Do you love the tactile experience of taking notes on paper but prefer the organizational features of digital note-taking apps? The app offers a delightful writing experience, yet it also makes it easy to embed images, annotate PDFs, and even record voice memos. Notability does an excellent job of emulating this experience, while also allowing you to do things you can’t do on paper such as resizing and moving your drawings. This allows you to, for instance, have a slide or reference material open on one side of the page while you take notes on the other.
Finally, Notability gives you plenty of options for exporting and sharing your notes, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and AirDrop. It has many of the features we love in Notability, including the option to annotate PDFs and multitask with the iPad’s split screen.
Finally, Noteshelf lets you export your notes to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Evernote. Notably, GoodNotes lets you adjust the sensitivity and palm recognition of the pen to match your writing style.
Finally, GoodNotes includes a “Presentation Mode” that lets you turn your iPad into a digital whiteboard.
The app comes free with macOS/iOS devices, and it does a great job of letting you type or take notes by hand. The app’s drawing features are also solid, making it easy to add sketches and illustrations to your notes. If you use iCloud and other Apple devices, you can effortlessly switch between taking notes on your iPad, iPhone, and Mac.
These tools can be as simple as a to-do list or as complex as a project management system for an entire company. But you’ll also find some features missing in other note-taking apps, including the ability to comment on specific lines of your text. You can also embed and link to other notes within pages, making Notion ideal for building a personal knowledge database. OneNote lets you write notes either on a blank page or a layout that emulates a sheet of lined paper.
The general setup of the app mimics a physical binder, allowing you to organize your notes by topic. In this course, you’ll learn how to set realistic goals, handle failure without giving up, and get going on the habits you want in your life.
11 Best Notetaking Apps for iPad [2022]
As with pen and paper, handwriting is slower, but it gives your mind more time to absorb what you’re writing. While keyboarding is more efficient, for many notetakers, notes created in this way simply lack the sticking power that comes with using traditional methods.
With that in mind, most of the apps below are designed for handwriting your digital notes using your iPad and your Apple Pencil. Creating effective notes has been proven to enhance recall and improve study sessions, resulting in greater academic success. While it might seem trivial at first, the ability to connect the word or phrase that prompted you to write something down is a powerful refresher when studying for a test or an exam. By combining multitasking tools and technologies like handwriting recognition and math conversion, Notability makes it easier than ever to take notes during classes, meetings, conferences, and everything in between.
Math conversion (premium only) allows you to convert handwritten calculations into common mathematical expressions. No iCloud syncing or backups on the free plan creates some risk for notetakers who don’t upgrade.
(resets monthly) means that hardcore notetakers could find themselves unable to continue taking notes without an upgrade. Limited organizational tools force users into a style of note-keeping that may feel restricted or insufficient. This is a fundamental difference from a tool like Notability or Apple Notes, where your ability to organize is somewhat constrained by the software. You can also import calendars, create folders for additional storage, and navigate to favorites using the tab on the bottom right.
#alt#A screenshot picturing the GoodNotes interface, featuring four separate notebooks, a folder for books, and the Paperlike Planner 2022. When it comes right down to it, there aren’t a ton of cons to GoodNotes, but the ability to record audio is a pretty significant feature that this app is missing compared to Notability and others.
Lack of a favorites toolbar means that you’ll need to reformat your tools each time you select or change them.
While the app saves some settings, like pen width and color, resetting your tools still feels more involved than it should be.
Pricing: Limited free plan available; $7.99, one-time purchase from the App Store for the full version. Limited free plan available; $7.99, one-time purchase from the App Store for the full version.
Originally, it was a mobile version of the Notes app that has been (and continues to be) a staple on the Mac operating system. Like most of the other notetaking apps, it comes with a writing implement (pencil), a highlighter, an eraser, a lasso selector, and a ruler. Notice how the lines separating the handwriting from the text runs the entire length of the note. Will enable other options for recognized text, like scheduling events or calling phone numbers directly from the Notes app.
Will enable other options for recognized text, like scheduling events or calling phone numbers directly from the Notes app. While it’s possible to do this with a little work if you want to back up your notes to Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box, it’s not as simple as flipping a switch.
