9 Best Free Note-Taking Apps (2026)

There are dozens of note-taking apps, and most claim to be free. The reality is messier. Some are genuinely free. Others give you a free tier so restrictive it barely counts. And a few have quietly raised prices or gutted features in the past year.

Here's what's actually worth your time, with every pricing claim verified as of March 2026.

Quick comparison

1. Notion

Notion is the Swiss Army knife of productivity apps. Notes, databases, wikis, project boards -- it does everything. That breadth is both its greatest strength and its biggest weakness. You can spend hours setting up the perfect system before writing a single note.

The free tier is genuinely generous for individuals: unlimited pages and blocks, 5MB file uploads, and 10 guest collaborators. The catch? AI access is limited to a brief trial. Once it's gone, you need a paid plan.

Notion 3.0-3.3: The AI agent era

The big evolution in 2025-2026 was Notion's transformation into an AI-first platform:

• Notion 3.0 (September 2025): Introduced autonomous AI agents capable of 20+ minutes of multi-step work -- drafting documents, filling databases, summarizing information across your workspace.
• Notion 3.2 (January 2026): Mobile AI reached parity with desktop. AI transcriptions work on mobile even when switching apps.
• Notion 3.3 (February 2026): Custom Agents that run on schedules 24/7 across Notion, Slack, Mail, and Calendar. Free to try through May 3, 2026; after that, they require Notion credits on Business and Enterprise plans.
• March 2026: Custom Skills let you turn repetitive AI tasks into reusable commands. Dashboard views combine multiple database views into a single overview.

This is impressive technology, but it's locked behind higher tiers. The free plan gets you a trial. Plus ($10/member/mo annual) gives you basic workspace features. Business ($18/member/mo annual) and above unlock the full AI agent capabilities.

Best for: People who want one app for notes, tasks, databases, and team collaboration.

Limitation: The learning curve is real. If you just want to jot things down quickly, Notion feels like driving a semi-truck to the grocery store. And the AI features that make Notion exceptional in 2026 are paywalled behind Business plans.

Compared to Obsidian: Notion is cloud-first, collaborative, and structured around databases. Obsidian is local-first, privacy-focused, and built around linked Markdown files. Choose Notion if you need team collaboration and databases. Choose Obsidian if you want data ownership and a plugin ecosystem.

2. Obsidian

Obsidian is what happens when you build a note-taking app for people who think in connections. Everything is a plain Markdown file stored on your local machine. No cloud required, no account needed, no data hostage situations.

In February 2025, Obsidian removed the commercial license requirement entirely. Anyone -- individuals, teams, corporations -- can now use it for work at zero cost. This was a significant shift that eliminated the $50/user/year fee for business use.

Pricing breakdown

• Core app: Free forever (personal and commercial use)
• Sync: $4/mo (annual) or $5/mo (monthly) -- syncs across devices with end-to-end encryption. Plus tier at $8/mo (annual) adds 10 vaults and 10GB storage.
• Publish: $8/mo (annual) or $10/mo (monthly) -- turns your notes into a public website.
• Catalyst: One-time $25+ payment for early access to features and a community badge.

You can skip all paid add-ons by syncing with iCloud (Apple devices), Google Drive, Dropbox, Syncthing, or any file sync service. The core app with third-party sync is fully free.

The plugin ecosystem is massive -- over 2,000 community plugins covering everything from Kanban boards to AI assistants. For AI, you'll use plugins like Smart Connections (free semantic search) or Copilot (bring your own API key from OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.). There's no built-in AI, which is a feature, not a bug, for many users who want to choose their own AI provider.

Best for: Developers, researchers, and PKM enthusiasts who want full control over their data and the flexibility to customize their workspace with plugins.

Limitation: No real-time collaboration. The graph view looks cool but isn't particularly useful for most people. Setting up cross-device sync takes effort if you skip the paid option. And the initial learning curve for plugins and linking can feel steep.

Privacy advantage: Your notes are plain .md files on your device. No server ever sees your data unless you choose Obsidian Sync (which uses end-to-end encryption) or a third-party sync service. For anyone handling sensitive information -- legal notes, medical research, personal journals -- this is a meaningful distinction.

3. Apple Notes

Apple Notes has quietly become one of the best free note-taking apps -- if you're in the Apple ecosystem.

What's new in iOS 26

iOS 26 brought significant improvements: an adaptive toolbar that changes which tools appear based on what you're doing (text editing shows formatting; selecting multiple lines shows list tools), Markdown import/export support, and a redesigned interface. These additions addressed longstanding complaints about Notes being too basic for serious use.

