Best Note-Taking Apps for Mac in 2026: Complete Guide

Your note-taking app is one of the most personal pieces of software you use. It holds half-formed ideas, meeting decisions, research threads, grocery lists, and flashes of inspiration that arrive at inconvenient times. The right app makes capturing and retrieving all of that effortless. The wrong one adds just enough friction that good ideas slip away before you write them down.

The Mac has always been well served by note-taking software, but 2026 has made the landscape more interesting than ever. AI capabilities have moved from novelty to genuine utility. Local-first apps are gaining ground as people grow more conscious about where their data lives. And the gap between “simple notes” and “full workspace” has widened, giving you more meaningful choices depending on how you actually work.

We evaluated nine of the best note-taking apps for macOS across real-world workflows: quick capture during meetings, long-form writing, research compilation, developer documentation, and daily task management. This guide covers what each app does well, where it falls short, what it costs, and who should use it.

Quick Comparison Table

App	Best For	AI Features	Price	Sync	Local Storage
Apple Notes	Casual everyday use	Apple Intelligence	Free	iCloud	No
Notion	Team collaboration	Notion AI (built into Business)	Free / $10+/mo	Cloud	No
Obsidian	Knowledge management	Community plugins	Free (core)	Optional ($10/mo)	Yes
Bear	Beautiful writing	None	Free / $1.49/mo	iCloud	Optional
Craft	Visual documents	AI Assistant	Free / $5+/mo	Craft Cloud	Optional
SlashNote	Quick capture + AI	4 providers, MCP server (Pro)	Free / $49/yr	Local only	Yes
Ulysses	Long-form writing	None	$5.99/mo	iCloud	Optional
Simplenote	Minimal and free	None	Free	Simplenote sync	No
Agenda	Date-linked projects	None	Free / $34.99	iCloud	Optional

Now let’s look at each app in detail.

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Apple Notes

Apple Notes is the app you already have. It ships with every Mac, syncs automatically through iCloud, and integrates into macOS deeply enough that Spotlight indexes your notes, Siri can create them, and Quick Note (Fn+Q) lets you capture text from any app without switching windows.

What was once a bare-bones text editor has become genuinely capable. In 2026, Apple Notes supports rich text formatting, checklists, tables, scanned documents, audio recordings with live transcription, and file attachments. Smart Folders let you create filtered views based on tags, and shared folders enable real-time collaboration with other Apple users.

The biggest recent addition is Markdown support. Apple Notes now imports and exports Markdown files, which makes it far more interoperable with other tools than it used to be. Apple Intelligence on M-series Macs adds Writing Tools — rewrite, proofread, summarize, extract key points — that work across all your notes without any subscription or API key.

Strengths

• Zero setup — already installed on your Mac
• Cross-device sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com
• Apple Intelligence provides AI writing tools at no extra cost on M1+ Macs
• Rich media support: images, sketches, scans, audio recordings with transcription
• Search recognizes handwriting and text inside images

Weaknesses

• No bidirectional linking or knowledge graph features
• Limited formatting compared to dedicated writing apps
• Collaboration is basic compared to Notion or Google Docs
• All notes must pass through iCloud — no true local-only option
• No third-party AI model support

Pricing

Completely free. iCloud storage beyond 5 GB requires an iCloud+ subscription ($0.99-$12.99/month), but this covers all iCloud data, not just Notes.

Who should use Apple Notes

Apple Notes is the right choice if you want a capable, free notes app that works across all your Apple devices without any configuration. It handles casual note-taking, shopping lists, shared family notes, and light project planning well. If you have never felt limited by Apple Notes, there is no compelling reason to switch.

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Notion

Notion is less a note-taking app and more a workspace that happens to include notes. It combines documents, databases, wikis, project boards, and collaboration tools into a single platform. You can build almost anything: a personal CRM, a content calendar, a product roadmap, a recipe database, or a simple notebook. This flexibility is Notion’s defining trait — and the source of its learning curve.

The core building block is the page. Every page can hold text, images, embeds, and databases. Databases can be displayed as tables, Kanban boards, galleries, calendars, or lists. Each database entry is itself a page, creating nested layers of information. For teams, Notion becomes a shared knowledge base where documentation, meeting notes, and project plans all live in one searchable location.