While it’s possible to do this with a little work if you want to back up your notes to Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box, it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. Unlike traditional notetaking apps, which offer a blank page for you to jot notes, LiquidText is more of a study and research tool designed to help you parse PDFs and other documents. #caption#With LiquidText, you’ll be able to draw connections between nodes on your mindmap, access multiple documents simultaneously, and compile research in a free-form workspace. #alt#A screenshot picturing the LiquidText interface, including a written article on the left, along with a window allowing for the selection of multiple documents. As you gather data from your document, you can consolidate it into groups, draw lines and make connections between those details, and much more. While this approach to notetaking is more researched-based, it’s definitely a gamechanger for anyone looking to parse documents for key details and insights, as LiquidText offers a battery of tools that you won’t find in most other apps. Adding multiple documents to a single workspace allows users to create projects centered around a theme or idea and assists in consolidating associated research. allows users to create projects centered around a theme or idea and assists in consolidating associated research.
Ability to squeeze and expand documents during research makes critical details much easier to parse and compare. The second of the two research tools on our list, MarginNote is similar to LiquidText (featured above) in how it functions and operates.
As a research tool, MarginNote opens your document into a digital workspace where you can highlight and annotate PDFs or select excerpts from the text. #caption#MarginNote provides clean, clear connection lines for your mind map, allows for handwritten notes, and much more.
#alt#A screenshot picturing the MarginNote 3 interface, including a written article on the right and a mind map of notes and excerpts on the left. One of the key differentiators in MarginNotes is that much of the mind-mapping generation can be done in a way that looks clean and crisp, with straight lines and blocks that feel sharp and organized. Autocreate mind map tool allows you to organize excerpts without a ton of dragging and dropping. Where apps like GoodNotes and Notability emphasize (and mostly stick to) the idea of handwritten notes, Nebo tries to marry the concept of handwriting and text together within its notebooks.
All standard pages are lined sheets, and users have the option to write using an Apple Pencil or a keyboard. With the free version, you’ll just have access to the basics, including a limited number of notebooks that you can create. However, you can get a dictionary, convert PDFs, and share your content out in various formats by purchasing the appropriate upgrade pack for a relatively low cost. It’s also worth pointing out that Nebo is also cross-platform compatible, which makes it unique for users who are looking for one of the best iPad apps for notetaking that can exist outside of the Apple ecosystem.
Combining handwriting and type text is an interesting concept that is hinted at in other apps, but Nebo really takes ownership of this feature. Lack of templates, layouts, and other custom formats that you see in apps like GoodNotes, Notability, or Noteshelf. In many respects, CollaNote is still a work in progress that has gained a massive following in recent years. The app provides a rock-solid notetaking experience with simple and intuitive tools that look good and feel great to use.
Inside the notetaking interface, you’ll find all the standard tools, as well as a few extra goodies. #caption#In CollaNote, pressure sensitivity is enabled by default, so your text will shrink and grow as you write based on how hard you press your Apple Pencil against the screen. #alt#A screenshot of the CollaNote interface featured a combination of handwritten and typed text. CollaNote is the only app we saw (other than Apple Notes) that actively distinguishes between a pen and a pencil, both of which provide a completely different writing experience.
Even though CollaNote currently lacks some of the features you’d see in more mature apps, it’s well on its way to becoming a major player in the notetaking space. Collaboration features make it easy to work with other notetakers to generate a group or shared note.
While this app does back up to iCloud, it currently offers no platform compatibility with Mac, Windows, or Android. While this app does back up to iCloud, it currently offers no platform compatibility with Mac, Windows, or Android.
You’ll find all the tools you need to take great notes on your iPad or Android devices. The interface provides a streamlined experience that’s easy to navigate, with plenty of customization features — from page templates and notebook covers to different pen types and the colors and sizing of your tools. When you need to write smaller text or you want a closeup of your existing notes, the Zoom Box makes it easy to do. It’s highly customizable, and it loads the tool interface on the magnification bar, so you can quickly switch to what you need.
#caption#Noteshelf offers a variety of pen types so you can stylize and customize your notes in your own way. #alt#A screenshot picturing the pen interface and three example lines at varying thicknesses of the ballpoint, calligraphy, fine-tip, and pencil styles.
While it doesn’t sync with your text, being able to listen to a playback of a lecture or presentation can be extremely helpful. Advanced customization options, such as a variety of page templates, notebook covers, and tools, allow you to get creative with your notes.
