Note App on the iPhone and iPad has been widely used since it was introduced, and it provides almost everything that we need. But that does not mean we shouldn’t move out of the comfort zone and try something else. It doesn’t matter if you are a student or a professional; taking notes is something everyone does.
Many Notes app alternatives may suit your requirements. Rather than looking here and there, why not get a list of the best Note-taking apps for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil? That’s exactly what lead me to jump to the App Store and find some gems. The list of note apps was huge, so I had to narrow it down by trying many of them manually. Let’s check it out!
Sticky note: “Apple Notes” has vastly improved to be an excellent note-taking app. As it’s a stock app, we haven’t included it in the following lineup. To explore this app or get the most out of it, check out these pro tips to use Notes app on your iPhone.
1. Notability
There is a lot to like in Notability! Frankly speaking; this has been one of my favorites for both note-taking and PDF editing. Despite being such a powerful app, it’s pretty simple to use. And this is what makes it so appreciable.
The app works perfectly with Apple Pencil (both the first and second generation). So, you can design your notes and write with the desired flair.
You will also convert your handwritten notes into text, make checklists and impressive text boxes. With super handy annotation tools in the offing, you can adorn your slides, images, and agenda. Lastly, Notability allows you to share your files via AirDrop, email, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive.
Price: Free (offers in app purchase $9.99)
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2. GoodNotes 6
If you are fond of handwritten notes, “GoodNotes 5” can be an excellent pick for you. With several easy-to-use tools at the disposal, you craft notes proficiently. You can draw shapes, insert images, and even insert PDF in your note.
GoodNotes is also an efficient PDF annotator and works with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. It offers a wide range of covers and papers to let you design your notes. Besides, you will also add your own template for more personalization.
It automatically backs up your data to Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. Furthermore, GoodNotes 5 is compatible with many languages including English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and more.
Price: Free (offers in app purchase $9.99)
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3. MyScript Nebo
As one of the most sought after note-taking apps, “MyScript Nebo” has a lot to offer. And if you like using Apple Pencil to note down your thoughts or create detailed charts, chances are you will never get tired using this fully-featured app.
It makes text formatting damn easy, allowing you to give your project a professional look by including the bulleted lists and adding a suitable title. You also get the option to add insightful diagrams to put forward researched data vividly.
Another highly appreciable feature of this app is the ability to let you solve calculations and copy them into LaTeX or as images. Once you have crafted your story, you will be able to share it in multiple formats including PDF, word, and HTML.
Price: Free (Offers in app purchase $4.99)
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4. Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is packed in with all the features you’d expect from a top note-taking app. You can use this app to quickly record your ideas, note down thoughts and keep all of your notes fully organized as per your workflow.
The app also lets you create checklists so that you won’t forget to carry out important things. And with the pinning feature, you can easily find the frequently used list.
OneNote offers a seamless collaboration experience to let you work with your team. If you want to add an extra layer of safeguard to your notes, use a password to prevent anyone from accessing into them. Furthermore, your data is synced to OneDrive for enhanced security and universal accessibility.
Price: Free
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5. Notebook
I’ve always rated Zoho Corporation’s “Notebook” very highly. Three things make it worth giving a try.
First, despite being completely free, the app has almost all the essential features to give a long run to many premium apps.
The second; features like scanning business cards, sketching images and taking handwritten notes, make it pretty useful. One notable feature of this app is that it automatically formats your contents into different cards like the recipe, video, link and more.
And the third, the app offers some cool customization options. For instance, you can tweak the color of your notes, change its cover and craft a nice cover for more personalization. Plus, it also features a dark-themed night mode to protect your eyes.
Price: Free
Download
6. Evernote
If I were to pick just one app for managing my tasks, taking quick notes and keeping myself in sync with the upcoming events, I would always go with Evernote. “Versatile” would be the right word to sum it up.
First and foremost, the app lets you capture your thoughts in several formats such as text, web clipping, audio, screenshot and more. So, it doesn’t matter whether you are in a meeting or on the move, you will be able to record your thoughts with ease.
Make personal checklists, annotate docs and also write memos for instant reporting. You can use some basic tools to create presentations as well. Moreover, do not forget to set reminders never to let any urgent tasks miss the deadline.
Evernote works with Apple Watch as well. Hence, you can dictate your thoughts and the app will instantly transcribe them into notes.
