While there’s no “correct” way to write your notes, one of the things you’ll have to decide early on is whether you should handwrite or type them. Based on the research we’ve seen, data suggest that taking notes by hand is better than using a laptop. 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. Multi-note support gives users the ability to open two notes and arrange them in the app for comparison or multitasking.
The new Pencil tool provides the app with added versatility, allowing users to draw and sketch. 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.
If you’re looking for an awesome app that doesn’t require an up-front cash investment, Notability is a great option to consider. Multi-note support allows you to easily compare and work on multiple documents at one time. make it simple to create and save your favorite tool colors for fast and easy reuse. Math conversion (premium only) allows you to convert handwritten calculations into common mathematical expressions.
Pencil Tool allows for drawing and sketching, with pressure sensitivity and tilt-activated shading. 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. The app offers a powerful search function, onboard handwriting recognition, AI-powered tools, and much more.
While there aren’t a ton of cons to Goodnotes, the lack of a favorites toolbar is a common feature that is (sadly) missing here. 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; $9.99/year subscription or $29.99 one-time purchase from the App Store for the full version. Limited free plan available; $9.99/year subscription or $29.99 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.
Notice how the lines separating the handwriting from the text runs the entire length of the note. Apple Notes is also one of the few notetaking apps that is set up to create tables and interactive checklists. It also treats PDFs and other imported files as attachments instead of integrating them into your notes, meaning that editing is limited to annotation and markup.
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 down 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 research-based, it’s definitely a game-changer 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.
Infinite workspace allows for a tidy collection of excerpts, comments, and handwritten notes. 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. 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.
Auto Add to MindMap 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 Document pages are lined sheets, and users have the option to write using an Apple Pencil or a keyboard.
While you can keep the text in a handwritten format, Nebo gives you a clear indication that it understood what you wrote. 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 cross-platform compatible, which makes it unique for users who are looking for one of the best iPad note apps that can exist outside of the Apple ecosystem.
Combining handwriting and typed text is an interesting concept that is hinted at in other apps, but Nebo really takes ownership of this feature. 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 a vast array of pen types and brushes, 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 featuring a combination of handwritten and typed text. Just like Apple Notes and Notability, CollaNote 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.
With the exception of PDFs, media files reside within a note and are not imported as standalone objects. 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 Apple, Android, or Windows 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. #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 ball, fountain, felt, 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. such as a variety of page templates, notebook covers, and tools, allow you to get creative with your notes. The home dashboard is fully customizable (with an Evernote Premium Plan), so you can organize all your information in a way that makes the most sense for you.
Evernote offers a rigid notetaking structure that makes it easy to get your thoughts on the page. Formatting is similar to Word or Google Docs, which doesn’t offer a lot of flexibility, but it does keep your notes neat and tidy. You’ll have to enter Sketch Mode to draw or write, and once you’re finished, Evernote converts your work into an image to add to your note. With cross-platform compatibility and the ability to sync across devices in real time, Evernote can help you create the ultimate task management and productivity system.
Structured formatting feels familiar thanks to its similarity to word-processing programs and also keeps your notes neat and organized. Ability to connect to Calendar and add reminders to your task lists is locked behind a subscription.
Only being able to sync two devices on the free plan means you’ll have to pick what platforms you prefer if you don’t want to pay for a subscription. Wildly popular and completely free, OneNote is the go-to app for tens of thousands of users interested in taking effective notes.
Like Evernote, this app is geared more toward keyboard-based notetaking, but its handwriting component works beautifully and doesn’t make you switch modes or move to a different section to write. You’ll just hit the Draw tab at the top of the screen to access your writing tools. OneNote also includes features like a Math Assistant and audio recording that are great for students and a web clipper to capture content from the internet and video recording, which is completely unique to this app (Desktop or Windows app only). Its onboard organization tools make it a great option for storage, especially for users already integrated with other Microsoft products like OneDrive, Word, Excel, etc.