Favorites Toolbar allows you to save different pen types or sizing combinations for future use. Resizing issues results in blurred lines, which isn’t a problem in the other major notetaking apps.
The layout is simple and easy to navigate, similar to Apple’s Pages, so it won’t take long to learn. You can import and markup PDFs and photos like most other notetaking apps, but it also supports Excel, Keynote, and Numbers files. It features a sleek interface with basic tools to help you take great notes. Whink has split-screen capabilities, so you can take notes while watching a video or reading another document. #caption#Whink’s audio recording syncs to your notes, making it easy to follow along on playback. You’ll find a shape tool, PDF and photo annotation features, the ability to share notes, and syncing to iCloud, Dropbox, and other services.
ZoomNotes provides an infinite whiteboard, making it a great choice for visual notetakers. It’s practically endless, making it easy to sketch out your thoughts and ideas without worrying about running out of room. When you zoom in to get a better look or make adjustments or additions to your notes, the full view stays on your screen off to the right, allowing you to see the bigger picture while you work. #alt#A screenshot from ZoomNotes showing the different types of sub-documents available, such as a sticky note.
ZoomNotes goes the extra mile with all of its features, including audio recording, unlimited paper sizes/styles, bookmarks, digital planners, and more. It’s easy to completely customize your notes, especially with eight different pen types and unlimited color options.
Infinite canvas provides endless room to write, draw, or sketch your notes and ideas. Incredible zoom range makes taking visual notes like mind mapping or sketchnoting super easy.
Pricing: ZoomNotes Lite is free; $10.99 one-time purchase for the full version on the App Store. ZoomNotes Lite is free; $10.99 one-time purchase for the full version on the App Store. Wildly popular and completely free, OneNote is the go-to app for tens of thousands of users interested in taking effective notes. Its onboard organization tools also make it a great option for storage, especially for users already integrated with other Microsoft products like OneDrive, Word, Excel, etc.
Compared to other apps on our list, Penultimate lacks several major features, but its connection to Evernote makes it worth a mention. : While you can use other notetaking apps to create mind maps, ThinkSpace is specifically designed to help you manage this task. #alt#An iPad featuring a digital planner sits beside Paperlike-branded product packaging.
Without a doubt, having the right app can make the difference between success and failure when studying for the next exam or jotting down quick notes in a meeting.
If you’re planning to use the Apple Pencil or a similar stylus to take notes on your iPad, don’t forget to pick up a Paperlike so that you can improve your notetaking experience. Paperlike transforms your screen from slippery glass into something that feels just like a real notepad or notebook so that you can scribble and jot notes with ease.
The 5 best note-taking apps for iPad in 2022
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Best iPad Pro notetaking apps in 2022
A particular track that the best note-taking apps take is to harness the strong multimedia features that the iPad can offer, so you don’t just have to work with text but can also add in images, video, and audio. Notability The Swiss army knife of note-taking apps Today’s Best Deals VISIT SITE (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Annotate PDFs + Work with multiple input formats + Share notes via the cloud Reasons to avoid – Higher cost This app allows the user to combine multiple inputs, including typing, sketching, handwriting and photos, in a single place. The app also supports multiple other features including simultaneous audio recording and the conversion of handwriting and math equations to text.
Evernote Note-taking app with cross-platform support Today’s Best Deals VISIT SITE (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Free version + Lots of features + Also supports Android Reasons to avoid – Need premium version for collaboration Evernote is a great app to collect multiple inputs, including images, text notes, recorded messages, and clippings of web pages – all in one file for storage and collaboration.
They can then be accessed via the iPad Pro, Android, or a PC though the web browser interface for ease of workflow. Step up to the Premium tier to sync all your devices, gain a more generous 10GB of uploads in a month, as well as the additional features of live chat support, and offline access to your notes.
GoodNotes The note app that focuses on handwriting Today’s Best Deals VISIT SITE (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Flexible digital note-taking + Handwriting to text conversion + Searchable handwritten notes Reasons to avoid – No free tier With the focus on handwriting, this app makes it easy to enter complex mathematics and chemical formulas that can border on the impossible via a traditional keyboard.
