The 5 best note-taking apps for Mac. Apple Notes for a simple notes app. Microsoft OneNote for a traditional solution. Bear for an Apple Notes upgrade. Obsidian for the most powerful note-taking app. Joplin for an open-source solution. What makes a great note-taking app for Mac? You can take notes using just about any app, or a piece of paper. A pen and paper are great tools for note-taking, and a typewriter is romantic and nostalgic. But today, you use electronic files from the beginning to the end of the writing and publishing process. If you check your app store for free book writing software, you will find hundreds for Mac, PC, Android, and iPhone. The first reliable note-taking application for Mac is Apple Notes. Since Apple Notes is a part of Apple’s productivity suite it comes pre-installed on every modern-day mac computer. You can attach all sorts of media files like photos, videos, documents scanned from your iPhone, hand-drawn sketches, audio recordings, and much more to your notes.
You’ll find plenty of note-taking apps for every taste and task on a Mac. Lots of the good ones offer an extended feature set – up to the point of allowing you to write a novel in a single note. But many of us simply don’t expect such omnipotence from a notepad – just to jot down an instant short note often is quite enough.
The good old Evernote with its plethora of features has become too complex for an average user. Those who prefer to simply drop quick notes on the fly have other nice apps they can opt for. The only question: which exact one to choose?
So, if you wish to upgrade your note-taking experience, here is your top-5 list of the selected most beloved apps in terms of simple and quick note making.
Unclutter
Unclutter’s Notes must be the fastest way to jot down a note on a Mac. One mouse gesture and you’re already typing your idea, to-do task, a phone number, or anything else.
Unclutter has no sophisticated features like media files support, handwriting, notebooks, etc. At the same time, it’s incredibly simple and convenient – which is ideal for plain quick note-taking. Truly minimalistic approach.
Interestingly, you may drag the Notes panel out of the Unclutter window and place it anywhere on the Desktop (it’ll stick atop other windows). Voilà – now you have it as a Post-it note.
Other app’s abilities include quick full-text search, all screens availability, auto-sync across all your Macs.
On top of that, Notes is only one of three tools in Unclutter. The other two are Clipboard and Files – what makes Unclutter a great complex (still, simple in use) productivity app.
* * *
Verdict: Being very fast and simple, Unclutter gives you as much as you need to simply churn out notes. Plus, its neat macOS-integrated interface to sweeten your experience. And even lack of more-than-basic features won’t be an issue if you’re actually looking for instant effortless note-taking.
Ghostnote
This one may not be quite so popular and often-used – but it definitely doesn’t make it less worth our attention. Ghostnote specializes in Post-it notes and todos on Mac. But it’s far from a typical notes making app because of its unique approach – being context based.
At first, Ghostnote may appear to be somehow complicated, but after a look at their website or 2-minute explanatory video, it should all become clear.
With this powerful tool, you can annotate virtually everything on your Mac: files, folders, apps, URLs and the list goes on. Thus, Ghostnote should be a great choice for those who need to make lots of comments and remarks during their workflow (coders, editors, etc).
Moreover, the app has its own browser to view and manage your notes from one place; there you can also write classic notes and todos.
This desktop notepad has quite a bunch of things to amaze you with. And its fresh major upgrade only adds points to this app as a member of our top-list.
* * *
Verdict: Ghostnote is quite different from most of Mac notebook apps in terms of how it works. Its main idea is in contextual notes and todos with which you can annotate all kinds of stuff on a Mac. It will take some time to grasp how all of it works, but once you get it, you’ll have a powerful notepad at your disposal.
Simplenote
As its name implies, Simplenote is for making simple notes. Pretty straight-forward. At the same time, the app provides you with all the essentials you’d want from a decent Mac notepad.
Some cool features you get in Simplenote include tags (which are like folders), collaboration (adding an email of someone to work on a note with) and markdown formatting. These allow easy note finding, sharing and visual enhancing.