Similar to both Evernote and OneNote, Zoho Notebook is available on a variety of platforms and seamlessly syncs across your devices using its own cloud service. You can change the background color on every note, making it easier to visually differentiate between topics. On top of that, Zoho Notebook offers different Card types (Checklist, Audio, Sketch, and more) to match your notetaking needs. But, you can password protect your notes, share, and collaborate with others in real time, which are excellent features in any notetaking app.
Smart Cards automatically format saved content, keeping these notes nice and neat. Lack of search capabilities in the free version can make it difficult to find your notes, especially if you have a lot of them.
Limited notecard sizes and storage on the free version mean that if you plan to take a lot of notes, you’ll need to upgrade. Limited tools for handwriting and customization for typed text make it more difficult to get creative with your notes.
#alt#Image of the note creation page in the Penbook app showcasing all the different customization options. While the tools are pretty basic (Pen, Pencil, Highlighter), you can change the line thickness and color on each, and you can even customize or use hex codes to get the perfect shade. While the app does offer a user manual, it’s pretty long and involved, and there aren’t any video tutorials or quick guides to help you get going. Pre-made “Editions” help you skip the Notebook creation process so you can get right to taking notes.
Live Paper automatically fills in the date and time when you create new pages, which can be handy for schedules, journals, and more. 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 by adding linked sound recording, unlimited paper sizes/styles, Bookmarks, 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. makes taking visual notes like mind mapping or sketchnoting super easy.
Limited tools on the free version make it hard to customize your notes the way you’d like. Pricing: ZoomNotes Lite is free; $10.99 one-time purchase for the full version on the App Store.
This is a notetaking tool that uses your calendar as a way to tie your note to a fixed point in time. Notes are attached to projects and can be assigned to a specific date so that you regularly refer back to them. This is a notetaking tool that uses your calendar as a way to tie your note to a fixed point in time. Notes are attached to projects and can be assigned to a specific date so that you regularly refer back to them.
While Freeform is the perfect app to get creative and express yourself visually, you may want to stick to Apple Notes or one of the others mentioned for serious notetaking. While Freeform is the perfect app to get creative and express yourself visually, you may want to stick to Apple Notes or one of the others mentioned for serious notetaking. Compared to other apps on our list, Penultimate lacks several major features, but its connection to Evernote makes it worth a mention. 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#Image of an iPad with a drawing of the word “hello” on it, laying on a lined sheet of paper with an Apple Pencil.
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 best note-taking apps for iPad of 2023: Digitize your notes
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Best Tablets for Note-Taking in 2023
As luck would have it, we’ve gone ahead and found the best tablet options for quick, easy, and affordable note-taking. It is ideal for students, professionals, and hobbyists who want to create aesthetically appealing notes, conduct research, and take advantage of all the entertainment options available to them. The Liquid Retina display guarantees color realism and the LiDAR scanner allows you to create visual notes.
This stylus features tilt and pressure sensitivity, palm rejection, and unbeatable precision, but it doesn’t quite have the tension, drag, and friction that you would expect from a pencil. As well as being affordable, the iPad Air works with the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, so you can still take real-time notes with a responsive stylus. It also has processing power similar to a desktop computer, guaranteeing a seamless experience with minimal lag.
It is one of the best iPads for note-taking because it offers up to 10 hours of battery life, Liquid Retina display, and all the best apps from the Apple store. This all-in-one paper-like product features a magnetic matte screen protector, two ballpoint Apple Pencil tip replacements, and a protective storage folder.
Unlike other products that only swap the Pencil tip or the screen texture, we’ve crafted unmatched realism by combining a custom Apple Pencil tip and a nanotexture screen protector. Ditch the slip: On its own, the iPad’s glass screen is a slippery surface that creates an inconsistent drag on your Apple Pencil. On its own, the iPad’s glass screen is a slippery surface that creates an inconsistent drag on your Apple Pencil. The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is a brilliant option for people who want to switch between handwritten and typed notes.
The tablet only weighs 1.19 lbs, which makes it even better for note-takers who have to travel to work, seminars, and coffee shops. Only available with a low-power Central Processing Unit (CPU), so graphics and complicated programs will lag Apart from the price point, the Lenovo Tab P11 Tablet has a lot of enticing features. It is fitted with a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, a 2K OLED screen, and Dolby Atmosphere-enhanced quad speakers.