The notes are also synced via iCloud, and can be backed up to your choice of cloud providers, including Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box. Nebo The advanced note-taking app Today’s Best Deals VISIT SITE (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Affordable price + Handles more complex documents + Exports to multiple formats Reasons to avoid – Requires an official Apple Pencil
It also handles ‘rich content,’ such as diagrams, sketches (with different colors and pen widths), flow charts, and formulas, letting you integrate them into the document. Whink The gel ink pen approach to notes Today’s Best Deals VISIT SITE (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Mimics a gel pen on paper + Perfect geometric shapes + Affordable Reasons to avoid – No cloud integration Whether you prefer to write with a stylus, type text, or draw with a finger, Whink makes the process as simple as using real paper. Notepad+ The original advanced note pad Today’s Best Deals VISIT SITE (opens in new tab) Reasons to buy + Type or use handwriting + Color and image options + Works with multiple file formats There are a wide range of formatting options that take Notepad+ away from standard note-taking software, with the ability to use different fonts, colors, and highlighting, as well as support for handwriting. OneNote (opens in new tab) may be a Microsoft production, but it’s a full-featured digital notepad for the iPad Pro and other iOS devices. Bear (opens in new tab) is a decent note-taking app for people who use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer.
iPad note taking apps every student and professional should try
Microsoft OneNote was previously included in my list of top five favorite apps I use as a student. Many colleges, universities, and employers provide a free subscription to Microsoft Office that includes OneNote. You can also create separate tabs within the notebook, insert photos, edit PDFs, and integrate notes within meetings under your Outlook account.
Additionally, multiple users can be on the account, letting employees collaborate on tasks and track progress. Designed for companies, the plan is $14.99 a month, requires a minimum of two users, and offers a free trial. Also, you can search within your notes, resize your handwriting, choose from a variety of paper templates, and create flashcards. Notability is very limited for users with free accounts, so if you’re not looking to spend money, this isn’t the app for you. People even create some beautiful sketches with the app, so if you frequently draw in your notes, you may like Notability.
Apple Notes is a free app automatically downloaded on any iPad, iPhone, or Mac. Not only can you track your thoughts, but it integrates with your Apple Calendar and Reminders, works with Siri, lets you collaborate with others, lock notes, and scan documents. Also note that for some of these items, buying used can save you a nice chunk of change and will often ship to you in perfect condition.
Notability
Notes are just the beginning; find inspiration, capture ideas, and unleash your creativity with Notability. • Work with a variety of note-taking, journaling, and drawing tools like ink, highlighter, text, and audio.
• Mark up imported textbooks, documents, lecture slides, class assignments, and images.
• Ink is fine-tuned for the Apple Pencil for the most responsive, precise writing experience yet, including double-tap gesture for switching tools, erasing, and more. • Present ideas in full screen without distracting toolbars when connected to an external display. • Quickly switch between notes and Drag & Drop handwriting, typed text, images, etc. Unlock unlimited note taking and premium content with a Notability annual subscription. Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled, and will be charged via Apple iTunes account on an annual basis.
Best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil 2022
Apple has native text recognition search and in-line scanning and annotation support too. GoodNotes is packed with plenty of robust features, including handwriting and sketching with Apple Pencil. You can choose from a massive selection of digital paper types to suit any need you have: lined, graph, design, music notation, and more. If that’s not enough, you can also upload your own custom template too, and there are different cover styles for digital notebooks that you can write or sketch on for further personalization.
Another great option for the best note-taking apps for iPad and Apple Pencil, which most of us use here at iMore, is Notability. It has tools for handwriting, drawing, annotating PDFs, making shapes, highlighting, moving objects around the page, adding audio notes, integration with photos and web clips, and so much more.
You can share your digital notebooks with third-party syncing services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box, and even print them out with ease. With OneNote, you get a fully-featured note-taking app, complete with handwriting and sketching tools that work perfectly with Apple Pencil.
This means you can handwrite important notes, sketch diagrams and ideas, and even annotate existing documents that you already have in OneNote.
If your note-taking is more about annotating and marking up PDFs, then PDF Expert is a great contender since it does so much more than Apple’s own built-in Markup extension. The free version of PDF Expert allows you to read, annotate, highlight, draw, fill forms, and more. Do you enjoy handwriting notes but want it converted into regular text just to make life easier, especially if your writing is a little hard to read?
