Review of the Best Note-Taking Apps: Evernote, OneNote, Google Keep, Notion, and Apple Notes
In today’s digital world, note-taking apps have become essential tools for students, professionals, and anyone looking to stay organized. In this review, we’ll compare five of the most popular options: Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, Google Keep, Notion, and Apple Notes. We’ll evaluate them based on their user interface, features, cloud storage, collaboration, platform compatibility, offline access, and pricing.
1. User Interface
Evernote: Evernote’s interface is clean, professional, and easy to navigate, whether on mobile or desktop. The sidebar and tags make it easy to organize and access notes quickly.
OneNote: Microsoft OneNote mimics the look of a traditional notebook with tabs and sections, which may feel more familiar to some users. It’s well-suited for both mobile and desktop, but can feel cluttered due to its wide range of features.
Google Keep: Keep is minimal and colorful, with a simple grid or list layout. It’s easy to use, but lacks advanced organization tools, which may limit users with complex note-taking needs.
Notion: Notion has a modern and highly customizable interface. The drag-and-drop design makes it flexible, though its learning curve is steeper due to its robust features.
Apple Notes: Apple Notes is intuitive, especially on iOS devices. It’s simple yet effective, with folders and pinned notes for basic organization.
2. Features
Evernote: Offers rich-text formatting, to-do lists, attachments (images, PDFs, etc.), handwriting, and voice memos. It’s known for its web clipper, allowing users to save content directly from the browser.
OneNote: Packed with features, OneNote supports text formatting, drawing, file attachments, and audio notes. It integrates well with other Microsoft Office apps.
Google Keep: Basic note-taking with text, lists, and voice notes. It supports image attachments and simple checklists, but lacks advanced formatting options.
Notion: Offers a wide range of note-taking, database creation, task management, and collaboration tools. Its features go beyond note-taking, making it great for project management.
Apple Notes: Allows for text, drawings, document scanning, checklists, and file attachments. It’s simple but effective for general note-taking.
3. Cloud Storage and Syncing
Evernote: Syncs seamlessly across devices via Evernote’s cloud. Supports integration with services like Google Drive and Dropbox.
OneNote: Syncs through OneDrive, making it easy to access notes across devices. Syncing is fast and reliable.
Google Keep: Uses Google Drive for cloud storage, syncing instantly across devices. Ideal for users already in the Google ecosystem.
Notion: All notes are stored in the cloud and sync across devices. Notion integrates with external tools like Google Drive, but relies heavily on cloud access.
Apple Notes: Syncs across devices via iCloud, ensuring seamless access on Apple products. Syncing works well within the Apple ecosystem.
4. Collaboration
Evernote: Offers real-time collaboration, allowing users to share and work on notes together. However, advanced features like task assignments require a paid plan.
OneNote: Great for collaboration, especially within Microsoft Teams or Office 365, where multiple users can work on a notebook simultaneously.
Google Keep: Simple but effective collaboration, allowing users to share notes and lists in real-time.
Notion: Excels in collaboration, offering real-time editing, task assignments, and comments. It’s ideal for teams and complex projects.
Apple Notes: Supports sharing and collaboration, allowing users to invite others to view or edit notes.
5. Platform Compatibility
Evernote: Available on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and as a web app.
OneNote: Cross-platform, available on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and the web.
Google Keep: Available on iOS, Android, and the web, but lacks a dedicated desktop app.
Notion: Available on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and as a web app.
Apple Notes: Native to iOS and macOS. Limited accessibility through iCloud.com on other platforms.
6. Offline Access
Evernote: Offline access is available, but advanced features require a paid plan.
OneNote: Fully supports offline access on all devices, with notes syncing once you reconnect.
Google Keep: Allows offline access, but syncing updates once you’re online again.
Notion: Basic offline functionality is available, but the app is cloud-dependent for most features.
Apple Notes: Supports offline access on Apple devices, with notes syncing to iCloud when online.
7. Price
Evernote: Free version available with limited features. Paid plans start at $7.99/month for additional features like increased storage and offline notebooks.
OneNote: Free to use, though storage is tied to OneDrive. Office 365 subscription ($6.99/month) offers additional storage.
Google Keep: Completely free with no premium plans.
Notion: Free for personal use with a paid plan ($10/month) for team features and increased storage.
Apple Notes: Free with iCloud storage. Users can purchase more iCloud space if needed.
Overall Recommendation
For most users, Microsoft OneNote offers the best combination of features, collaboration, and cross-platform compatibility, making it ideal for students, professionals, and teams. Evernote is a strong contender for those needing more advanced organizational tools, like web clipping and integration with other apps. Notion is perfect for users managing complex projects or looking for a versatile, all-in-one workspace.
For casual note-takers or those in the Google ecosystem, Google Keep is a great choice for its simplicity and ease of use. Meanwhile, Apple Notes is the best option for those within the Apple ecosystem who need a straightforward note-taking solution with reliable syncing.
Each app has its strengths, so choosing the best one depends on your specific needs and the tools you use daily.