The standard stylus has over 4,000 levels of tilt and pressure detection, which makes taking notes easy peasy. To push your note-taking to the next level, you can purchase the Lenovo P11 Pro tablet, which comes with two illustration apps called Bamboo Paper and Squid.
Kindle Scribe is an e-reader and a note-taking tablet, which is perfect for students and professionals. The screen is 10.2 inches, which is a little bit on the smaller side, but it is the largest Amazon e-reader to date.
When you choose the Premium Pen, you can highlight sentences, create sticky notes, and make bullet journals, to-do lists, and documents. However, it is important to know that Kindle Scribe does not feature handwriting-to-text conversion or any tools for illustration.
GoodNotes vs Notability: Is Notability or GoodNotes 6 Best?
In this GoodNotes vs Notability 2023 comparison, we’ll put both note-taking apps in various categories and see which one comes out on top. GoodNotes takes care of the basic writing features, including rich formatting, multiple pen options, syncing with iCloud, PDF annotation, and, more recently, cross-platform functionality.
With these incredible features, it’s fair to say GoodNotes has created a Beta version for Android users.
The Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature also allows you to convert handwritten notes into text in 17 languages. It has some standout features, like Flash Cards, tabular documents that enable you to create tables within your notes, and interchangeable paper templates. We’ve got a fuller GoodNotes review that gives an in-depth dive into the features mentioned above.
It was made for iPad and Mac users in particular, and it has a lot of tools that make taking notes easier and better. Notes and PDFs can be marked up and annotated easily with highlighters, pens, shapes, and text boxes.
On the other hand, Notability allows users only one payment option, which is $14.99 per year for the premium plan. GoodNotes is slightly cheaper than Notability, making it a more budget-friendly option for users looking for a note-taking app.
For many apps, a free version is a marketing technique to allow you to try out the product and then decide if you want access to the full application with more features at a higher price. Notability has a functional free version that gives users access to features such as pdf annotation, palm rejection, audio recording features, presentation mode, and Notability gallery, and allows you to import images, documents, and more, all for free.
While Notability offers the above features for free, GoodNotes offers the above with some extra bells and whistles, like custom highlighter colors, converting handwriting to text, search functionality, handwriting recognition, and OCR, which are paid Notability features The type of customer support provided could determine if you will get attended to on time in case of any issues while using the app. Notability includes an email address for support difficulties, and you may also fill out the linked form if you try to contact customer assistance using the app’s help bar.
If you need personal assistance for problems you could not solve through the available knowledge base, you can mail GoodNotes and expect a prompt response.
While we’ve looked at their pricing, customer support, and other key indicators for picking a note-taking app, there are other features to examine to see if GoodNotes is a better option or if you would rather just take notes in Notability. If you prefer a straightforward, clean interface with powerful note organization capabilities, GoodNotes might be your choice.
You can record audio while taking notes, a feature no longer unique to Notability but remains slightly ahead of the curve. You get a mobile toolbar and more customization options when it comes to manipulating your interface, but some users feel that Notability takes the concept of minimalism slightly too far. Still, after careful analysis, the GoodNotes interface, although tending towards the minimalist area, edges Notability out to win this category. The web version of Notability aims to imitate its mobile counterpart’s user-friendly interface and fluid operation. Additionally, it keeps the standout function of audio recording while taking notes, improving the online experience. Like Notability, it synchronizes your notes across devices, allowing you to share them across platforms whenever you need a change of environment.
It is challenging picking a clear winner in this category as both online versions do quite well for helping you create notebooks and working on the go. When considering the desktop versions of GoodNotes and Notability, their functionality is a key factor in making your decision. Building on its success on mobile devices, the desktop version of GoodNotes makes it easy to take notes with a simple layout. This feature-rich program includes a mobile toolbar and comprehensive customization options for personalizing your note-taking experience.
While Notability is a good note-taking tool for mobile devices, it lacks the feature set of GoodNotes. Notability excels in recording and synchronizing audio with your notes, which can be useful for students and professionals attending lectures or meetings.
