Best Note-Taking Apps 2026: Independent Ranking
We rank note-taking apps for individuals and small teams only by verifiable facts: whether notes are end-to-end encrypted, whether the app code is open source, whether your account can be protected with two-factor sign-in, how many platforms are supported, whether notes work offline, whether there is a web clipper and real collaboration, whether there is a free plan and what the cheapest paid plan costs per month, and whether you can take your notes out as Markdown. Every fact links to an official page and carries the date we checked it. We do not grade the editor by hand, and paid placements never change the Score.
| # | Company | Who it serves | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joplin | 81 | Yes | 5 | Yes | $3.35 | End-to-end encryption Open source Offline Web clipper Collaboration Free Markdown |
| 2 | Obsidian | 80 | Yes | 5 | Yes | $5.00 | End-to-end encryption Offline Web clipper Collaboration Free Markdown |
| 3 | Notesnook | 75 | Yes | 6 | Yes | Not verified | End-to-end encryption Open source Offline Web clipper Free Markdown |
| 4 | UpNote | 58 | No | 5 | Yes | $1.99 | Offline Web clipper Free Markdown |
| 5 | Simplenote | 57 | No | 6 | Yes | $0.00 | Open source Offline Collaboration Free |
| 6 | Craft | 47 | No | 5 | Yes | Not verified | Offline Web clipper Collaboration Free Markdown |
-
- End-to-end encryption
- Yes
- Supported platforms (of 6)
- 5
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid plan per month
- $3.35
Pros
- Notes are end-to-end encrypted: the company cannot read them
- Runs on almost every platform
- Notes can be taken out as Markdown files
- Free plan available
Details Visit site ↗ 87% backed by facts
-
- End-to-end encryption
- Yes
- Supported platforms (of 6)
- 5
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid plan per month
- $5.00
Pros
- Notes are end-to-end encrypted: the company cannot read them
- Runs on almost every platform
- Notes can be taken out as Markdown files
- Free plan available
Details Visit site ↗ 93% backed by facts
-
- End-to-end encryption
- Yes
- Supported platforms (of 6)
- 6
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid plan per month
- Not verified
Pros
- Notes are end-to-end encrypted: the company cannot read them
- Runs on almost every platform
- Notes can be taken out as Markdown files
- Free plan available
Details Visit site ↗ 77% backed by facts
-
- End-to-end encryption
- No
- Supported platforms (of 6)
- 5
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid plan per month
- $1.99
Pros
- Affordable paid plan
- Runs on almost every platform
- Notes can be taken out as Markdown files
- Free plan available
Cons
- No end-to-end encryption
Details Visit site ↗ 79% backed by facts
-
- End-to-end encryption
- No
- Supported platforms (of 6)
- 6
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid plan per month
- $0.00
Pros
- Affordable paid plan
- Runs on almost every platform
- Free plan available
- App code is open source and can be reviewed by anyone
Cons
- No end-to-end encryption
Details Visit site ↗ 72% backed by facts
-
- End-to-end encryption
- No
- Supported platforms (of 6)
- 5
- Free plan
- Yes
- Cheapest paid plan per month
- Not verified
Pros
- Runs on almost every platform
- Notes can be taken out as Markdown files
- Free plan available
- Notes can be read and edited without internet
Cons
- No end-to-end encryption
- No two-factor sign-in for the account
Details Visit site ↗ 71% backed by facts
Not ranked yet: not enough verified data
These services are known to us, but we haven't verified enough facts to rank them fairly.
- Amplenote (site closed to automated checks, )
- Anytype (57% backed by facts)
- Bear (59% backed by facts)
- Capacities (47% backed by facts)
- Evernote (site closed to automated checks, )
- Goodnotes (31% backed by facts)
- Notion (56% backed by facts)
- Reflect (50% backed by facts)
- Standard Notes (site closed to automated checks, )
- Zoho Notebook (43% backed by facts)
Sites marked as closed refuse automated reading (403 error, captcha or a robots.txt ban). We don't bypass such protection, so we can't verify their facts and they are not ranked. This says nothing about their quality. A company can send links to its official pages to [email protected].
How we calculate the Score
30%
Privacy
Whether notes are end-to-end encrypted, so the company cannot read them (it counts when the official sync service offers it; encryption only in transit and on the server does not count), whether the code of the apps is open source (source-available licences do not count), and whether the app's own account can be protected with two-factor sign-in (sign-in only through Google or Apple does not count).
30%
Features
How many of six platforms are supported according to the official site: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS/iPadOS, Android and a web app (logarithmic, full score at 6). Plus whether notes can be read and edited offline, whether there is a web clipper browser extension, and whether other people can edit shared notes with you (view-only links do not count).
25%
Price
Whether there is a permanent free plan (trials don't count) and the price of the cheapest paid plan for one person with monthly billing, in US dollars, as shown as text on the official pricing page: $0 scores 100, $10 or more scores 0. Fully free apps with no paid plan count as $0. A price shown only in our local currency, only with yearly billing or only by a script stays empty. A European company's single price list in euros is converted at the ECB rate.
15%
Your data
Whether notes can be exported to Markdown or are stored as Markdown files, so you can move to another app without losing them (double weight), and the age of the company or product (15+ years scores full).
How to choose a note-taking app
Decide how private your notes are
If you keep diaries, health records or work secrets in notes, choose an app with end-to-end encryption. Encryption only on the company's servers protects against outsiders, but not against the company itself.
Check where your notes live
Some apps keep notes as files on your device and sync them as an option; others keep everything in the cloud. Local files work offline and survive the end of a service; cloud apps make sharing and the web version easier.
Make sure you can leave
Before you write hundreds of notes, check the export: Markdown or plain text can be opened anywhere. Try exporting a few notes on the first day, not when you already want to switch.
Count your devices
Check that there are apps for every device you use, including Linux or Android if you need them. Free plans often limit sync to one or two devices — see the plan limits on the pricing page.
Compare the real monthly price
Many apps advertise the price per month with yearly billing. Look at the monthly price too, and check what the free plan leaves out: sync, file uploads, version history or collaboration.
Frequently asked questions
Which note-taking app is the best right now?
The app ranked first has the highest Score under our open methodology. The best choice for you depends on what matters most: check the factor bars — privacy, features, price and your data — and pick the leader in the factor you care about.
Can the company read my notes?
Only if the notes are not end-to-end encrypted. Many apps encrypt data in transit and on their servers, but keep the keys themselves. With end-to-end encryption the notes are encrypted on your device and the company cannot read them. See the End-to-end encryption fact of each app.
Is there a good free note-taking app?
Yes: almost every app in the ranking has a permanent free plan, and some open source apps are entirely free. Free plans often limit the number of notes, devices or uploads, or leave out sync — the notes of each app show the limits. We do not count trials as free plans.
Why does Markdown export matter?
Markdown is a plain text format that any editor can open. If an app exports notes to Markdown or stores them as Markdown files, you can move to another app at any time and your notes stay readable for years. Proprietary formats tie your notes to one company.
Why are some well-known apps not in the ranking?
We rank only apps with enough facts confirmed on official pages. Some sites show prices only by script or only in our local currency, and some close their pages to automated checks: such apps are listed below the ranking with a note. Apps built into an operating system, such as Apple Notes or Google Keep, are not ranked as separate products.
How do you rank note-taking apps?
By facts from official pages — each with a link and a check date — and a fixed, public formula. We do not grade the editor or the design by hand, so the ranking is reproducible and cannot be bought.