Another nice thing to have is the app’s history tracking. Thanks to it, you can easily “go back in time” to the preferred version of your latest notes.
Its interface quite resembles the one you have in your native Notes app. Although, it looks refined and simplified at the same time. It’s like if you take Apple Notes, remove all extra, add some nice-to-have features (e.g. tags, markdown) with a pinch of elegance – done.
What’s more, Simplenote is available on literally every today’s platform. Thus, your notes are automatically synced across all your devices.
* * *
Verdict: Simplenote is unobtrusive and intuitively clear. Tags, collaboration, markdown, history – all to keep your note-taking process smooth, comfy and simple. This memo app is an ideal solution for ordinary users who don’t want to spend a penny and still get a nice basic notepad for any kind of device.
Google Keep
Sticky notes from uncle Google. Keep’s minimalistic colorful design cheers you up right from the first look at it. It is basically a wall of stickies – like the one you might have somewhere in your apartment.
You can actually do quite a lot of stuff in Google Keep. That includes everything from checklists and reminders to drawing and adding pictures. Labels, collaboration, keyboard shortcuts – goes without saying.
Keep also has some advanced features (you might never use though 😁): Google services integration, voice input, OCR scanner (recognition of image text). Still, for some users those would be a competitive edge when choosing a notepad.
In order to get this talented app, you just have to download a free Chrome extension or you can use it in a regular Chrome tab.
* * *
Verdict: Google Keep may not be the fastest-accessed or best macOS integrated sticky notes app but it’s certainly worth taking look at. In addition, some of its pro features may really surprise you. The fact remains: Google tends to make a lot of useful free stuff – and Keep is no exception.
Apple Notes
Actually, your system Notes app is not that bad as well. It has some basic formatting, checklists, folders, coworking with others… well, even locking notes with a password is possible. Besides, you can add various attachments to your notes.
Apple Notes syncs across your other Apple devices. And obviously, no need to download it as it’s already there, by default. 😊
Right, you won’t see any eye-charming designs or extraordinary solutions – it is dead simple and it just works. So, do not completely reject this option right away. That’s all we’re saying.
* * *
Verdict: If you don’t need your notebook app to be right at hand, look beautiful and have any extra features, stay with Apple’s Notes.
…But why would you search for the best notes apps for Mac after all?
To sum up
We hope our top-5 picks will help you in that uneasy struggle to find your best way to take notes on Mac. We have deliberately omitted notebook apps like Evernote or Bear. The reason is our focus on choosing the best apps for taking notes fast and with minimal effort.
Trying to sum up this article in a few words, we would get the following:
Unclutter – a neat and handy triple productivity tool with instant note-taking.
Ghostnote as the best app for contextual notes.
Simplenote is obviously for simplicity lovers.
Google Keep must be a top choice as a sticky notes app.
And if you are satisfied with plain basic note-taking and don’t want to look any further, you should probably stick with your native Apple Notes.
Following is a handpicked list of Top Note Taker Apps for mac, with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software. Evernote is an application designed for note-taking, managing tasks, and archiving. Ulysses is a hybrid writing program and note taking app. If you find yourself needing to transform your notes from raw form into something presentable, then Ulysses lets you do that all across your Mac devices. You can take notes in a plain text mode and then throw in another theme for export. Ulysses is a hybrid writing program and note taking app. If you find yourself needing to transform your notes from raw form into something presentable, then Ulysses lets you do that all across your Mac devices. You can take notes in a plain text mode and then throw in another theme for export. Thursday, November 23, 2017 Mac apps, Mac note taking apps If you are looking for some good note taking apps other than the default Notes app that comes with your Mac the list below has you covered. We featured some of the best titles in the Mac App Store. Best Note taking apps for iPhone / iPad – iOS note taking apps Like the above seen note taking softwares for windows and Mac, here is the list of note taking apps for iOS users.