GoodNotes’ organization capabilities are robust, allowing you to create notebooks, folders, and tags for efficient note management. With the help of folders and sub-folders, GoodNotes offers a hierarchical note-organizing system that keeps your digital notebooks neat.
To find notes, GoodNotes also has a decent search feature that includes handwriting recognition in the full version. Integrations can greatly enhance the utility of note-taking apps by connecting them to other tools and services you use.
GoodNotes is compatible with various file-sharing and cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and the like. Furthermore, Notability offers PDF file import/export and annotation, enabling compatibility with well-known file-sharing and cloud storage services.
Even though both apps allow integration with quite similar tools and software programs, you cannot create a Notability account and use it on an Android device, whereas GoodNotes has started leaning in that direction. GoodNotes and Notability are two different apps, even though they aim to achieve the same goals of organized note-taking.
While it works to bridge the gap between Android and Apple devices, it faces another issue with large file sizes.
PDF annotations is by no stretch a new feature for note-taking apps, but not all of them have it, its functionality can improve work productivity and aid study.
It excels in replicating the feel of traditional handwriting, making it a favored choice for those who prefer the natural flow of pen and paper. It offers a smooth and responsive digital handwriting experience, making it ideal for jotting notes, sketches, and diagrams. There is also a slider for adjusting stroke width, but Notability doesn’t give you control over the pen’s sensitivity in any way. Picking a winner in this category is really a difficult task, as both apps have very competent tools for taking notes.
Templates can take off the stress of starting a project from scratch as well as change the direction in which your ideas flow.
Whether you are taking class notes, planning a project, or keeping a journal, you’ll find a wide selection of pre-designed templates to suit your needs.
The overall writing experience delivered by both apps is top tier and your preference plays a huge role in your choice. This special function, which syncs your written notes with the audio recording, is very helpful for lectures or meetings.
Notability’s palm rejection technology ensures that your hand won’t accidentally create unwanted marks on your digital paper. It excels at delivering a natural writing experience, making users who value the fluidity of pen and paper fans of it. The program supports a wide range of pen sizes, colors, and styles, enabling a high level of customization. Palm rejection is another feature of GoodNotes that makes it possible to write while resting your hand on the screen without it interfering. It offers a precise and relaxing writing experience and is suited for Apple Pencil and pen input.
The 7 best note-taking apps for iPad in 2023
These apps store and organize your notes, import links and media files, record meetings, mark up PDFs, foster team collaboration, and much more. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog.
These apps offer easy ways to find your notes, such as folder (or “notebook”) organization, categories, tags, and more. Today’s top note-taking apps offer audio recordings, link and media imports, handwriting recognition, and more.
Made by Apple, Notes comes pre-installed on your iPad and offers an intuitive user experience and flawless syncing over iCloud—and it’s free. You can insert multiple “Pencil sections” within a note, but this segmented, document-style format can be limiting. Zoho Notebook (macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, Web Browser) Despite this, I found the folder-style organization of Zoho Notebook far easier to use versus the flipbook-style pagination of GoodNotes (and others).
Yes, I’m one of those #aesthetic nerds who use textured paper templates to make my fake digital notebook feel more like the real thing. But the core of GoodNotes is the way individual files operate: a bunch of pages one after another, like a physical notebook. To avoid swiping a hundred times to get where you want, you can add key pages to the outline or bookmarks sections. When you have at least one recording, the wavy audio line icon appears where you can replay or delete that note’s clips.
I love that it separates clips, which is perfect for taking notes in fast-paced meetings or conferences. When you play a clip, the opacity of your notes fades as GoodNotes shows what you wrote in sync with the audio, like a magically appearing replay.
Other smaller features that add up to a big impact are being able to work on two documents simultaneously with split screen, PDF importing, storing digital stickers as reusable elements , and easy template management.
To me, GoodNotes offers the best mix of the most important features a note-taking app should have combined with an intuitive user interface.
Freeform is the new kid on the block, having launched in December 2022, but it’s quickly becoming a favorite for creatives and brainstormers. Attach files or share URLs directly from your browser into a Freeform board for Pinterest-style bookmarking.
