3 days ago, one of my best friends asked me for iPad note-taking app recs.
3 days later, here's my response.
OneNote
Price: Free if you have a Microsoft account (I think)
OneNote was one of the first note-taking apps I ever used.
In my opinion, it's a decent app. It's definitely not the best, but it does have one clear advantage: cross-platform compatibility.
If you're one of *those people* with a Windows laptop, OneNote can be a good option. To my knowledge, there isn't a single other note-taking app out there with compatibility across both Windows and iPadOS.
A thing to note though is that, for whatever reason, OneNote is way glitchier than any of the other apps on here. It's not as smooth or "fun" to use.
Apple Notes
Price: Free
Ok, hear me out here.
Apple Notes is actually a really good note-taking app.
Now if you're a student or a true professional, you'll definitely need something more advanced.
But if you just want an app to take a few notes here and there, Apple Notes is really good.
With Quick Notes, tags, lock-able notes, Google Docs-esque collaboration options, nested folders, and some unique Apple Pencil tricks, Apple Notes is a genuinely good option for casual note-takers.
Click here if you want advice on how to become an Apple Pencil pro.
Freeform
Price: Free
A lot of people think Freeform is way better than Apple Notes.
I disagree.
For people who are looking for a digital whiteboard-type app, Freeform is awesome. In fact, it's probably the best app for that purpose thanks to its collaboration options.
But as a note-taking app, Freeform sucks (it essentially has no organization system).
I've still included it here because, while it's not great for my use case, it could be good for people in professional, collaboration-focused environments.
Its infinite canvas + collaboration toolset could make it useful in meetings.
Essentially, Freeform is a fantastic scratchpad/whiteboard but a pretty meh note-taking app.
GoodNotes
Price: Free, but $9.99 if you want the real app (highly, highly, highly, highly, highly recommend)
GoodNotes is my note-taking app of choice. It's so good that it even won Apple's iPad App Of The Year Award in 2022.
Words genuinely cannot express how awesome it is (I got pretty close with this post though). I use it as a note-taking app, PDF editor, journaling, brainstorming, and so much more.
And no, this is not sponsored. I just love GoodNotes that much.
GoodNotes actually makes note-taking fun. To me, that's probably my main motivation to take notes.
As a feature-packed app with a huge community at just $9.99, GoodNotes is my #1 recommendation.
Notability
Price: Free, but $14.99/mo for a subcription
Only OGs remember the GoodNotes vs. Notability debate.
Every article, video, and tweet (or I guess x now?) about iPad note-taking apps always ended with the same conclusion: "it comes down to your personal preference between GoodNotes vs. Notability."
I'll be different though. I think GoodNotes beats Notability.
Many of the advantages Notability had (like the ability to record lectures with your iPad's mic) have slowly been adopted by GoodNotes.
There's also the price—not sure about you, but I'll take a one-time $10 purchase over a $15 annual subscription any day. Especially if the features are more-or-less the same.
Concepts
Price: Free, but with paid options. I just use the free version.
Like OneNote, Concepts is another one of my pre-GoodNotes note-taking apps.
If you like the idea of Freeform's unlimited canvas but you want an app with good organization features, Concepts is the app for you.
If you don't care about collaboration features, Concepts >>> Freeform any day of the week.
There's a ton of brush options, organization features, etc. There is a paid version, but I never ended up purchasing it.
Overall, a good app. Probably the best "unlimited canvas" note-taking app out there (OneNote is the only one that may come close, but it's too glitchy for me).
Feyn
Price: Free, but with paid options. I just use the free version.
Feyn is a pretty cool app that combines note-taking and flashcard creation.
Essentially, you can create flashcards using your Apple Pencil on your iPad. Then, either on your iPad or your iPhone, you can easily review the flashcards from wherever you are.
For easy, memorization-focused classes, Feyn has been a lifesaver (I don't need to waste time creating notes and creating separate flashcards when I can just do both at the same time).
There is a paid version, but I love the approach the developer is taking—the basics are free, but the paid version is only for people who really want those extra features.
Final Thoughts
"explore, think, and take notes"—an inspirational Amazon notebook cover
Thanks for reading!
Adi