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Note-taking & PKM rankings
Every note-taking app below is scored 0–100 on the same seven public axes — including the ones we earn nothing from. Answer a 60-second quiz to personalize the ranking to how you work, or compare any two head-to-head.
1
Notion
Free · $10/mo · ★4.7 (2.8k)
An all-in-one workspace where notes, databases, and wikis live as flexible blocks — powerful and collaborative, with a learning curve and cloud lock-in.
73
SoftwareScore
2
Obsidian
Free · $4/mo Sync · ★4.5 (2.4k)
A local-first markdown knowledge base with a huge plugin ecosystem — unmatched on data ownership, lighter on real-time collaboration.
70
SoftwareScore
3
Coda
Free · $12/mo · ★3.6 (1.6k)
A docs-meets-databases platform with powerful tables and automations — excellent for teams, lighter on data portability.
69
SoftwareScore
4
Apple Notes
Free · built-in (not rated)
Apple's free built-in notes app — instantly usable and reliable across Apple devices, limited beyond the ecosystem.
69
SoftwareScore
5
OneNote
Free · ★4.6 (2.0k)
Microsoft's free-form digital notebook — generous, flexible, and free, especially inside the Microsoft 365 world.
68
SoftwareScore
6
Craft
Free · $8/mo · ★4.8 (6.7k)
A beautifully designed docs-and-notes app — polished and easy, with clean export and solid cross-platform sync.
67
SoftwareScore
7
Anytype
Free · $4/mo · ★4.2 (1.3k)
A local-first, encrypted, open-source 'everything app' — strong ownership and structure without going full plaintext.
66
SoftwareScore
8
Google Keep
Free · ★4.7 (2.5M)
Google's free sticky-note app — dead simple and synced everywhere, but light on structure and depth.
65
SoftwareScore
9
Simplenote
Free · ★3.5 (18k)
A free, minimalist plain-text notes app by Automattic — instant and synced, with no frills by design.
65
SoftwareScore
10
FuseBase
Free · $12/mo · ★4.7 (282)
A team-and-client collaboration workspace (formerly Nimbus) with notes, docs, and portals — strong on collaboration.
64
SoftwareScore
11
Logseq
Free · ★4.4 (262)
An open-source, local-first outliner for networked notes — excellent data ownership, built for single-user thinking.
64
SoftwareScore
12
Joplin
Free · $3/mo Cloud · ★4.2 (470)
An open-source, encrypted notebook with flexible sync backends — strong on privacy and ownership, plain on collaboration.
62
SoftwareScore
13
Supernotes
Free · $8/mo · ★4.5 (409)
A fast, card-based notes app with real-time sharing — simple, cross-platform, and collaborative.
62
SoftwareScore
14
Heptabase
From $9/mo · ★4.0 (281)
A visual whiteboard for research and learning — deep for big knowledge bases, and the rare app that pays lifetime affiliate.
62
SoftwareScore
15
RemNote
Free · $8/mo · ★4.7 (6.4k)
A note-taking and spaced-repetition tool built for students — notes and flashcards in one, with PDF and queries.
62
SoftwareScore
16
Capacities
Free · $10/mo · ★3.2 (644)
An object-based notes app that treats everything as a typed object — structured and modern, with growing AI features.
61
SoftwareScore
17
Milanote
Free · $10/mo · ★4.7 (9.3k)
A visual board for organizing ideas, notes, and media — great for creative planning and sharing.
61
SoftwareScore
18
Standard Notes
Free · $8/mo · ★4.6 (11k)
A privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted notes app (now part of Proton) — top marks for ownership, minimal AI.
60
SoftwareScore
19
Amplenote
Free · $6/mo · ★4.4 (1.4k)
Notes, tasks, and calendar in one, with a jots-to-notes workflow and AI plugins — a solid all-rounder.
59
SoftwareScore
20
Tana
Free · $10/mo · ★3.5 (145)
A supertag-powered AI outliner for structured knowledge work — very powerful, with a steep learning curve.
58
SoftwareScore
21
Bear
Free · $3/mo · ★4.7 (6.7k)
An elegant Apple-only markdown notes app — a joy to write in, best for people living in the Apple ecosystem.
57
SoftwareScore
22
Mem
$10/mo · ★4.5 (120)
An AI-native notes app that auto-organizes and answers questions across your notes — best-in-class AI, lighter on ownership.
56
SoftwareScore
23
Evernote
Free · $15/mo · ★4.4 (8.3k)
The classic web-clipping notebook — reliable capture and search across devices, though pricing has climbed and the free tier is thin.
55
SoftwareScore
24
Reflect
From $10/mo · ★4.7 (130)
An AI-forward networked-notes app with end-to-end encryption — frictionless capture with GPT built in.
53
SoftwareScore
25
Roam Research
From $15/mo · ★2.6 (170)
The networked-thought pioneer built around bidirectional links — powerful for research graphs, pricey with a steep curve.
50
SoftwareScore
Best note-taking app for…
For students
Ranked for what matters in class: easy to learn, easy on the wallet, and synced across your phone and laptop.
For teams
Ranked for collaboration: real-time editing, sharing, permissions, and reliable cross-device sync.
For privacy
Ranked for control: local-first storage, open formats, encryption, and a clean way out — no lock-in.
For research
Ranked for depth: linking, databases, PDFs, and the ability to hold a large, connected body of knowledge.
For free
Ranked on value, showing only apps with a genuinely usable free tier.