The more I use Freeform, the more I find it the best at keeping up with my 1,000 mph brain when trying to get ideas out quickly (which is half the battle in actually accomplishing them). And built-in iCloud syncing to your Mac and iPhone provides access to your notes anywhere inspiration strikes.
But overall, Freeform has everything Apple-wielding visual thinkers need to take notes or brainstorm ideas, from outlining a novel to planning your next marketing campaign.
Milanote (macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Windows, Android, Web Browser, Chrome extension) And in some ways, it is: you can use a mix of typed text or handwritten notes and include links, photos, and other media. But Milanote comes packed with built-in project plan templates, stock photos, task organization, and other tools to power creative teams.
You can also leave comment cards anywhere, with the ability to tag users and reply in threads, similar to Google Docs. A “Document” is like a traditional Word file, breaking your handwriting or text into separate horizontal sections.
Handwriting to text is great for taking work notes and turning them into professional-looking typed summaries or emails.
Most of Nebo’s features are free to use, including all three note formats and its impressive handwriting recognition. Part of the reason digital notes are so popular is that they can do things a physical piece of paper can’t, like contain multiple layers. Write notes from a client meeting on one layer and your action items (or mindless scribbles) on another.
Classic iPad gestures like pinching in/out with two fingers to zoom and the three-finger swipe to undo still work in Noteful, though. Noteful pricing: Free; for multi-device syncing and additional features, the Pro plan is a one-time payment of $4.99. I believe the seven options above represent the best choices for most people, but there are a few more I enjoyed testing that didn’t make the final cut:
Evernote : A cross-platform productivity powerhouse combining note-taking with scheduling, planning, and project management tools.
The best note-taking apps for iPad of 2023: Digitize your notes
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Notability: Notes, Audio, PDF
I want to help the makers of Notability for the development and a continued improvement of this wonderful app that I bought the yearly subscription and I don’t even use the stuff in it. Keep up the great work and I will continue to use this app al long as iOS supports it. I plan on continuing to use it, and definitely, and I am amazed by how many awesome updates and things that keep adding to it, great job Notability!
These Are The Best Note-Taking Apps For Your iPad In 2023
These Are The Best Note-Taking Apps For Your iPad In 2023 Adi Kakarla · Follow 5 min read · Jul 29 — 1 Listen Share 3 days ago, one of my best friends asked me for iPad note-taking app recs. I asked AI to generate a picture of a bear taking notes (idk why) To my knowledge, there isn’t a single other note-taking app out there with compatibility across both Windows and iPadOS. But as a note-taking app, Freeform sucks (it essentially has no organization system). I’ve still included it here because, while it’s not great for my use case, it could be good for people in professional, collaboration-focused environments. Essentially, Freeform is a fantastic scratchpad/whiteboard but a pretty meh note-taking app. It’s so good that it even won Apple’s iPad App Of The Year Award in 2022. Words genuinely cannot express how awesome it is (I got pretty close with this post though).
about iPad note-taking apps always ended with the same conclusion: “it comes down to your personal preference between GoodNotes vs. Notability.” Many of the advantages Notability had (like the ability to record lectures with your iPad’s mic) have slowly been adopted by GoodNotes. There’s also the price — not sure about you, but I’ll take a one-time $10 purchase over a $15 annual subscription any day.
If you don’t care about collaboration features, Concepts >>> Freeform any day of the week. Probably the best “unlimited canvas” note-taking app out there (OneNote is the only one that may come close, but it’s too glitchy for me).
Feyn is a pretty cool app that combines note-taking and flashcard creation. “explore, think, and take notes” — an inspirational Amazon notebook cover
7 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad 2023
While there’s no “correct” way to write your notes, one of the things you’ll have to decide early on is whether you should handwrite or type them. I then pulled together the seven best note-taking apps for the iPad, so you can enjoy the benefits of writing by hand and digital organization without any compromise.
Apple Notes is also one of the few iPad note-taking apps that is set up to create tables and interactive checklists. Notability is an intuitive, versatile, and powerful app that lets you take notes, annotate PDFs, sketch ideas, record lectures, and so much more. Handwriting and typing: Notability lets you take notes using your finger or an Apple Pencil. 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.