Something is on your mind and you thought you’ll remember it, no matter how hard you tell yourself not to forget but more likely everything will vanish away after a couple of hours. Some people may have a habit of remembering things by writing them on paper, these days nobody wants to carry pen and paper with them. Smartphone and computer took that place
If you think that you will remember something without writing it to somewhere, you’ll probably end up forgetting that you had to remember something that you forget now. Find full-featured extensive note-taking apps that can save anything from the web and help you be creative and remember things. This is a drill-down of fast and best note-taking apps.
Best Note-Taking Applications to use in 2020
On this page, you’ll find our favorite note-taking apps. Writing is a process and lot of people not like the simple notepad tool to write. I’m sure about me. About you too. We got you from this page you can pick and try from any of these mentioned note taking tools.
let’s begin the countdown.
1. Evernote
Why: Multiple device support, cross-platform.
Evernote is very hyped if you search about, even some laptop manufacturers such as HP laptop comes with Evernote pre-installed.
If you are a student who has to submit several assignments or a writer who want to write distraction free, Evernote is one of the famous note taking application available for every platform — plus seamlessly sync to all the device.
So if we compare something with Evernote or use the Evernote alternatives term, that all is because of its popularity.
2. SimpleNote
Why: best sync almost real-time, text-only, markdown support, mobile app for all major os.
Simplenote is the finest pure interface layout with real-time note sync to your other devices. Again SimpleNote offers apps for all device platforms so that switching devices won’t affect anything. If you open simplenote on 2 devices side by side, you’ll notice that as soon as you write something on first devices — that will instantly sync and will appear on the second device. You” also get some features like collaborating, sharing with peoples you want.
Why Simplenote: Even with simple functionality and interface, Evernote is our favorite note taking app. Trust wise it created by the Automattic folks; You know the same who launched WordPress, for the reason alone this text-based writing app can be an Evernote replacement app easily.
Pricing: Free, Forever. However, they may soon have a premium plan with some nasty feature update.
3. DropBox paper
Why: Browser based, Android and iOS app, rich text formatting, support annotations.
DropBox Paper beta feels comfortable to write; It got a couple of cool features that really help if you’re in a team environment. The beta is free for personal use. You can add images — even from the clipboard, files from Dropbox, and enrich it with list point, table and check boxes. It also has the word count and word history, making it possible to track changes and revert to an old version.
If you work in a team, you can share a document link with them, and they can edit the document at the same and-and an annotation will let you know where they are working. You can use collab with people’s, assign them tasks, mention them in any document to ask them to do some task. It is a very helpful tool to manage a team. Thus it is better than Evernote in above instances.
Tip: use http://dillinger.io/ to convert exported markdown file (from Dropbox paper) to HTML or styled HTML. I started writing a post on SimpleNote, and somehow I finished DropBox Paper.
In the Image: 10 Screen Recording Software for Windows.
*Dropbox and SimpleNote similarity: *both supports export to Markdown, and you can export all notes at once as in zip format. Android app is available for both SimpleNote is much lightweight.
4. Google Docs
Why: Google product, voice dictation, mobile apps.
Google Docs? Is completely different that Google Drive, some people may relate it to each other. With Google Docs, you can write and can enrich with images, with voice diction that may help you save some time writing. It also has voice typing that helps you write longer contact without pouncing on the keyboard. Especially writing a document with voice dictation Can assist you in Boost your writing as well as improve your English speaking accent. Google Docs is undoubtedly one of the best Evernote similar application.
5. OneNote
Why: Microsoft product, onedrive integration.
That said, turn ideas into shape with OneNote. It comes preloaded with Windows 10 builds, and for the reason, you may want to try this out as Microsoft team is behind this mesmerizing Modern UI style writing an app. It has all the features like that text decoration, adding images, several cool features to insert something and draw using your mouse or touch screen. While OneNote is Evernote equivalent and also offers many options which make it stand good, besides the User Interface is not elegant, my opinion, though.
6. Google keep: To-do lists and Notes
Why: Listicle/grid format, better sync, material design, image upload, cross platform apps.