In 2026, Notion has integrated AI directly into the Business and Enterprise plans rather than charging separately. Free and Plus users get a limited trial. The AI can generate content, summarize documents, translate text, extract action items, and answer questions about your workspace. The Business plan at $20/month includes full access to GPT-4.1 and Claude 3.7 Sonnet.

Strengths

• Databases with multiple view types make it the most flexible organizational tool available
• Real-time collaboration with comments, mentions, and granular permissions
• Templates for almost any use case, from meeting notes to product specs
• API and integrations for automation with other tools
• AI built into Business tier — no separate add-on needed

Weaknesses

• Requires internet connection at all times
• Can feel sluggish, especially with large workspaces
• Steep learning curve to understand databases and relations
• All data stored on Notion’s servers, not locally
• Overkill for simple note-taking
• Free tier limits file uploads to 5 MB

Pricing

Free for personal use with unlimited pages. Plus plan at $10/user/month adds unlimited file uploads and 30-day page history. Business plan at $20/user/month includes AI features, SAML SSO, and advanced permissions. Enterprise pricing is custom.

Who should use Notion

Notion is the right choice for teams that need a collaborative workspace, individuals who want databases and wikis alongside their notes, and anyone who needs to manage complex projects across multiple people. If you primarily need a personal notes app, Notion is more than you need.

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Obsidian

Obsidian treats note-taking as knowledge management. Instead of organizing notes into folders you will forget about, Obsidian encourages you to link notes together, creating a web of connected ideas that grows more useful over time. Every note can reference any other note with a simple [[link]] syntax, and the graph view visualizes these connections as an interactive map of your thinking.

Everything in Obsidian is stored as plain Markdown files in a folder on your computer. Your notes are not locked into a proprietary format. They are searchable from Spotlight, editable in any text editor, and trivially backed up with Git. This local-first approach means you own your data completely and the app works perfectly offline.

The plugin ecosystem is where Obsidian becomes extraordinary. The community has built over a thousand plugins: daily notes templates, Kanban boards, calendar views, advanced tables, spaced repetition flashcards, and various AI integrations. In 2026, Obsidian added native database functionality, giving it structured data capabilities without relying on plugins. The core app is deliberately simple, but plugins let you build exactly the system you need.

Strengths

• Bidirectional linking and graph view for connecting ideas across notes
• Plain Markdown files — future-proof, portable, and truly yours
• Plugin ecosystem with over a thousand community extensions
• New databases feature for structured data alongside freeform notes
• Works completely offline with no cloud requirement
• Commercial use is free for small teams (license required for companies over $1M revenue)

Weaknesses

• Steeper learning curve than simpler apps
• Interface can feel overwhelming to new users
• No built-in AI without plugins or third-party tools
• Mobile apps are functional but less polished than desktop
• Requires intentional setup and configuration to be useful
• Official Sync costs extra ($10/month)

Pricing

The core app is free for personal and small-team use. Obsidian Sync is $10/month for cross-device sync with end-to-end encryption. Obsidian Publish is $10/month per site for sharing notes publicly. Commercial license is $50/user/year. Students and nonprofit employees get a 40% discount on Sync and Publish.

Who should use Obsidian

Obsidian is the right choice for researchers, students, writers, and knowledge workers who manage complex information across many topics, want to build a long-term knowledge base with connections between ideas, and are willing to invest time in learning a more sophisticated system.

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Bear

Bear is a note-taking app designed by people who care about writing. The interface is minimal and beautiful, with typography and color themes that make reading and writing genuinely pleasant. There are no databases, no complex organizational systems, and no collaboration features. Just you, your thoughts, and a space to write that feels good.

Organization is handled through tags. Instead of moving notes into folders, you add hashtags anywhere in your text — #project/marketing, #ideas, #draft. Tags can be nested to create hierarchies. The sidebar shows all your tags, and clicking one filters your notes instantly. It is simpler than folders in practice, because a single note can belong to multiple categories without duplication.