Nebo will convert on-the-fly, and the conversion is also non-destructive — this means you can preserve both the handwriting and the text if it is not a perfect translation. There are multiple digital pen tools offered in Nebo, so you can choose whatever you like best and add photos and videos, diagrams, and even equations alongside your text. Noteshelf is an excellent alternative to GoodNotes and Notability, making it one of the best note apps for Apple Pencil and iPad. Whink features a gel-pen tool with natural ink colors, so it’s definitely geared towards professionalism and simplicity. Typing is just a tap away, and Whink also has PDF and photo annotation features, shape tools, and audio recording capabilities. ZoomNotes is one of the few apps out there that provides a huge zoom range so that you can handwrite notes, sketch diagrams, and ideas on a near-infinite whiteboard, right on your iPad with Apple Pencil.
It provides eight different pen types, from gel to nib to pencil, and it has handwriting recognition so you can search all of your handwritten notes. There is also support for layers, split-screen (two views of the same document), internal linking, unlimited paper sizes and styles, and so much more.
So don’t forget to check out some of the best drawing apps for iPad (opens in new tab) when you want to let those creative juices flow.
The Best App for Taking Handwritten Notes on an iPad – The Sweet Setup
When the iPad was first announced, its notebook-like shape (and name) seemed to make this type of use inevitable, but it’s only been in recent years with the release of the Apple Pencil that handwriting on the platform has been allowed to shine. With handwriting being the focus instead of keyboard-based text entry, drawings and doodles can take shape, margins can be utilized, and the tools as a whole are completely different.
These apps can come especially in handy for certain use cases such as students taking lecture notes, those committed to keeping a journal, and anyone who appreciates the art of putting pen to paper. By joining the Sweet Setup community you’ll also get access to our other guides, early previews to big new reviews and workflow articles we are working on, weekly roundups of our best content, and more. We consider quick updates to support new screen sizes essential; after all, if you’ve gone out of your way to take notes using the Apple Pencil, you’re most likely the type who’s also an early adopter. It’s been well-documented: handwriting greatly improves the learning process and it’s easier to commit things to memory if you write them down.
When the iPad debuted in 2010, it promised to eliminate the need to carry textbooks and notebooks, and seemed like an easy fit to take the place of the 15-inch MacBook Pro (at least for study purposes). However, the handwriting component of learning was lost, as the original iPad only really had external keyboard support as its primary input method.
iOS Safari has improved over the years as well, increasingly supporting more and more types of webinar delivery methods and online student portals. On the left, a textbook, quickly searched and easily annotated, and on the right, a digital piece of paper ready for all sorts of pens, highlighters, shapes, and jotting.
Simply put, if you’re a student today, either of our top two handwriting note-taking apps are must-have purchases from the day you unbox your new iPad. GoodNotes’ latest update has created a user-interface perfect for those looking to move their notes into the digital space.
Once you’re in a notebook, instead of seeing a blinking cursor like a traditional text notes app, you’ll be ready to start writing with the Apple Pencil. The majority of these papers have both a landscape and portrait orientation, as well as an option to use it in either a white or yellow color.
This is a killer feature in our book, and one that we’ve used quite a bit after discovering the versatility of adding our own paper templates to the app.
There are three types of pens alongside a highlighter, and each of the tools is highly customizable in terms of both size and color. This is handy for a variety of reasons: taking notes on top of a class’s lecture outline, using a digital yearly planner, creating your own custom paper template, the list goes on and on. And, as mentioned above, the ability to import a PDF as a custom paper type is a powerful feature that really extends the usefulness of the app as far as your imagination and resourcefulness can carry you.
If writing in dim lighting is important to you, Notability not only offers a dark version of its UI, but also allows you to set the paper to black and the ink to white. For the creative note-takers, photos and gifs can be added to each document, as well as web clips, stickies, and custom shapes or figures. Notes also receives a first-party perk on iPads: Tapping the lock screen with a Pencil automatically opens a new sheet. Evernote sync may be handy for some, but a limited set of features and inconsistent updates (the last one being over a full year ago) means that this app has seen better days.
Though this is a very interesting premise, the conversion doesn’t always work flawlessly, and the extremely specific use-case is too narrow to call it the best app in the category. Though possible to use as a handwriting app, Paper works better as a sketching tool, and thus didn’t make the cut.
But the lack of search, a limited amount of tools, and a focus on annotating PDFs means that this app stays in the runner up category. It’s clear that with the right combination of app and Pencil, the iPad is now an exceptional note-taking tool for those who prefer to write by hand.
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