Top 8 Best Note-Taking Apps for Mac

With much of our work shifting to the digital world, we only make sense for the way we take notes to do the same. Note-taking is a brilliant way of jotting down our thoughts and creating drafts. Traditional note-taking relies on paper and pen, and can often be messy and do more harm than good. However, the best note-taking apps for Mac allow us to revolutionize even how we take notes by digitizing the process. You’ll agree that note-taking apps available on phones are basic at best and don’t allow us to form detailed drafts. However, with simple add-ons, you can revolutionize the way you take notes. If you’re interested, keep reading below to find out how you can make the most well-organized files of notes ever.

For fully fleshed out notes that can help you organize your thoughts much more cohesively, pick the best note-taking apps for Mac. These apps aren’t for merely jotting down your plans. Instead, they allow you to form complex notes complete with lists, images, recordings, documents, etc. This isn’t where it ends: if you’re looking to streamline your work, keep reading below for the top 8 best note taking apps for Mac.

1. Apple Notes

This is the classic, timeless option. Preinstalled, this is the best note-taking app for Mac for those who crave simplicity that doesn’t compromise on productivity and efficiency. Apple Notes allows you to organize all your notes in one place effectively. What’s more, you can add images, format your notes, and add tables, checklists, and the like. Apple notes can be completely customizable, as users can add hand-drawn works, scanned images or documents, and more.

Want to know the best part? Apple Notes isn’t just for personal note-taking. Instead, you can easily send invites and collaborate with others on your notes. All you need is for your fellow collaborators to have an Apple ID, and you’re all set! All the notes you make sync to your Apple ID can access them on any device you own.

2. Evernote

This highly popular app is the best option for those looking to streamline their tasks. Cohesively, the Evernote taking app allows you to prioritize your ideas and plan your projects seamlessly. If you want to take advantage of every feature out there, this is the perfect app for you. Some of the things you can easily do with Evernote are:

• Easily publish notes online, or share instructions
• Automatically sync your notes to all your devices
• Easily access and locate notes using tags and the instant searching option

This isn’t all there is to Evernote, however. Additionally, you can add reminders to your notes to add alerts. Furthermore, Evernote's desktop version comes with specific options that allow you to group similar notes in ‘stacks’ of virtual notebooks. However, even with such a vast library, Evernote makes searching within notes incredibly simple. So, here’s the deal: if note-taking is where you thrive, Evernote can help you compile stacks upon stacks of notes while making it incredibly easy to navigate. The immense features and organization you can achieve with this app make it the best note-taking app for Mac.

3. Notion

This is the app designed to help you create an online workspace for your team. Built for collaboration, Notion is a project management software that can help you stay integrated with all your tasks and deadlines. Furthermore, it allows you to create a cohesive roadmap to achieving your goals while using spreadsheets to create records of work done. One of the most challenging things to do when forming outlines can be prioritizing ideas. Real-time collaboration can help every member of the team help in building a reliable roadmap. Notion helps take care of this very aspect, allowing you to organize your ideas in ascending or descending order.

Furthermore, the app caters to the different needs of students, educators, teams, enterprises, and startups. Whether you’re working on marketing projects, organizing schoolwork, or completing projects, Notion has features tailored to your needs. Additionally, up to 30 media types are supported, alongside the integration of more than 50 apps. The customizable nature of this app places it amongst the best note-taking apps for Mac.

4. Bear

Bear is one of the best note-taking apps for Mac that offers a different approach to note-taking. It sets itself apart by focusing on typography and prose, and the thought put in by developers is apparent with the themes, fonts, and colors available. Another area where Bear differentiates itself is the organizational side. You can use hashtags to help arrange your notes either by popularity or alphabetically. Furthermore, you can add child tags to hashtags to create further divisions within one tag. Additionally, Bear can be the app for programmers, allowing syntax to highlight 20 markup and programming languages. This best note-taking app for Mac can also automatically turn hyperlinks and emails into clickable links through smart data recognition.

5. One Note

If you’re looking for a free note-taking option with all the features, One Note is your best bet. One Note features a simplistic design that allows you to drag and drop different media types within the same note. All your notes, stacks, and notebooks are stored on an OneDrive folder, with 5GB of free storage. Not only does this mean that you get more space for your notes, but also that there are no monthly limits. This makes One Note the best note-taking app for college.

It gets better: One Note comes with a fantastic feature that allows you to search for text within images and extract it. This feature works for handwritten notes as well and can allow you to make edits. Everyone loves a free deal, and that’s why we place OneNote in this list of best note-taking apps for Mac.

6. Turtl

Not entirely a note-taking app, this app is intended for those who use notes to store sensitive information, such as passwords. This is what gives rise to Turtl’s most prominent feature – high-level cryptography.

Here’s the deal: with Turtl, you and you alone have access to your data. Whether you store pictures, text, passwords, or files, only you and those you trust can access your files. Additionally, Turtl allows for collaboration as well as having handy tools that let you make easy to organize lists.

Of course, you can effortlessly search within notes using either text or tags – it’s really up to you. With few note-taking apps emphasizing security, Turtl sets itself apart, making it a top note-taking app for Mac.

7. Zoho Notebook

While this app may be a tad more simplistic than the others on this list, that’s precisely where its charm lies. Zoho Notebook is one of Mac's best note-taking apps due to its easy-to-understand interface and vibrant design. You can classify different forms of notes by creating cover pages for all your notebooks. Notes are called cards, which can be audio, visual, sketch, or attachment cards. Every card displays a thumbnail so that you can preview the content. Want to classify your notes further? Use hashtags!

It gets better: Zoho Notebook is entirely free!

8. Simple Note

When it comes to Simple Note, the name does all the talking. This is, again, an alternative to Evernote, which supports markdown application. It follows the same simplistic design as Bear, with notes being classified using tags instead of stacks. The Simplenote taking app is supported by Mac dark mode, and the emphasis on simplicity and typography is evident throughout the design. With clean lines, zero clutter, and soothing themes, Simplenote is a relaxing place to jot down your thoughts. The different approach taken by SimpleNote makes it one of the best note-taking apps for Mac.

Bottom line: if simplicity and aesthetics are what you crave, this is the perfect app.

In an ocean of apps, with each promising something more than the last, it can be difficult picking the best app for note-taking. We’re here to make that job easier for you with this exhaustive list of the best note-taking apps for Mac. Each of the apps in this list has something different to offer, so you can pick the one that suits you best based on your requirements. Of course, you can rest assured that every app uses the best note-taking techniques