Google Keep is — somewhere between complex Evernote and basic Simplenote. It is created to take photos, lists, and to-do list. Taking longer notes with it is simply not recommended. It is a cloud-based note taking service meaning you can access it from everywhere with an Internet connection, and it does support various platforms as well.
7. QUIP:
Why: Web based, rich text formatting. Pricing: Start Free, $30/month for a 5 people team.
QUIP is another place where you or your team can write, edit, discuss the stuff that matters to you. Similar to #2, #7 it has similar text formatting options, and YASS — export notes as Html. Markdown, pdf, doc and latex format.
8. Hackpad
Why: Web based, text formatting options at top.
Hackpad is — The Dropbox Paper, which is completely redesigned and backed up with new collab features. While the old HackPad is still accessible and still an excellent Document writer tool, it also supports adding images from PC, clipboard, and text formatting options. Talking the user interface is haven’t changed from last year. Adding other people’s via email and let them edit your document is still in this tool. If you want to try this tool, that’s recommended, but I will more advise you to switch to Dropbox paper.
9. Draftin
Why: markdown support.
It is a simple and has inbuilt Hemingway writer addon that let you analyze and give suggestions to make your document ever better and easily understandable. It does support Markdown, but you have to leave the page to Preview.
10. App Based note taking apps
Note taking apps that are only for mobile operating system specific such as android or iOS.
10.1 Apple Notes (iOS)
Note taking app for iOS devices, but you can access it using a web browser by signing with your Apple ID. If you don’t have an Apple device, don’t waste time trying to use this note taking app.
11. Box Notes
Apparently, I think this is another fine online collaboration tool. It has basic functions, text styling, list for instance. Quick links to share documents and revision option to track all the editing.
Pricing: Personal free, personal Pro $11/5 /Mo. Business plans from $6/mo.
12. Secure Note-taking apps
There is some alternative which may not have magical features instance of paper and google docs, yet the developers believe these are the top secure replacement apps.
12.1 Turt
Note Taking Software For Mac Free 8
turtl.it Available for Windows, IOS, Linux is a secure replacement to Evernote.
12.2 Paperwork:
paperwork.rocks is similar to SimpleNote, and you just have to host it on your server, it is a secure Evernote alternative, all of your data on your own servers.•••
Hon’ble mentions:
Some more apps like Yojimbo, DEVONthink, and GingerLabs that didn’t make a place in this list and in best Evernote alternatives 2016 edition.•••
Most of the writing apps allow sharing the document with other, let them edit and sync in real time. Moderate internet speed is all you need. Thanks to developers that most of the writing/ document calibrating apps are free. These are the best note taking app you need to use from today to write on the internet. Who knows, you may find your next note taking app to manage all your writing after reading this post. So which one app you are using to writing documents and collaborating with your team? That’s all up to you. Good luck and keep writing.
Contents
- Best Note-Taking Applications to use in 2020
- 10. App Based note taking apps
- 12. Secure Note-taking apps
Note Taking Software For Mac Free Online
Taking notes on a Mac is as simple as opening Notes and starting to type. But the best way to take notes actually depends on your own personal habits and workflow.
Some people are better with sticky notes that stay on your screen all the time, or an app that syncs seamlessly with Evernote. If your notes tend to turn into blog posts, an app like MarsEdit can keep them organized until they’re ready to publish.
Note Taking Software For Mac Free Downloads
Setapp collection is packed with useful apps that might fit your unique way of note-taking better than a one-size-fits-all solution like Apple’s own Notes. With over 150 apps to choose from — and a free trial — you’re bound to find the best app for jotting down your thoughts. Here are our favorites.
Best note-taking apps for Mac
Get the most out of your notes - with a huge set of top Mac apps in one pack!
Capture ideas with Unclutter
Unclutter is perfect for capturing the smallest germ of an idea, since it works as both a sticky notes app and a clipboard manager. Because it’s always open, you can write down an idea the second you have it. Unclutter’s notes are sticky because they never go away, and the interface is even better than default sticky notes on the desktop since Unclutter doesn’t clutter up the view when you’re working in other apps.
