might want to pay for a industrial license from Obsidian.

Execs

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

Obsidian is essentially the most feature-rich note-taking app on this listing, but it surely’s additionally essentially the most tough to study. It shines by domestically saving your notes, eliminating the requirement for an web connection that many of the different apps on this listing have. It additionally retains your notice safe, however safety all the time comes at a value, and that primarily interprets to how tough Obsidian is to study.

There is a ton you are able to do with Obsidian. You can also make a nesting doll of your notes, graph them, and manage connections inside an online design. You can too benefit from the tons of of free plug-ins which are out there for Obsidian. Obsidian’s finest function is its customizable options. You can also make issues look nevertheless you would like, so long as you’re keen to learn to grasp the app.

I’ve spent numerous 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 function, and it is my most well-liked technique of utilizing the app.

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FAQ

Q: How did you resolve on these picks?

As a author overlaying client tech and life-style, I’ve examined many alternative note-taking apps over time. I constructed this listing 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 listing.

Q: Is it value paying for a note-taking app?

This in the end relies upon by yourself particular person wants. If there’s a particular function that you’ll want to pay for for a note-taking app, and also you suppose it would simplify your workflow, I’d say go for it. I’ve paid for note-taking apps previously due to sure options I needed to make use of, however I do not at present pay for any note-taking apps. As a author, nevertheless, I’ve no drawback with paying for a note-taking app if I do know that it’s going to make my life simpler.