The Best Free Options to Start With
If you're just getting started with note-taking and don't want to commit to a paid plan yet, Microsoft OneNote and Apple Notes are your strongest bets. According to Zapier, Microsoft OneNote is described as the best free note-taking app and is in serious contention for best overall. The app works across Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, giving you flexibility no matter what hardware you use.
For Apple users specifically, Apple Notes might be even better. Per Apps Tested, Apple Notes is the best free note-taking app for users on Apple devices. It's also the fastest option for pure capture-and-find among major competitors, according to TechVerdict.io. The app includes voice memo with auto-transcription, scanning, and handwriting recognition. Apple Intelligence adds summarization, smart formatting, and natural-language search, with most tasks running on-device. You can even capture notes directly from your iPhone lock screen by swiping, or open a Quick Note on Mac with a keyboard shortcut. This native integration means the fastest path from thought to saved note lives right in the ecosystem you already use every day.
The Power User's Playground: Obsidian
If you're the type who wants full control over your notes and isn't afraid of a learning curve, Obsidian is built for you. The core app is free, per Medium / Just Talking Tech, though Sync is a paid subscription option.
Obsidian's entire philosophy centers on bidirectional links between notes visualized as a graph, creating what's essentially your personal knowledge base. According to TechVerdict.io, the app stores notes as plain Markdown files locally on disk, meaning you maintain complete data ownership. It runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, making it the better cross-platform choice if you use multiple operating systems. Unlike Apple Notes, which has no Windows or Linux clients and limits you to the Apple ecosystem, Obsidian goes everywhere your work does.
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The trade-off is complexity. Per TechVerdict.io, Obsidian is recommended for power users wanting local-first Markdown notes with powerful linking despite a steep learning curve. If you want AI features, Obsidian has no first-party AI, though per Atlas Workspace, the Smart Connections plugin can add search and Q&A if you provide your own API key. For users building knowledge bases or managing complex research projects, this flexibility is worth the onboarding effort.
The All-in-One Workspace: Notion
Notion occupies a different niche entirely. According to Zapier, Notion is considered best as a team notes app or AI-powered notes app rather than a personal solo tool. The app has a free Personal Plan, with the paid Plus plan starting at $12/user/month for unlimited blocks.
Notion's core philosophy, per dEssence, treats everything as a database with properties, relations, views, and filters, connecting notes to tasks, projects, and calendar. This makes it powerful for teams and anyone who wants their notes integrated with workflows. If you want Notion AI for chat-with-notes functionality, Notion AI is available on the Business plan at $24/user/month according to Zapier. For a more focused AI experience, per TechVerdict.io, Notion AI for chat-with-notes is available at $10/month and is described as best out-of-the-box workspace Q&A, polished and fast. Teams especially benefit from Notion's ability to turn notes into actionable items without jumping between tools.
Everything Else Worth Knowing
Evernote remains a serious contender, especially if you spend time in your web browser. Per Paperlike, Evernote's Web Clipper can pull full articles, simplified text, screenshots, or bookmarks straight from a browser and is considered its signature feature. This makes Evernote ideal for researchers, content curators, or anyone who needs to preserve articles and web content alongside their own notes. Pricing ranges from $14.99/month or $99.99/year for Starter to $24.99/month or $249.99/year for Advanced.
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If you're on Android and looking for free options, The Digital Project Manager notes that popular Android note-taking apps include OneNote, Standard Notes, Simplenote, and Nimbus Notes. Google Keep is also free with every Google account. Android users have genuine choice here, from lightweight options like Google Keep to more feature-rich alternatives like OneNote and Nimbus Notes.
How These Apps Compare Head-to-Head
| App | Best For | Price | Key Strength | Platform Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Notes | Apple ecosystem users | Free | Fastest capture-and-find, Apple Intelligence on-device | No Windows or Linux clients |
| Microsoft OneNote | Cross-platform users | Free | Best overall free option across devices | None (Windows, Mac, mobile) |
| Obsidian | Power users and knowledge builders | Free (core); Sync paid | Local-first Markdown, bidirectional linking, full data ownership | None (all major platforms) |
| Notion | Teams and workflow integrators | Free; Plus $12/user/month; AI $10/month | Database-like structure, chat-with-notes AI available | Cloud-only, subscription-based |
| Evernote | Web clippers and archivists | $14.99/month to $24.99/month | Web Clipper pulls articles, text, screenshots, bookmarks | Subscription required for full features |
Growth Trends and Real-World Usage
Search trends tell an interesting story about where note-taking is headed. According to The Modern Observer, Notion leads in overall search volume, but Obsidian has the steepest growth rate, particularly among power users. This suggests Obsidian is attracting users who want something different from what traditional cloud-based apps offer, signaling a shift toward local-first, privacy-conscious solutions among technically sophisticated audiences.
The verdict depends entirely on your workflow and ecosystem. Per TechVerdict.io, Apple Notes is the right baseline for everyone in the Apple ecosystem. Obsidian suits power users who want ownership and structure. Notion is perfect for teams and anyone comfortable with SaaS workflows. And if you're not locked into any ecosystem, Microsoft OneNote delivers serious features without the learning curve of Obsidian or the subscription requirements of Notion.
Start free, test the workflow, then upgrade if it makes sense. That's how you actually find the best note-taking app for you, not by following lists.
