The Best Note And Writing Apps in 2026
We researched note and writing apps using vendors’ official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings focus on the category’s core job, value for money, and verified features, helping readers compare tools for capturing, organizing, and developing written work.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Microsoft OneNote#1 of 329.3/10A versatile notebook with offline editing, collaboration, and broad Microsoft integration.
Free plan
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Runner-up
Evernote#2 of 329.2/10Broad capture and search for teams, with tiered limits on notes, storage, and sync.
Free plan · 7-day trial
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Top-ranked free plan
Obsidian#3 of 329.1/10A flexible Markdown knowledge base for people who want linked notes and local files.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 32 tools, best first
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Best forMicrosoft users needing a versatile notebook
A versatile notebook with offline editing, collaboration, and broad Microsoft integration.
- Offline access
9.3/10★★★★★Visit site -
Best forTeams needing searchable notes and capture
Broad capture and search for teams, with tiered limits on notes, storage, and sync.
- Offline access
Free plan · 7-day trial Our Evernote verdict → Visit EvernoteFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #2 · $99/mo →9.2/10★★★★★Visit Evernote -
Best forPeople building a linked personal knowledge base
A flexible Markdown knowledge base for people who want linked notes and local files.
- Offline access
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Obsidian -
Best forOpen-source note takers wanting sync options
A flexible Markdown notebook with local storage, sync choices, and optional cloud collaboration.
- Offline access
Free plan · 14-day trial Our Joplin verdict → Visit JoplinFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #4 · $69/mo →9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Joplin -
Best forFree, lightweight notes and shared checklists
A free, lightweight way to capture notes and share checklists across devices.
- Offline access
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Google Keep -
Best forMultimedia notes with broad integrations
A flexible multimedia notebook with offline access, collaboration, and extensive integrations.
- Offline access
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Zoho Notebook -
Best forOpen-source linked notes and task workflows
A flexible local-first workspace for linked notes, tasks, and queries.
- Offline access
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Logseq -
Best forVisual, structured notes across platforms
Connected, visual notes with offline access and optional AI, tasks, and calendar tools.
- Offline access
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Capacities -
Best forPolished documents with sharing and collaboration
Craft suits people who want polished, shareable documents with structured collaboration.
- Offline access
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Craft -
Best forPrivate, offline-first notes and shared spaces
A private, offline-first workspace combining notes, databases, projects, and shared spaces.
- Offline access
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Anytype -
Best forEncrypted notes with self-hosting options
Private, cross-platform notes with a free tier and paid editors from $90 per year.
- Offline access
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Standard Notes -
Best forAI-assisted notes, meetings, and follow-ups
A persistent notes workspace with voice capture, task tracking, and an AI follow-up agent.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Mem -
Best forLong-form authors who want a full project binder
A project binder for long-form writing, with a one-time license and no real-time collaboration.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Scrivener -
Best forAuthors preparing collaborative books for publication
A free, web-based book workspace with collaborative editing and publication-ready exports.
- Live collaboration
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Reedsy Studio -
Best forMinimal writing that doubles as a blog or newsletter
A publishing-first writing app for solo writers and teams, not general note organization.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Write.as -
Best forPrivate notes on a low-cost open-source plan
A privacy-focused notes app with a capable free plan and low-cost paid upgrades.
- Offline access
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Notesnook -
Best forSimple free notes with sync and Markdown
A straightforward free notes app with broad platform support and core writing tools.
- Offline access
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Simplenote -
Best forApple users tying notes to calendars and tasks
A calendar-linked Markdown planner for Apple-focused users who want tasks and notes together.
- Offline access
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit NotePlan -
Best forDaily linked notes and block references
Daily notes, bidirectional links, and block references for building a connected knowledge base.
- Offline access
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Roam Research -
Best forResearchers organizing notes visually with PDFs
Heptabase connects visual notes, PDF research, and AI across major platforms.
- Offline access
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Heptabase -
Best forApple users wanting polished Markdown notes
Bear pairs focused Markdown writing with scanning, OCR search, and broad export options.