Earlier updates (iOS 18, Fall 2024) added audio recording with live transcription, Math Notes for solving handwritten equations, collapsible sections, and note linking. Apple Intelligence writing tools (proofreading, rewriting, summarizing) work directly inside Notes on supported devices (iPhone 16+, M-series Macs, recent iPads).

The biggest advantage? Zero friction. No account to create, no subscription to manage. Storage counts against your iCloud (5GB free, 50GB for $0.99/month). Everything syncs instantly across your Apple devices.

Best for: Anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac who wants notes that just work, with zero setup and zero cost.

Limitation: No Windows or Android support. No web app. If you ever leave the Apple ecosystem, exporting is painful -- Notes doesn't export to standard formats natively, though iOS 26's Markdown export helps. The organizational system (folders + tags) is basic compared to Notion or Obsidian.

Apple Intelligence reality check: The AI features (summarizing, rewriting, proofreading) work well but require newer hardware. If you have an older iPhone or Mac, you won't get any AI capabilities. This is the only "free" AI note-taking option that's truly free -- no subscription, no token limits -- but hardware-gated.

4. Joplin

Joplin is the open-source note-taking app for people who take privacy seriously. End-to-end encryption, local storage, and the ability to sync through Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud, or your own WebDAV server -- all at no cost.

The app supports Markdown, has a web clipper for saving articles, handles attachments, and offers a plugin system. It's not as polished as Notion or Bear, but it's functional and trustworthy. Joplin Cloud exists if you want hassle-free sync:

• Basic: EUR 2.99/mo or EUR 28.69/yr (~EUR 2.39/mo) -- 1GB storage
• Pro: EUR 5.99/mo or EUR 57.48/yr (~EUR 4.79/mo) -- 10GB storage
• Teams: EUR 7.99/mo or EUR 80.28/yr (~EUR 6.69/mo) -- 10GB/user, collaboration features

All cloud plans include a 14-day free trial. But Joplin Cloud is entirely optional -- the app with self-sync is 100% free.

Best for: Privacy-conscious users who want an open-source alternative to Evernote with end-to-end encryption and no lock-in.

Limitation: The UI feels dated compared to modern alternatives. The mobile app is sluggish compared to native apps like Apple Notes or Bear. No AI features whatsoever. And while the plugin system exists, it's far smaller than Obsidian's 2,000+ plugins.

Migration path from Evernote: Joplin has a built-in Evernote import tool (ENEX files) that preserves notes, notebooks, tags, and attachments. If you're fleeing Evernote's pricing changes, Joplin is the most straightforward migration target.

5. Microsoft OneNote

OneNote is free as a standalone app and comes bundled with every Microsoft 365 subscription. The freeform canvas is unlike anything else -- you can place text, drawings, images, and audio anywhere on the page, like a digital notebook with infinite space.

The free tier gives you 5GB of OneDrive storage. For more, Microsoft 365 Personal ($6.99/month or $69.99/year) bumps that to 1TB plus desktop Office apps. OneNote itself has no per-feature paywalls -- all note-taking features are free.

Copilot in OneNote

AI is where it gets complicated:

• Copilot Pro ($20/mo): Adds AI to OneNote, Word, Excel, and other Office apps for individuals. Can summarize pages, generate task lists, rewrite content, and analyze handwriting.
• Copilot Business ($18/user/mo promo through June 2026, then $21/user/mo): Same capabilities for business M365 subscribers.
• Important change (April 15, 2026): Free Copilot Chat no longer works inside OneNote, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. You need a paid Copilot license for in-app AI features.

In early 2026, OneNote added native image cropping and redesigned checkboxes. The desktop app is now the primary version (OneNote for Windows 10 is deprecated and no longer updated).

Best for: Students and professionals already using Microsoft 365 who want a freeform digital notebook.

Limitation: Copilot costs $20-30/mo extra. The app can feel bloated. The notebook/section/page hierarchy doesn't map well to how most people think about organizing notes. And search, while functional, is slower than Obsidian or Notion for large note collections.

The freeform canvas advantage: OneNote's ability to place content anywhere on a page makes it genuinely superior for visual thinkers, students taking lecture notes, and anyone who sketches or diagrams alongside text. No other app on this list offers this spatial freedom.

6. Logseq

Logseq is an outliner-based note-taking app with bidirectional linking and a daily journal workflow. Like Obsidian, it stores everything locally as plain-text Markdown files. Unlike Obsidian, it thinks in bullets and blocks rather than long-form pages.