Notability gives you plenty of options for exporting and sharing your notes, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and AirDrop. Not only does it offer seamless switching between typing and handwriting, but it also provides a variety of pre-set note layouts, templates, and even the option to upload your own.
What sets GoodNotes apart is its ability to tweak pen sensitivity and palm recognition, allowing you to tailor the app to your unique writing style – great news for those heavy-handers out there like me!
This is a fundamental difference from a tool like Notability or Apple Notes, where your ability to organize is somewhat constrained by the software.
With the help of AirPlay or an HDMI cable, showcase your notes on a larger screen while still accessing the GoodNotes interface on your iPad. If you’re looking for that perfect note-taking iPad app Noteshelf offers a sweet spot between GoodNotes and Notability.
Noteshelf boasts a sleek interface that’s a breeze to navigate, while offering tons of customization options – from unique page templates and notebook covers to a diverse selection of pen types, colors, and sizes. To make your life even easier, Noteshelf features a handy Favorites Toolbar to save and access all your masterpieces in one place.
The customization options are vast, and the tool interface loads right on the magnification bar, letting you switch with ease. Plus, it lets you record voice notes alongside your handwritten ones – ideal for revisiting lectures or meetings later.
Noteshelf also enables exporting notes to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Evernote. With an Evernote Premium Plan, you can change everything about the home dashboard, so you can set up your information in the way that makes the most sense for you.
Evernote is extremely functional and it’s main standout feature is that is can form the basis of your second brain or productivity system with its webclipper and note-taking capabilites. Plus unlike alternatives like Notion and Mem which go big on productivity and project management, Evernote allows for handwriting recognition on iPad.
The main drawback of Evernote is that handwriting is limited to a specific area so you can’t annotate your existing notes like you can in other tools. OneNote is a very popular and free app that is used by tens of thousands of people who want to take good notes.
OneNote also has great features for students like a Math Assistant and an audio recorder, as well as a web clipper that lets you save content from the internet. If you choose to write your content by hand, Nebo shows you in real time how it turns your handwriting into text.
But you can get a dictionary, convert PDFs, and share your content in different formats by buying a relatively inexpensive upgrade pack. This might include the ability to export notes as PDFs or share them via email or messaging apps.
By considering these features, you can find a note-taking app for your iPad that meets your needs and helps you stay organized and productive.
Most note-taking apps allow you to use the Apple Pencil to create handwritten notes or sketches.
Pressure sensitivity: The Apple Pencil is pressure-sensitive, which means that it responds differently depending on how hard or lightly you press down. Many note-taking apps take advantage of this feature to create a more natural writing or drawing experience. Many note-taking apps include palm rejection features that prevent accidental touches from interfering with your notes. Many note-taking apps allow you to use the eraser to delete mistakes or make corrections to your notes.
Customizability: Some note-taking apps allow you to customize the look and feel of your notes, with different fonts, colors, and backgrounds. Organization: Some note-taking apps offer more robust organizational features than others, such as the ability to create folders or tags, or to search for specific notes. Several iPad note-taking apps have handwriting recognition features that convert your handwritten notes into digital text. The app uses an advanced OCR (optical character recognition) engine that can recognize handwriting in multiple languages.
Yes, all of the note-taking apps have handwriting recognition features that can convert your handwritten notes into digital text. Which iPad note taking apps offer collaboration features for group projects?
GoodNotes 5 and Notability are other popular note-taking apps that offer collaboration features for group projects. Cross-platform compatibility can be very important in note-taking apps, especially for users who work across multiple devices or platforms.
Note-taking apps that are cross-platform compatible allow users to access their notes from any device or platform, which can improve productivity and collaboration. A note-taking app that is cross-platform compatible allows all members of the group to access and contribute to the same set of notes, regardless of their device or platform.
Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad 2023 [Taking Handwritten Notes]
GoodNotes 5 and Notability are our top picks for note-taking apps on the iPad, as they are specifically designed to work well with Apple devices. Evernote, Nebo and LiquidText are other excellent iPad note-taking apps that offer various advanced features, including audio recording integration, collaborating with others in realtime and annotating PDF files. They provide additional functionalities, like support for multiple styluses and the ability to collaborate with others in real time. These extra features can greatly improve how you take notes and make it a more productive experience overall.
