SFStatfield Research
Productivity · Updated September 2026

Best Note-Taking Apps

Notion, Obsidian, Microsoft OneNote, Evernote and Apple Notes compared on capture speed, organisation, search, sync, privacy and price — for students, professionals and teams.

Elena Marsh, Head of ResearchElena MarshHead of ResearchReviewed September 2026
Top pick

Notion

Notes, docs and databases in one flexible workspace.

9.0

From Free · $10 / seat / mo · Best for Teams and students who want notes plus structure

What the numbers say

  • 01Notion takes the top spot with a score of 9.0, best suited to teams and students who want notes plus structure.
  • 02Entry pricing runs from Free · $10 / seat / mo (Notion) to $14.99 / mo (Evernote) — a 1.5x spread.
  • 03Notion offers the most score per unit of price, at Free · $10 / seat / mo.
  • 04Average score across the 5 products reviewed is 8.4, with a 1.1 point gap between first and last.
  • 05Most common drawback raised in testing: slower for quick capture.
5

Products ranked

9.0

Top score

8.4

Average score

from 10

Lowest entry price

How we scored

01Speed of capturing a note on phone and desktop
02Organisation: folders, tags, links and databases
03Search, including text inside images and PDFs
04Sync reliability and offline access
05Privacy, data ownership and price
The ranking
01

Notion

Notes, docs and databases in one flexible workspace.

Notion turns notes into a system: pages, databases, wikis and task lists that a whole team can share. It is ideal when notes need structure, less so for instant jotting.

Pros

  • + Powerful databases and templates
  • + Excellent sharing and collaboration
  • + Built-in AI features available

Cons

  • — Slower for quick capture
  • — Offline support is limited
9.0

Statfield score

Best for
Teams and students who want notes plus structure
Price from
Free · $10 / seat / mo
Source: Notion Plus plan, billed annually
02

Obsidian

Private, linked notes stored as plain files on your device.

Obsidian stores notes as Markdown files on your computer, so they remain yours forever. Linking notes builds a personal knowledge base. Paid Sync and Publish are optional.

Pros

  • + Notes are local Markdown files you own
  • + Backlinks and graph view
  • + Huge plugin ecosystem

Cons

  • — Sync is a paid add-on
  • — Setup takes time to get right
8.8

Statfield score

Best for
Writers, researchers and privacy-minded users
Price from
Free
Source: Obsidian pricing page
03

Microsoft OneNote

A free digital notebook with pen and handwriting support.

OneNote mimics a paper notebook with sections and pages where you can type, draw or paste anything. It is especially good on tablets with a pen.

Pros

  • + Free on all major platforms
  • + Excellent handwriting and drawing
  • + Integrates with Office and Teams

Cons

  • — Free-form pages can get messy
  • — Search is weaker than Evernote
8.5

Statfield score

Best for
Students and Microsoft 365 users, especially with a stylus
Price from
Free
Source: Microsoft OneNote, free download
04

Evernote

Capture everything, then find it with powerful search.

Evernote remains a strong archive for receipts, articles and scanned documents, with search that finds text inside images. The price is the main drawback.

Pros

  • + Best-in-class web clipper
  • + Searches text inside images and PDFs
  • + Mature tasks and calendar features

Cons

  • — Free plan is very limited
  • — Pricier than most rivals
8.0

Statfield score

Best for
Heavy web clippers and document archivists
Price from
$14.99 / mo
Source: Evernote Personal, monthly price
05

Apple Notes

Fast, free notes built into every Apple device.

Apple Notes is the fastest way to capture a thought on Apple devices. It scans documents, supports tags and smart folders, and syncs through iCloud — but it does not work on Windows or Android apps.

Pros

  • + Instant capture from lock screen and Siri
  • + Document scanning and handwriting
  • + Seamless iCloud sync

Cons

  • — Apple devices only
  • — Limited organisation for large libraries
7.9

Statfield score

Best for
iPhone, iPad and Mac users who want zero setup
Price from
Free
Source: Included with Apple devices
Side by side
#ProductScoreBest forPrice fromValue
01Notion9.0Teams and students who want notes plus structureFree · $10 / seat / mo0.90 pts per unit
02Obsidian8.8Writers, researchers and privacy-minded usersFree—
03Microsoft OneNote8.5Students and Microsoft 365 users, especially with a stylusFree—
04Evernote8.0Heavy web clippers and document archivists$14.99 / mo0.53 pts per unit
05Apple Notes7.9iPhone, iPad and Mac users who want zero setupFree—
The full guide
01

How to choose a note-taking app

Decide first whether your notes are personal or shared. Personal notes reward speed and privacy; shared notes reward permissions, comments and structure. Many people end up happiest with two tools: a fast capture app on the phone and a structured workspace for projects.

Then test capture. Time how long it takes to write a note from your locked phone. If it takes more than a few seconds, you will stop using the app, however powerful it is.

02

Think about leaving before you start

Notes accumulate for years. Check how an app exports your data and in which format. Markdown and plain text move easily between apps; proprietary formats can lose formatting, attachments or links when you switch.

Before you buy

  1. 01Decide whether notes are mainly personal or shared with others.
  2. 02Check the app works on every device you use.
  3. 03Test how fast you can capture a note from your phone.
  4. 04Confirm search finds text in PDFs and images if you need it.
  5. 05Check offline access and sync reliability.
  6. 06Export a few notes to see how portable your data is.
Terms used above
Markdown
A simple plain-text formatting syntax that many note apps use and export.
Backlinks
Links that show which other notes reference the note you are reading.
Web clipper
A browser extension that saves articles or pages directly into your notes.
OCR
Optical character recognition: making text inside images and scans searchable.
FAQ

What is the best free note-taking app?

Microsoft OneNote is the best free cross-platform option. Apple Notes is best for Apple-only users, and Obsidian is free for personal use if you want local files.

Is Notion or Obsidian better?

Notion is better for teams, sharing and databases. Obsidian is better for private, personal knowledge bases where you want to own your files and work offline.

What is the best note-taking app for students?

OneNote for handwriting on tablets, Notion for organised course notes and assignments. Both have free plans, and Notion offers free Plus for eligible students.

Which note app is most private?

Obsidian, because notes stay as files on your own device unless you choose to sync them. Apple Notes also offers locked notes and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud.

Sources

Prices are the vendors' published entry-level list prices, captured September 2026 and shown in USD. Annual billing is usually cheaper than monthly; taxes and add-ons are extra. Always confirm on the vendor's pricing page before buying.

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Scores are relative to the products in this ranking and to the tests described above. Prices are list prices captured from vendor pages on the dates noted and are not quotes.