The whole thing is free and open source (AGPL-3.0). You can sync for free using iCloud, Google Drive, or Git.

Database version status (March 2026)

The long-awaited database version is now in beta. It replaces file storage with SQLite and introduces a new mobile app (iOS available, Android coming) plus Real-Time Collaboration (RTC) for syncing and multi-user editing. The database version also brings significant performance improvements for large graphs.

However, the database version is still beta -- data loss is possible, and automated backups are recommended. If you need stability, stick with the file-based version for now.

Best for: People who think in outlines, love daily journaling, and want bidirectional linking without paying for Obsidian Sync. Logseq's daily journal workflow -- where every day starts with a blank page and you link notes as you go -- is uniquely effective for people who capture information chronologically.

Limitation: The database version has been "coming soon" for years and is still in beta. The learning curve for queries and advanced features is steep. The mobile experience needs work (though the new database-version iOS app is improved). And the community/plugin ecosystem is smaller than Obsidian's.

Obsidian vs Logseq: Both are local-first, Markdown-based, and support bidirectional linking. The core difference is structure. Obsidian is page-first: you write documents and link between them. Logseq is block-first: everything is a bullet point, and you reference individual blocks. Choose Obsidian if you write long-form notes. Choose Logseq if you think in fragments and connections.

7. Simplenote

Simplenote does exactly one thing: plain-text notes with instant sync. No folders, no images, no rich formatting beyond basic Markdown. Every feature is free. There are no paid tiers, no premium features, no upsells. (The old Sustainer plan -- a voluntary $19.99/month donation -- was discontinued in 2023.)

It syncs instantly across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and web. The version history slider lets you scroll back through every change you've ever made. It's maintained by Automattic (the company behind WordPress).

Best for: People who just want to write and don't need bells and whistles. Simplenote excels as a scratch pad, meeting notes tool, or quick-capture app that's always a click away.

Limitation: No images, no attachments, no rich formatting beyond Markdown. No end-to-end encryption (notes are stored on Automattic's servers). No AI features. No tags beyond basic tagging. It's as minimal as it gets.

When minimal is enough: If you find yourself spending more time organizing notes than writing them, Simplenote is the antidote. There's nothing to configure, nothing to learn, nothing to pay for. Open it, write, close it. Your notes sync everywhere instantly.

8. Bear

Bear is the most beautiful Markdown editor on this list. The writing experience is exceptional -- clean typography, 24+ themes, and a tag-based organization system that feels natural. If you care about aesthetics while writing, nothing else comes close.

Pricing:

• Free: Full app on a single device, no sync, limited export options.
• Bear Pro: $2.99/month or $29.99/year. Adds iCloud sync across all Apple devices, end-to-end encryption, advanced exports (PDF, DOCX, HTML), and all themes.

A web version launched in public beta in 2025, which is significant for an app that was Apple-only since launch. The web version makes Bear accessible from any browser, partially solving the platform lock-in problem.

Best for: Writers and designers on Apple devices who care about the writing experience and aesthetics. Bear is the app you open when you want writing to feel good.

Limitation: Apple-only for native apps (though the web beta helps). The free tier without sync is barely usable in practice -- most people have more than one device. No tables, no databases, no collaboration features. And at $29.99/year for sync, you're paying for something Obsidian + iCloud gives you for free.

Bear vs Obsidian: Bear is simpler, prettier, and requires zero setup. Obsidian is more powerful, more extensible, and more complex. If you want a beautiful writing tool that works immediately, choose Bear. If you want a customizable knowledge management system, choose Obsidian.

9. Evernote

I include Evernote because people still search for it, but recommending the free tier in 2026 is difficult. It's limited to 50 notes, 1 notebook, 20 tags, 1 device, and 20MB of storage. That's a trial, not a free plan.

Current pricing (post-restructuring)

Evernote discontinued the Personal and Professional plans in late 2025, replacing them with:

• Free: 50 notes, 1 notebook, 5 spaces, 20 tags, 1 device, 20MB storage
• Starter: $14.99/mo or $99/year -- 1,000 notes, 20 notebooks, 100 tags, 3 devices, 1GB storage
• Advanced: $24/mo or $249.99/year -- unlimited notes, notebooks, and devices, unlimited storage, plus full AI (AI Assistant, Semantic Search, AI Transcribe, AI Edit, AI Cleanup)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

The price increases from late 2025 were steep -- roughly 70%+ over previous plans. Operations moved from the US to Italy under owner Bending Spoons, and all US staff were laid off.

