Skip to content
FIVE PICKED

Software & Productivity · The 5 best

Note-Taking

Apps for capturing ideas, organizing notes and building a personal knowledge base. We compared the options and narrowed them down to five. Each one is ranked, with a clear note on who it suits best.

Last updated

Some links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more

The 5 at a glance

Comparison of the 5 picks for Note-Taking
ToolBest forStarting price
Rank 1CraftApple users who care about designFree plan available; see website for paid plans
Rank 2CapacitiesResearchers and knowledge workersFree plan available; paid from about $10/month (billed yearly)
Rank 3EvernoteEveryday notes, web clipping and keeping things in one placeFree plan available; see website for paid plans
Rank 4CodaTeams and power users who want flexible docsFree plan available; see website for paid plans
Rank 5MemBusy professionals who want AI to help find and connect notesFree plan available; paid from about $12/month

Our 5 picks, ranked

  1. Rank 1

    Craft

    Beautiful notes and documents, designed with Apple devices in mind.

    Best forApple users who care about design

    What it does

    Craft is a notes and documents app with a polished writing experience and simple sharing.

    Strengths

    • Polished, pleasant writing experience
    • Notes, documents and easy sharing
    • Works across your devices
    • A free plan to start

    Good to know: It feels most at home on Apple devices.

  2. Rank 2

    Capacities

    Notes organized around people, ideas and things, not folders.

    Best forResearchers and knowledge workers

    What it does

    Capacities lets you link notes to people, projects and topics, so your notes grow into a connected knowledge base.

    Strengths

    • Link notes to people, projects and topics
    • Clean, calm design
    • Good for building a personal knowledge base
    • A free plan to start

    Good to know: It works differently from folder-based apps, so expect a short learning curve.

  3. Rank 3

    Evernote

    The classic note app, still going strong.

    Best forEveryday notes, web clipping and keeping things in one place

    What it does

    Evernote lets you capture notes, web clippings and scans in one place and search them later.

    Strengths

    • Familiar, easy-to-use notes
    • Web clipping and document scanning
    • Search across your notes
    • A free plan available

    Good to know: The free plan has limits, and newer apps offer more modern features.

  4. Rank 4

    Coda

    Docs that act like apps, with tables and automations.

    Best forTeams and power users who want flexible docs

    What it does

    Coda combines documents, tables and simple automations, so one doc can be a note, a tracker or a team wiki.

    Strengths

    • Combines docs, tables and workflows
    • Templates to get started quickly
    • Good for team wikis and trackers
    • A free plan available

    Good to know: It is more powerful than a simple notes app, so it takes more time to set up.

  5. Rank 5

    Mem

    AI-powered notes that help organize themselves.

    Best forBusy professionals who want AI to help find and connect notes

    What it does

    Mem is a notes app that uses AI to help you capture quickly, find things and connect related notes.

    Strengths

    • AI helps organize and search your notes
    • Quick capture
    • Fast, minimal design
    • A free plan to try it

    Good to know: AI features are best on paid plans, and it is a newer app.