Top Suggestions: 7 Best iPad Note-Taking Apps GoodNotes 5 — Helps personalize and organize digital notes effortlessly Notability — A feature-rich app that records audio Evernote — Enables seamless collaboration with others Nebo — A notes app for notes and drawings, all in one place LiquidText — A note-taking app for research enthusiasts OneNote — Fully free app for taking notes, with Microsoft 365 integration Freeform — Fully free note-taking app with a never-ending whiteboard Handwritten Notes With the Apple Pencil: Paper-Like Experience A research study conducted by the University of California and Princeton University discovered that writing notes by hand helps you remember things better, stay focused longer and process information more easily. If you want to get these benefits, you will need a note-taking app with a paper-like user interface and pen compatibility.
The ideal note-taking app should allow you to customize your digital notes to resemble real paper. Brainstorming and Mind-Mapping The note-taking app should provide users with a flexible workspace where they can do more than just taking linear notes. This means being able to brainstorm with others, create mind maps with a central idea, draw sketches, make diagrams, use tables and more. The note-taking tool should have advanced organizational features, like notebooks and tags, so that users can group their ideas into different categories. It should also allow you to add images, files and links to make the notes convey your ideas through visual means. Multimedia Support The note-taking app should do more than just let you write notes by hand; it should spark your creativity.
You should be able to make your notes more interesting and informative by adding audio and video clips that you can record within the app. If you want to include visuals, you should be able to easily embed images, videos or interactive elements that are relevant to the topic you are writing about. That’s why we have picked out the best note-taking apps for your iPad, which stand out in terms of advanced features, easy-to-use interfaces, pricing options and more. Limited (free) storage Since GoodNotes is made specifically for Apple devices, it focuses on making the app easy to use and visually appealing for iPad users.
These organizational tools make it easier to find what you need, especially with the powerful search feature. Not Windows compatible Notability offers a wide range of features that make it an excellent choice for digital note-taking and management.
Later, when you review your notes, you can listen to the audio that matches up with each part and hear any important details you may have missed. When you close the cover or folio on your iPad, the app turns off the microphone to keep your recordings private.
Light & dark modes Cons: Not very intuitive Nebo stands out because it effortlessly combines sketching and note-taking, so you don’t have to switch between different apps.
On the other hand, the notes pages offer an infinite workspace where you can draw sketches and diagrams freely without any restrictions on placement or positioning.
Nebo also supports pressure sensitivity, so the thickness of your lines can change depending on how hard you press. Nebo is a free app for iPad, but you need to make in-app purchases to access all the features.
If that’s something you need, the best choice is to buy the full version, which costs $8.99 and includes everything available in the individual packs. Outdated user interface LiquidText is an excellent app for taking notes, and it is particularly useful for researchers who work with complex documents.
You can annotate, import and even convert web pages into PDFs by simply entering the URL. Additionally, the app has a “focus” mode that lets you examine specific parts of your document more closely.
Create Excerpts With LiquidText In PDF files, you can select a piece of text and highlight it to save it separately. Alternatively, the cloud-based LiquidText LIVE subscription plan is $9.99 per month and receives regular updates.
Lags during live collaboration OneNote has a special feature that lets you record and add videos directly to your notes. This means that the text in your notes is linked to the relevant information in the original source you browsed. It lacks various advanced features needed for taking handwritten notes (such as handwriting recognition), zoom functionality and customizable pens.
As a result, the writing doesn’t look neat or readable, leading to an overall poor note-taking experience. Our top choice is GoodNotes 5 because it is outstanding in every aspect of learning and taking notes on the iPad. It lets you perform various note-taking functions, and you can customize your notebooks and user interface or easily search through all your notes.
It works well with styluses and has all the important features, including the ability to recognize your handwriting and convert it to text. Our recommended choices, GoodNotes, Notability and Evernote, along with a few other apps we listed, can turn your handwritten notes into typed text on an iPad.
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