- Offline access
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Bear -
Best forPeople who want private, backlinked notes across devices
A paid personal knowledge app for connected notes, offline access, and AI assistance.
- Offline access
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Reflect -
Best forNovelists planning and revising long manuscripts
A structured manuscript workspace with planning boards, revision tools, and AI assistance.
- Live collaboration
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit LivingWriter -
Best forFocused Markdown writing and direct publishing
A focused plain-text editor for drafting, checking, restoring, and publishing writing.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit iA Writer -
Best forApple writers publishing polished long-form work
A paid Apple writing workspace with deep export options and direct publishing.
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Ulysses -
Best forFiction writers collaborating on novels
A focused novel workspace with story planning, co-authoring, and offline writing.
- Live collaboration
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Dabble -
Best forAuthors tracking writing goals and progress
A browser-based writing workspace with goals, planning tools, and progress tracking.
- Live collaboration
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Novlr -
Best forOffline novel planning on desktop
A free, offline-friendly toolkit for authors who plan stories before drafting.
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Manuskript -
Best forNovelists who want structured story analysis
A structured fiction workspace for novelists who want planning tools and story analysis.
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit bibisco -
Best forFree novel organization across desktop and mobile
A free novel organizer with chapter-and-scene editing across desktop and mobile.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit yWriter -
Best forMac and iOS writers planning fiction or screenplays
A story-planning and drafting toolkit for Apple devices, sold as separate one-time purchases.
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Storyist -
Best forTeams automating meeting notes and follow-up actions
Meeting transcription and approved AI actions stand out, but paid plans start at $30 per user monthly.
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Tana
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Offline access | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft OneNote | Yes | $99.99/yr | Yes | 9.3 |
| 2 | Evernote | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 3 | Obsidian | Yes | $4/user/mo | Yes | 9.1 |
| 4 | Joplin | Yes | €2.40/mo | Yes | 9.0 |
| 5 | Google Keep | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.9 |
| 6 | Zoho Notebook | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 7 | Logseq | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.7 |
| 8 | Capacities | Yes | $8.33/mo | Yes | 8.6 |
| 9 | Craft | Yes | $6.40/user/mo | Yes | 8.5 |
| 10 | Anytype | Yes | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 11 | Standard Notes | Yes | $90/yr | Yes | 8.2 |
| 12 | Mem Agent | Yes | 8.0 | ||
| 13 | Scrivener | No | $23.99 one-time | 7.9 | |
| 14 | Reedsy Studio | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 15 | Write.as | Yes | $6/mo | 7.9 | |
| 16 | Notesnook | Yes | $1.67/mo | Yes | 7.9 |
| 17 | Simplenote | Yes | Free | Yes | 7.9 |
| 18 | NotePlan | No | $99/user/yr | Yes | 7.9 |
| 19 | Roam Research | No | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 20 | Heptabase | Yes | $107.88/user/yr | Yes | 7.7 |
| 21 | Bear | Yes | $29.99/user/yr | Yes | 7.6 |
| 22 | Reflect | No | $10/user/mo | Yes | 7.5 |
| 23 | LivingWriter | Yes | 7.3 | ||
| 24 | iA Writer | No | 7.1 | ||
| 25 | Ulysses | No | $39.99/user/yr | 7.0 | |
| 26 | Dabble | Yes | $19/mo | 6.8 | |
| 27 | Novlr | Yes | $8/mo | 6.7 | |
| 28 | Manuskript | Yes | Free | 6.6 | |
| 29 | bibisco | Yes | €29.99/yr | 6.5 | |
| 30 | yWriter | Yes | 6.4 | ||
| 31 | Storyist | No | $19 one-time | 6.3 | |
| 32 | Tana | Yes | $30/user/mo | 6.2 |
Head-to-head All 18 comparisons →
- Microsoft OneNote vs Google Keep
- Microsoft OneNote vs Logseq
- Microsoft OneNote vs Capacities
- Evernote vs Google Keep
- Evernote vs Logseq
- Evernote vs Capacities
- Obsidian vs Google Keep
- Obsidian vs Logseq
- Obsidian vs Capacities
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How we rank note and writing apps
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update