Taking notes has now made easy with the number of apps being created. Whether you want to capture some points, create a checklist, or sketch some ideas, having one on your device would be very handy. And with cloud storage services such as iCloud, you can conveniently sync your notes across all your devices.
If you have Mac and iOS devices, the built-in app Apple Notes is the go-to note-taking app. It’s functional, convenient, and easy to use. It even integrates with Siri. But what about other platforms?
Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, and Spike are my top favorites. These apps are full-featured and free from all users. Check out more alternative apps similar to Apple Notes.
Spike
Spike is one of the best email client-based note-taking applications with powerful productivity and collaborative features that simplify your work. Its multimedia support allows you to use images, gifs, and videos in notes. It does not allow voice notes and only records audio.
Like the apple note, format your data in a way that suits your needs for more clarity. On the other hand, it will not let you draw on doodle notes for free. It is advantageous since it allows live collaboration with many people to take note of every point.
Boostnote
The Boostnote app is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS (apple note is compatible with macOS) since it has cross-platform support and markdown support. It is therefore great for developers who like taking programming notes with code snippets alike.
The tool supports multiple languages and comes with syntax highlighting, and is highly convenient for note-taking.
You can download the app for free and work offline if you do not have wifi access. It also supports vim/emacs key bindings, which are easy to navigate and has the global search tag feature. Boostnotes comes with exciting themes and colors that you will enjoy using.
Google Keep
The Google Keep app is easy to use, requiring only one click to take notes. Just click the take a note button on your screen to start. The process is also super fast since it uses a minimal interface for the web and mobile to simplify things. It has seamless and unlimited sync like the apple note.
It ensures no information is lost by automatically saving all the input texts written. The notes can also be color-coded and grouped using labels for easy organization and identification. Google keep also allows you to save links you visit by optionally including a preview image.
The speech-to-text functionality is highly efficient to allow you to take notes quickly. Aside from supporting photos and audio attachments, the app can take pictures of physical documents by using text images drawn or handwritten.
Using the app, you can set reminders for specific notes based on time, date, and location. The drag and dropping option also allows you to sort information manually in your notebook. It enables you to archive finished tasks and seamlessly supports cross-platform with Android, iOS, and desktop computers.
Supernotes
The Supernotes app uses all the features of Markdown with LaTex maths support. It can use cross platforms like mac, web, Linux, and windows. The app is highly responsive and works on most devices, including mobile devices, desktops, and laptops. It has a note-card format which is versatile and can handle lots of information.
It has three pricing plans, the free option, the unlimited plan, and the lifetime plan. It is similar to the Apple Note in that it is convenient and easy to use. You can quickly generate API keys for future integrations, and it highly supports live collaboration.
Notion
The tool allows users to create customized workspaces with notes, images, bookmarks, discussions, toggle links, documents, and more. The app is valuable for management due to its super-comprehensive tables that simplify your work.
Like the Apple Note, it works across platforms and is compatible with Mac OS, iOS, web browsers, and more. It offers a unique superior note-taking experience and a flexible page system making it easy to create new pages.
You can drag and drop content blocks to organize your work without disrupting the entire document. Therefore, it is suitable for note-taking using spreadsheets, building kanban board, e.t.c. The app has a free version that saves you money and allows you to sync up to 1000 blocks of content.
Saferoom
Security is one of the many great features of the Saferoom app. It encrypts all your notes and information and stores it on a cloud storage service. Like apple notes, it handles all forms of data during note-taking such as; audio, video, PDFs, images, e.t.c.
Always remember your password or write it somewhere (once you forget or lose it, all your notes will be lost). However, if you want to keep them a secret, it is worth it. The free version is highly convenient since it allows you to work offline. You can download it from Google Play.
OneNote
Among the best note-taker apps, it is right up there with Apple Notes. OneNote integrates perfectly with Office with excellent cloud syncing capabilities. It is easy to use, where users can dictate or take notes, checklists, send emails, clip web content, attach photos, PDFs. e.t.c.
It has an excellent system of sorting your notebooks with sections, text search, and tags to help organize your information. The app also has collaborative features such as android wear, TouchID support, e.t.c. Using these features, you can write notes without requiring a text editor/word processor.
Elephant
The Elephant app only includes a few basic features to avoid cluttering up the user interface. Files are stored locally (not cloud-based) to keep your information secure and private. Cloud service, however, is not a requirement for syncing stored files. It also supports Markdown that is critical for HTML formatting of files.
Much like Apple Notes, the app is constantly upgraded with new features and is highly compatible with Mac OS, Linux, and Windows. It is free of charge, and you can always use the drag and drop feature to upload files.
Bear
Bear is a well-built app with a beautiful interface and advanced markup editing options. It is excellent for jotting down doodles, quick notes, prose, poetry, and snippets. It supports about 20 different languages, making it ideal for business. It is an apple-only note-taking app which makes it a viable apple alternative.
You can encrypt individual notes with a face or touch ID to make them easy to use. The app supports cross-note taking, tag support, instant markdown preview while preserving the original MD code, and other editing features. It has a pro subscription of around $1.96 per month and $14.99 annually.
Craft
Craft is a note-taking application developed for macOS, iPads, and iPhones. Live collaboration is available just like in Apple Notes. Data in the app is highly encrypted to ensure physical and practical ownership. Physical ownership allows you to access data in full via APIs or export.
The other provides multiple-user access, compatibility with other service providers, access across multiple platforms,e.t.c.
There is a free trial you can enjoy before choosing the options you want. There is no fee for the personal account. The solo account, team account, and business account all have a free trial. It provides visual blocks of information instead of lists of text, making notes more valuable for note-takers. You can download it on Mac App Store.
