Ranking updated
Best note-taking apps in 2026
For quick free notes with lists, reminders and voice memos, start with Google Keep. For handwriting and notebooks, Microsoft OneNote is free on iPhone and many other devices. Evernote keeps notes, PDFs and web clips searchable in one place, Notion is free for personal use and adds tasks and projects, and Obsidian keeps notes as plain Markdown files in a folder you own. Full breakdown, and new notes apps worth a look, below.
How we picked: a notes app has to make capture fast and finding the note later easy. We checked each app’s own store description for how you capture (typing, voice, handwriting, photos), how notes are organized and searched, and what is free, then added a separate section for new notes apps surfaced by real visit traffic from the Censuus ranking.
New notes apps, rising by real visit traffic from Censuus
The same few big names top every notes-app list. Censuus runs a live count on real traffic, so it sees the newcomers earning an audience right now. Among tracked apps, these notes tools are climbing:
PinnedNoteApp Storethe fastest way to capture a thought and put it where you will see it.
NoteBase: AI Notes, TranscribeApp Storecaptures every word of a meeting or lecture so you can stay present.- Your app hereFree, foreverList my app
Best free notes app
Google Keep takes notes, lists, photos and audio, organizes them with labels and colours, reminds you at the right time or place and transcribes voice memos. Microsoft OneNote is free on iPhone and many other devices, with ink notes, drawing and web clips in notebooks. Notion is free for personal use with as many notes and docs as you want.
Notes you keep on your own device
Obsidian works on top of a local folder of plain text Markdown files, with a graph view of linked notes, community plugins and iCloud vaults on iPhone. If you are leaving an app, see Evernote alternatives and Notion alternatives.
| App | Best for | Platforms | Price | Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google KeepApp StoreGoogle Play | quick notes, lists and reminders | iOS, Android | free | sticky notes |
| Microsoft OneNoteApp StoreGoogle Play | handwriting and notebooks | iOS, Android | free | notebooks |
| EvernoteApp StoreGoogle Play | searching notes, PDFs and web clips | iOS, Android | free to download | second brain |
| NotionApp StoreGoogle Play | notes with tasks and projects | iOS, Android | free for personal use | workspace |
| ObsidianApp StoreGoogle Play | private Markdown notes you own | iOS, Android | free to download | linked notes |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free note-taking app?
Google Keep is free for quick notes, lists, reminders and voice memos. OneNote is free on iPhone and many other devices for notebooks and handwriting, and Notion is free for personal use.
Which notes app keeps notes on my own device?
Obsidian stores notes as plain text Markdown files in a local folder, so they stay readable outside the app.