To access Unclutter, you can just mouse to the top of your screen and scroll down (or choose your own key command), and its three-pane layout appears, with sections labeled Clipboard, Files, and Notes.
In Clipboard, you’ll see a list of everything you’ve copied to your Mac’s clipboard, ready to re-copy and paste whenever and wherever you need. You can star favorite items to keep them accessible here forever.
Files is a handy place to drop files you need an easy access to, like things you’re working on right now.
Unclutter’s Notes pane is a text field where you can type out notes and also drag text and links into. You can keep one long-running note to yourself or create multiple notes and view them in a list — the Search field searches the full text of all of your notes, so you can always find what you’re looking for. All panes are easy to resize to give yourself more room.
Unclutter is easy to fit into your workflow since it’s always there, and the search field helps you find things later. Dropbox integration even syncs your Unclutter files and notes across multiple Macs. When you want to turn your thoughts into something more edited, you can choose another note-taking app from Setapp.
MarsEdit and Strike for blogging
Best Apps To Take Notes On Mac
MarsEdit makes it easy to create content, cleverly edit what you write, and integrate with WordPress as well as other blog publishing services right from the app. Besides giving you a place to write in Markdown or Rich and Plain text, MarsEdit lets you build and format robust blog posts, complete with links, images, and other media. You can add tags and schedule your posts to go live anytime.
MarsEdit even makes it easy to gather links and media to blog about. It has a Safari extension that lets you save URLs and start blogging instantly once you find something worth writing about.
If you’re looking for a writing tool that allows to collaborate on a doc, you should go with Strike. This effortless text editor lets up to 10 people to work on the same content in real time.
Improve your writing with Ulysses
Ulysses is a writing app with outstanding organizational features, so you can move from notes to an outline to a full manuscript. In fact, Ulysses is a popular app for Mac users participating in NaNoWriMo, a month-long exercise that encourages people to write a novel. It has all kinds of features to get you to write more, from flexible themes to eliminate distractions, to writing goals that count words written.
You can use Ulysses to post to a WordPress blog, export Word documents, or even format an entire ebook. But at the most fundamental level, it’s a great note-taking app because you never have to save anything, and your writing can sync between multiple Macs and iOS devices via iCloud or Dropbox. Your notes can contain images, keywords, and PDFs. The search function is incredibly thorough; for example, you can find keywords in notes created before a certain date, in case you want to see how your thoughts about something have evolved over time.
Take study notes with Studies
While other note-taking apps are flexible enough to handle work and personal topics side-by-side, Studies is created especially for those in academic settings. It’s designed to take your notes and turn them into study notes, which are basically flashcards on steroids.
Instead of a traditional two-sided flashcard for memorizing terms, the study notes in Studies can have as many “sides” as you need. They can contain text, images, videos, even audio. This makes them flexible enough that you can create study notes for any subject, from accounting to zoology. You can share study notes with classmates or even download pre-written note sets from Quizlet.
Then, you can use Studies to quiz yourself. The app can set up a schedule for you, based on prepping for an exam or just learning the material as quickly as you can. It chooses notes to study every day, and the cards you got wrong will re-appear more frequently in future sessions, so you can get it right.
Mac Os Note App
Setapp puts all best note-taking apps together
All these note-taking apps are available in Setapp, so you have access to them all for your ideal workflow. You could start an idea as a sticky note in Uncluttered, paste it into Alternote, where you flesh out the idea a little more. That syncs it to Evernote, which you can also connect to Blogo, and turn that note into a full-featured blog post for the world to read.
It’s all up to you, and Setapp lets you focus on the work, instead of finding the right apps, buying them, and then buying them again for updates. Just consider subscribing once and then all you have to do is write.
Note Apps Free For Laptop
These might also interest you:
Best Note Taking Apps
Mac Os Note App
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
Read onNote Taking Software For Mac Free App
Sign Up