Evernote
The Evernote app gives you the ability to take unlimited notes and store them across all your devices. Similar to Apple Notes, it offers integration with existing productivity apps. Besides annotation and freehand note-taking, it supports multiple and single formats.
Most of its stand-out features are available to business and premium users.
A user can feel confident that it will store their data for a long time with a simple and intuitive interface. It has a handy OCR feature that scans images for text and the best web clipper (that can clip from the web to your desktop).
Simplenote
Simplenote has a minimalist interface with sidebars with tags, trash filters, lists of existing notes, and a button to add new notes. You can create the data offline then sync your data later. It has collaborative features similar to Apple notes and supports platforms such as iOS, Linux, OSX, Windows, and Android.
Markdown support is available via the web interface should you need it on a particular note. There is a revision control mechanism where it will automatically delete errors after you save the work. A fast and secure method is also available for exporting data in the form of text documents.
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote features excellent themes and a wide range of options for customizing fonts, making it one of the top apple note alternatives. It encrypts all your data and ensures that it has back up to the cloud. Microsoft OneNote allows you to insert files in your notes in the form of audio, videos, images, e.t.c.
It has the capability of converting handwriting to text on your Windows PC from your mobile phone. The web clipper is accessible on your mobile phone or desktop to enable you to clip articles or images from Google Chrome.
Zenkit
The app is easy to use, powerful, and has an attractive design. It supports other native apps for Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows. It also has many data views that include Kanban-Board, Spreadsheet, List, Calendar, and many others that users can easily switch. It also supports multiple languages, making it suitable for business management.
Dynalist
Dynalist is an excellent apple notes alternative that can handle unlimited files and allow you to search and link other notes. Some features permit you to zoom in and move bulleted notes effortlessly while formatting and organizing folders. It is collaborative and can support all major platforms such as macOS, Web, Windows, Android, iOS, e.t.c.
Turtl
Turtl ensures that all your information is secure by allowing you to encrypt your data with a password. It has applications for all major platforms such as Firefox, Chrome, Linux, Windows, Android, macOS, e.t.c.
Quiver
The app supports syntax highlighting in over 20 languages. Cloud syncing is feasible in the same way as in apple notes. You can operate cloud services such as iCloud Drive, DropBox, Google Drive, e.t.c. Live preview is also accessible since it supports both Markdown and LaTex.
It also allows you to combine different types of writing in one note using HTML, image sizing, respective preview, and others. Using the app, you can link multiple documents for easy retrieval. You Can download it from Apple Store.
Zim
It always organizes your notes strategically for easy navigation akin to apple notes. Additionally, it offers excellent export options such as HTML, RTS, Pandoc Markdown, and Latex. The ZIM app automatically manages and organizes your folders and files.
Zoho Notebook
Like the apple note, it is convenient to use and reliable. Cloud storage and seamless synchronization guarantee the security of your data. It is free and ready for download by all individuals and businesses. In addition to the free license, it also has a pre-built checklist card and supports audio notes.
Draft
The app has efficient cloud sync that allows you to extract documents from cloud services like Box, Evernote, Dropbox, and Google Drive. It supports Markdown and enables you to carry out version control. It is free for all users.
Inkdrop
The app has a global search and tag feature, and you can set it to a distraction-free mode for optimum efficiency. It is extensible and allows cross-platform support in Windows, macOS, Linus, and mobile. It is excellent for mathematicians since it supports mathematics equations, Syntax highlighting, public API, and multiple themes.
Users can utilize plugins for extra functionality and draw sequence diagrams when necessary on the app. You can download it to start your free trial.
Polynote
It has real-time collaboration where multiple users can easily edit a note simultaneously. It supports a minimal interface where you create, organizes, and share notes on the same page. The app is excellent for boosting collaboration across your company or for project management. It offers the tools to plan, manage, and allocate work across your company.
Notebooks
Using the app, you can control how your notes sync for better privacy. It is powerful and grows according to your needs with features such as Markdown, power user, e.t.c. It is available on multiple platforms such as IOS and Windows operating systems. You only pay once for the app (there are no recurring fees).
It is ideal for managing both complex projects and simple tasks for your company. Sync is available for iPad, Mac, PC, and iPhone. It also enables you to create organized files and supports multiple formats for converting your document.
Workflowy
It is a powerful tool that allows you to outline style hierarchy with zoom. It also supports a minimalistic interface keeping everything organized intuitively. It enables (hoisting) users to focus on a specific topic area and deep nesting, where the user keeps expanding the subject.
It supports search tags and includes several formatting options such as bold, italic, underlined text, e.t.c. The app also supports the import and export of texts through OPML ( Outline Processor Markup Language). You can easily see an overview and organize your notes strategically.
Workflowy has a daily digest email system that helps keep track of progress. The app is constantly upgrading with new extensions and styles coming up. You can opt for the free or paid version.
Joplin
The app is suitable for operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and iOS. You can access it offline then sync your texts on the cloud using Dropbox, Nextcloud, OneDrive, or any other platform. You can also set a reminder on the to-do list or encrypt your data for security purposes.
It also provides a CLI interface for terminal enthusiasts and efficient management. It has a web clipper, supports Markdown, file attachments, and multiple languages. The app allows troubleshooting, and in case of anything, customer service is always at your disposal. You can download it for free to enjoy excellent features.
FAQs
How do I get Apple Notes on windows?
You can access Apple Notes on your windows machine through the browser or iCloud. However, there are many apple alternatives you can use.
Which is the best Apple Notes Alternative?
Every app comes with features that are convenient for any user. You only have to search for the one that suits your needs then download it.
Can I use Apple Notes on my Android Phone?
You can only access it through iCloud, and if it doesn’t work, there are many apple notes alternatives you can explore.