Best for: Existing users who've built years of notes in Evernote and find the migration effort prohibitive. Evernote's web clipper remains best-in-class for saving web content with formatting intact.

Limitation: The free tier is the most restrictive of any major note-taking app. Starter at $99/year gives you only 1,000 notes -- Notion gives you unlimited pages for free. Advanced at $249.99/year includes AI but costs more than most competitors' full-featured plans.

Should you migrate away? If you're on the free plan, yes. Joplin imports Evernote ENEX files directly. Notion has an Evernote importer. Obsidian can import via community plugins. If you're paying for Starter or Advanced, compare what you're getting to Notion Plus ($10/mo) or Obsidian + Sync ($4/mo) -- both offer more for less.

How to choose

You just want to write things down quickly: Apple Notes (if Apple user) or Simplenote (any platform). Zero setup, zero cost, zero decisions.

You want an all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and projects: Notion. The free tier is solid for solo use. If you need AI agents and team features, budget for Business ($18/member/mo).

You care about data ownership and privacy: Obsidian or Joplin. Your files, your machine, your rules. Obsidian has the better plugin ecosystem and community; Joplin has built-in end-to-end encryption.

You think in outlines and connections: Logseq. It's like Obsidian but block-first, and it's completely free with no paid features locked away.

You want something beautiful to write in: Bear (Apple + web beta) or Obsidian with a community theme (any platform).

You're a student: OneNote (freeform canvas for lecture notes) or Apple Notes (if on iPad with Apple Pencil). Both are free and handle handwriting well.

You're migrating from Evernote: Joplin (direct ENEX import, closest experience), Notion (built-in importer, more powerful), or Obsidian (community importer, best long-term flexibility).

The privacy spectrum

From most private to least private:

1. Obsidian -- local files, no account required, optional encrypted sync
2. Joplin -- local files with E2E encryption, optional self-hosted sync
3. Logseq -- local files, open source, optional third-party sync
4. Apple Notes -- iCloud sync (Apple has access, but Advanced Data Protection enables E2E encryption)
5. Bear -- iCloud sync with optional E2E encryption (Pro)
6. Simplenote -- server-stored, no E2E encryption
7. OneNote -- OneDrive sync, Microsoft has access
8. Notion -- cloud-stored, no E2E encryption
9. Evernote -- cloud-stored, no E2E encryption, ownership changed

FAQ

Is Notion really free?
For individual use, yes. You get unlimited pages and blocks with no time limit. The limits kick in when you add team members or want AI beyond the trial. Plus at $10/member/mo (annual) unlocks team features and larger file uploads.

What happened to Evernote?
Bending Spoons acquired it in 2023, laid off all US staff, moved operations to Italy, raised prices 70%+, and restructured plans. The free tier went from useful to nearly unusable (50 notes, 1 device). Starter at $99/year and Advanced at $249.99/year replaced the old Personal and Professional plans.

Can Obsidian replace Notion?
For notes and knowledge management, absolutely. For project management, databases, and team collaboration, no. They solve different problems despite surface-level overlap. Obsidian is a personal knowledge tool; Notion is a team workspace.

What's the most private option?
Joplin with end-to-end encryption and self-hosted sync (via Nextcloud or WebDAV). Obsidian is local-first with no sync required, and its optional Sync service uses end-to-end encryption. Both keep your data off third-party servers by default.

Which app has the best AI features for free?
Apple Notes via Apple Intelligence on supported devices (iPhone 16+, M-series Macs). It's the only truly free AI note-taking option with no subscription and no token limits -- but it requires newer Apple hardware. Notion gives you a brief AI trial on free, which isn't enough for regular use.

Is OneNote's Copilot worth $20/month?
For heavy OneNote users who also use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, potentially -- Copilot Pro works across all Office apps, not just OneNote. For note-taking AI alone, $20/month is steep when Apple Notes' AI is free (on supported devices) and Obsidian plugins let you bring your own API key at usage-based pricing (typically $5-15/month for moderate use).

What happened to Simplenote's paid plan?
The Sustainer plan ($19.99/month) was discontinued in September 2023. It was a voluntary donation that added no features. Simplenote is now completely free with no premium option.

Is Logseq's database version ready for daily use?
Not yet. It's in beta as of March 2026 with a new iOS app and Real-Time Collaboration. Data loss is possible, and backups are essential. For daily reliability, stick with the file-based version and sync via iCloud or Git.

Looking for a specific type of tool? Browse our note-taking category for the full list, explore all software categories, or compare any two tools head-to-head on Toolradar.