Note Taking tools.
Connected workspace for docs, wikis and projects
A flexible Markdown writing app designed for seamless note-taking across Apple devices.
A comprehensive digital workspace for capturing ideas and organizing complex projects via cross-platform synchronization.
A powerful Markdown-based knowledge management tool for building a networked personal second brain.
Note taking app
Markdown writing, note taking, and static blog generator app
Hierarchical note taking application
Networked notes
Note taking and to-do application with synchronization capabilities
Note Taking: Nimble, Calm, Plain.txt
Note taking app
Privacy-focused note taking app
Outline note taking and management app
Digital notebook
Note taking app using GitHub Gists
Hierarchical note taking application featuring rich text and syntax highlighting
Keyboard-driven note taking
Note taking application and information organiser
All 18 tools at a glance — average rating 1.0 across 21,340 verified reviews.
| Rank | Product | Rating | Reviews | Score | Pricing | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Notion | 4.7 ★ | 19,840 | 91 | freemium | Free | View → |
| #2 | Bear | 4.5 ★ | 500 | 85 | subscription | — | View → |
| #3 | Evernote | 4.5 ★ | 500 | 85 | subscription | — | View → |
| #4 | Obsidian | 4.5 ★ | 500 | 85 | subscription | — | View → |
| #5 | nvALT | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #6 | MWeb Pro | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #7 | TriliumNext Notes | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #8 | Roam Research | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | subscription | — | View → |
| #9 | joplin-cli | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #10 | The Archive | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #11 | Evernote | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #12 | Notesnook | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #13 | Mubu | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #14 | OneNote | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | subscription | — | View → |
| #15 | Memo | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #16 | cherrytree | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #17 | nimblenote | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
| #18 | OmniOutliner | 0.0 ★ | 0 | 9 | free | — | View → |
Recency-weighted average from purchase-verified reviewers.
Growth in review count over the last 90 days.
Live lowest verified merchant offer vs category median.
Feature coverage relative to category benchmarks.
Listings refresh daily from live merchant feeds. Sponsored placements are always labelled and never affect rank order. See our editorial policy.
Notion ranks #1 in our editorial review, based on verified user reviews, live merchant pricing, and product depth. See the full ranking above for #2–#18.
Our editorial score combines verified user reviews (40%), rating velocity over the last 90 days (30%), price competitiveness against live merchant offers (20%), and product depth against category benchmarks (10%). Sponsored placements are always labelled and never affect rank order.
Yes — several products in this list offer a free or freemium tier. Check each product page for current plan details.
Selecting the right note taking platform is rarely about picking the market leader — it's about matching the tool to the shape of your team, workflow, and budget. Below we've broken down the questions we ask when evaluating 18 products in this category, so you can shortcut weeks of vendor demos and free-trial fatigue.
Write down the single outcome you need — faster onboarding, lower cost per seat, better integrations. A note taking tool that wins on one dimension usually loses on another; pick your dimension first.
Small teams (1–10) reward simplicity and per-seat pricing. Mid-market teams (10–200) need SSO, granular roles, and audit logs. Enterprise buyers should shortlist only vendors with published SOC 2 reports.
The sticker price is the smallest number. Add implementation, migration, add-on modules, training, and the eventual switching cost. Multiply year-one pricing by three for a realistic 3-year TCO.
The tools you already run — CRM, billing, identity, data warehouse — dictate what will work. Any shortlist candidate that can't native-integrate with your top 3 systems is a soft no.
We scored every note taking vendor on the shortlist against the same feature matrix. If a candidate misses more than two of these, we recommend moving on — the category has matured enough that all of these should be table stakes.
Enough for solo users and evaluators. Expect capped seats, no SSO, community support only. Great for validating that note taking fits your workflow before spending.
The sweet spot for most 10–100 person teams. Full feature access, standard integrations, email support, and typically monthly billing with no commit.
Adds SSO, SCIM provisioning, advanced permissions, dedicated support, and legal review of DPAs. Annual contracts, often 20–40% higher than list.
Need a note taking tool that scales from 3 to 30 seats without a re-platform. Favor freemium + self-serve.
Prioritise automation, integrations with the existing stack, and reporting dashboards leadership can read at a glance.
Focus on SSO, audit trails, data residency, and DPA / SOC 2 documentation before the contract is signed.
Start with our #1 pick, Notion, or browse the full ranking above. Every product page shows live merchant prices, verified reviews, and side-by-side comparison against category alternatives.
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