Productivity

Best note-taking apps

Capture, organise and find your notes on every device. 10 note-taking apps, ranked by points out of 100.

Facts checked 8 Oct 2026 · How we score note-taking apps

In short

Anytype ranks first with 76 points out of 100, ahead of Logseq (72) and Obsidian (71).
Anytype is the best note-taking app you can use for free (#1, 76 points).
The lowest price here is Microsoft OneNote at $1.67/mo (cheapest paid plan).
Points come from 13 published rules. We did not install or test the software.

1
AnytypePeople who want Notion-style databases kept encrypted on their own devices
76/100
$4/mocheapest paid plan
2
LogseqPeople who want linked notes as plain files they control
72/100
$5/mocheapest paid plan
3
ObsidianPeople who want their notes as plain files they own
71/100
$4/mocheapest paid plan
4
JoplinPeople who want free, open-source notes with encrypted sync
67/100
$2.67/mocheapest paid plan
5
Standard NotesPeople who want private notes synced free on every device
63/100
$7.50/mocheapest paid plan
6
NotionPeople who want notes, tasks and databases in one place
60/100
$10/mocheapest paid plan
7
Microsoft OneNotePeople who write by hand or share notebooks with others
57/100
$1.67/mocheapest paid plan
8
SimplenotePeople who want simple text notes synced free everywhere
56/100
$0cheapest paid plan
9
Google KeepPeople who want quick, free notes and lists shared with others
44/100
$0cheapest paid plan
10
EvernoteExisting Evernote users with years of clipped notes
39/100
$8.25/mocheapest paid plan

How the points add up

Points earned out of the points available in each part of the method.

Product	Systems of 25	Your data of 30	Features of 25	Price of 20	Total
Anytype	22	14	20	20	76
Logseq	25	30	10	7	72
Obsidian	22	24	15	10	71
Joplin	22	20	5	20	67
Standard Notes	25	14	10	14	63
Notion	22	6	20	12	60
Microsoft OneNote	22	0	15	20	57
Simplenote	25	6	5	20	56
Google Keep	9	0	15	20	44
Evernote	22	0	15	2	39

Each note-taking app in brief

1. Anytype

Anytype suits people who want Notion-style databases with local storage and encryption. Free sync, real-time shared channels and Grid or Kanban views come without paying. The catch: there is no web app, notes are not plain files, and the licence is source available rather than open source.

Best for: People who want Notion-style databases kept encrypted on their own devices. Prices, facts and sources

2. Logseq

Logseq suits people who want an outliner whose notes stay as Markdown files they control. It is free, open source, and shows which pages link back. The catch: its own sync costs at least $5 a month, and the new database version is in beta with a data-loss warning.

Best for: People who want linked notes as plain files they control. Prices, facts and sources

3. Obsidian

Obsidian suits people who want notes as plain Markdown files that stay readable outside the app. The app is free, and paid Sync adds end-to-end encryption and version history. The catch: there is no free official sync, no web app listed, and no live co-editing.

Best for: People who want their notes as plain files they own. Prices, facts and sources

4. Joplin

Joplin suits people who want a free, open-source note app with encrypted sync on every system. It works offline first, syncs through common cloud services, and exports everything to HTML. The catch: notes sit in Joplin's own database rather than plain files, and encryption must be switched on.

Best for: People who want free, open-source notes with encrypted sync. Prices, facts and sources

5. Standard Notes

Standard Notes suits people who want private notes on every device, even on the free plan. Encryption happens on the device, and Trail of Bits and Cure53 have published reviews of it. The catch: free notes are plain text only, and Markdown, folders and the Web Clipper need Productivity at $90 a year.

Best for: People who want private notes synced free on every device. Prices, facts and sources

6. Notion

Notion suits people who want notes, linked pages and databases in one tool, with live editing alongside others. The Free plan is unlimited for one person and the whole workspace exports to Markdown or HTML. The catch: notes live in Notion's cloud, staff can access them for troubleshooting, and there is no end-to-end encryption.

Best for: People who want notes, tasks and databases in one place. Prices, facts and sources

7. Microsoft OneNote

OneNote suits people who write or draw by hand and want free notebooks on every device. Notebooks sync through OneDrive, keep an offline copy, and can be co-authored live. The catch: notes stay in OneNote's own format, with no Markdown or HTML export of a whole notebook.

Best for: People who write by hand or share notebooks with others. Prices, facts and sources

8. Simplenote

Simplenote suits people who want plain, fast text notes synced free on every system. It costs nothing, works offline and keeps older versions of each note. The catch: notes are encrypted in transit but not at rest, and there is no end-to-end encryption option.

Best for: People who want simple text notes synced free everywhere. Prices, facts and sources

9. Google Keep

Google Keep suits people who want fast, free notes and lists on an Android phone or iPhone. Sharing is simple, and collaborators edit the same note in real time. The catch: there is no Windows or Mac app, and Google does not say what format exported notes come in.

Best for: People who want quick, free notes and lists shared with others. Prices, facts and sources

10. Evernote

Evernote suits people who already keep years of notes and web clips in it. It runs on Windows, Mac, mobile and the web, and the desktop apps keep every note offline. The catch: the free plan stops at 50 notes on one device, Starter caps you at 1,000 notes, and prices have risen.

Best for: Existing Evernote users with years of clipped notes. Prices, facts and sources

Every fact, side by side

Each row is one rule of the method and the points it is worth. "–" means the vendor does not publish it, which earns nothing.

Rule (points)	Anytype	Logseq	Obsidian	Joplin	Standard Notes	Notion	Microsoft OneNote	Simplenote	Google Keep	Evernote
Apps (18)	5 of 6	6 of 6	5 of 6	5 of 6	6 of 6	5 of 6	5 of 6	6 of 6	3 of 6	5 of 6
Works offline (7)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	–	Yes
Notes as plain files (10)	No	Yes	Yes	No	–	No	No	–	–	No
Export everything to Markdown or HTML (6)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	–	Yes	No	–	–	No
End-to-end encryption (8)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	–	No	–	No
Open source (6)	No	Yes	–	Yes	Yes	–	–	Yes	–	–
Web clipper (5)	Yes	–	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	–	Yes	Yes
Linked notes (5)	Yes	Yes	Yes	–	Yes	Yes	–	–	–	Yes
Real-time collaboration (5)	Yes	No	No	–	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	–
Tables and databases (5)	Yes	No	Yes	–	–	Yes	–	–	–	–
Handwriting and drawing (5)	–	Yes	–	–	–	–	Yes	–	Yes	Yes
Free sync (10)	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Cheapest paid plan (10)	$4/mo	$5/mo	$4/mo	$2.67/mo	$7.50/mo	$10/mo	$1.67/mo	$0	$0	$8.25/mo

Head to head

Anytype vs Logseq
76 vs 72 points
Anytype vs Obsidian
76 vs 71 points
Logseq vs Obsidian
72 vs 71 points

We read each vendor's own pages, record every fact with its source and date, and score it by the rules on how we score note-taking apps. A tie goes to the lower price. General note-taking apps for individuals. Meeting note-takers and team wikis are left out. Vendor claims about speed or quality are shown on product pages but never scored. Prices are in US dollars before tax.