Price: Free
Download
7. StickMe Notes
If you find note-taking a tedious exercise, give a chance to “StickMe Notes” to make it a fun-loving experience.
With this app, you will make notes in beautiful colors. Add a photo, record audio, drawing nice-looking images to make your stories stand out. And oh, you can also set your note as a wallpaper.
It also works efficiently as a handy task manager to let you handle your to-dos with the desired flair. Thanks to the built-in alarm, you won’t forget to finish any work on time.
StickMe Notes offers a seven-day free trial. Afterward, you will have to upgrade to an annual $15.99, half-yearly $8.99 or monthly $1.99 plan to continue.
Price: Free
Download
8. Bear
For impressive writing and speedy note-taking, “Bear” is the right tool. The app has a range of writing tools and offers the desired liberty to write freely. So, whether you are a blogger, a teacher or a student, you will find it enormously helpful.
Thanks to the custom shortcut bar, you will be able to format text with ease. Choose from several themes to give an ideal look to your article.
You can use your Apple Pencil to draw images and sketch every thought elegantly. Add notes to ensure nothing goes out of your radar.
With the several export options such as HTML, PDF, DOCX, MD, JPG, and EPUB, Bear has you fully covered.
Price: Free
Download
9. LiquidText
There are several ways “LiquidText” can revamp your note-taking experience. One of my favorite features of this app is the range of organization tools that ensure all of your docs stay beautifully organized. And more significantly, there is less chance of clutter.
LiquidText can make you fall in love with annotation. Really. Apart from letting you draw images and highlight text, this app also lets you put two pages side-by-side so that you can check out what’s missing and what’s needed to be added. Ideal, if you don’t like hopping from one page to the other too often!
Beyond annotation, it lets you import several docs in your projects and allow you to view up to three notes at one go. Thus, managing your stuff will be quite straightforward and also time-saving.
Lastly, the free version of the app won’t let you try out all the goodies, and you will have to upgrade to LiquidText Pro to put your hands on all the features.
Price: Free
Download
10. UpWord
“UpWord” is exceptional in its own right. The app makes creating and managing notes dead simple courtesy swipe gestures. And with repeating reminders, it ensures you don’t have to put extra efforts to stay in control of everything.
The folders and shortcuts play a vital role in keeping all the tasks organized. You can sort your files by chronological or alphabetical order.
It provides multiple font sizes so that you can fine-tune your projects based on your need. With the multi-level undo/redo, you have more freedom to experiment. What’s more, you can also save your stories to Evernote.
Price: Free
Download
11. Google Keep
When there is a race to find a smart note app that can do most of the things immaculately, it wouldn’t be wise to give “Google Keep” a miss.
One of the highlights of this app is that it lets you snap your thoughts in several formats. So, it doesn’t matter what you are up to; you will be able to get your job done without any hassle.
Record a voice memo and instantly transcribe it. Use suitable labels and matching colors to put everything in the Apple pie order.
The helpful suggestions allow you to make shopping lists in a jiffy. Don’t fail to set a time-based reminder so that nothing is left behind!
Price: Free
Download
12. Whink
Whink is an all-in-one app to take notes using your Apple Pencil. It has built-in different gel pen with unlimited colors. You can annotate PDF files using different colors to make them more visible and impactful. Apart from that, you can also create voice recording using the app.
With iCloud support, all your notes are saved securely over the cloud. You won’t need to worry about losing them when you upgrade your iPad or iPhone. Lastly, the app isn’t free, but features are definitely worth the price.
Price: $4.99
Download
13. PDF Expert by Readdle
Don’t be surprised to see “PDF Expert” in this lineup. Even though this app is primarily a PDF editor, it can work efficiently as a note-taking app as well.
It boasts a range of annotation tools to let you fine-tune your PDFs based on professional demand. It offers readymade stamps like approved, not approved, confidential, etc. that allow you to express your thoughts vividly.
Moreover, you can use shapes to make diagrams and schemes to show the analytical data of anything. Take advantage of e-signatures to sign docs and use a password to protect them.
Besides, you can also create quick notes and add comments. Thanks to the redact feature; you will be able to hide the personal information as well.
Price: Free (Offers in app purchase $9.99)
Download
That’s all, folks! Have you liked these note apps? Which one looks set to be your favorites?
Signing off…
I don’t think your search for the most adorable note-taking app is on. I’d love to have your thoughts down below in the comments.
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