Bear’s editor uses Markdown that renders as you type. Bold text shows as bold immediately, not as asterisks. Headers resize in real-time. The syntax is still there if you look for it, but it never gets in the way. Focus Mode dims everything except the current paragraph. OCR search finds text inside photos and PDFs. Export produces clean PDFs, HTML, and DOCX files.

Strengths

• Beautiful interface with over 20 themes including dark modes
• Tag-based organization that is flexible without being complex
• Live Markdown rendering feels natural to writers and non-technical users alike
• OCR search finds text inside images and PDFs
• WikiLinks and backlinks for connecting notes together
• Fast and responsive even with thousands of notes

Weaknesses

• No AI features of any kind
• No collaboration or sharing (beyond export)
• Apple ecosystem only — no Windows or Android apps
• Subscription required for cross-device sync
• Not suited for complex project management or structured data

Pricing

Bear is free with basic features on Mac. Bear Pro at $1.49/month unlocks sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, additional themes, encrypted notes, and advanced export options. A 14-day free trial is available for Pro.

Who should use Bear

Bear is the right choice for writers, bloggers, journalists, and anyone who spends significant time writing and wants a beautiful, focused environment. If you care about the craft of writing and want your tool to reflect that, Bear delivers an experience that more complex apps simply cannot match.

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Craft

Craft brings visual design to note-taking. While most notes apps treat formatting as functional, Craft makes every document look polished by default. The block-based editor is similar to Notion in structure, but with more sophisticated typography, layout options, and a distinctly Mac-native feel. Documents created in Craft look like they were designed, not just typed.

Every piece of content is a card that can contain text, images, files, links, or nested cards. Pages can be shared as beautiful web pages with custom styling, or exported as PDFs that actually look professional. For people who share notes with colleagues or clients, Craft’s output quality is unmatched among note-taking apps.

Craft added whiteboards in 2026 for visual brainstorming and project mapping. The AI Assistant helps with writing, research, and searching across your knowledge base. MCP and API connections let you integrate Craft with AI models and other tools. Recent updates focused heavily on performance — faster startup, faster document opening, better battery life, and improved sync.

Strengths

• Visually polished documents that export beautifully to PDF and web
• Mac-native feel with responsive, smooth interactions
• Whiteboards for visual brainstorming alongside structured documents
• AI Assistant for writing help, research, and knowledge base search
• Real-time collaboration for team editing
• Strong mobile apps with full feature parity on iPad and iPhone

Weaknesses

• Proprietary format — notes are not plain text files
• More expensive than most alternatives
• Can feel like overkill for simple, quick notes
• Learning curve for block-based editing
• Visual focus can slow down raw text capture

Pricing

Free plan with limited features. Plus plan starts at $5/user/month. Individual plans available at $18/month or $180/year. Family plan for up to 5 members at $60/month or $600/year.

Who should use Craft

Craft is the right choice for people who share documents with others and want them to look professional, teams that need collaborative document editing with visual polish, and anyone who values design and presentation in their note-taking workflow.

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SlashNote

SlashNote takes a fundamentally different approach to note-taking: it lives in your Mac’s menu bar and focuses on making capture as fast as physically possible. Instead of opening an app, navigating to a folder, and clicking “New Note,” SlashNote gives you five distinct ways to start writing immediately, each designed for a different context.

The five creation methods cover every capture scenario. Drag from menu bar: click the icon and pull down — a note appears under your cursor in a smooth animation, taking roughly one second. Right-click: the classic context menu approach from the menu bar icon. Voice Note: hold Cmd, dictate, and text appears via WhisperKit — entirely on-device, no internet required, supporting over 100 languages. AI Voice Note: hold Ctrl, speak naturally, and AI converts your stream-of-consciousness into a structured note with headings, checkboxes, and formatting. Shake gesture: while dragging files or text from another app, shake your mouse, and the content drops into a new note.

The AI integration is where SlashNote separates itself from other lightweight capture tools. It supports four providers — OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, and Ollama for fully local models — across three modes: Chat (have a conversation about your notes), Inline Assist (select text and transform it), and AI Voice Note (speak and get structured output). If privacy is paramount, Ollama keeps everything on your Mac with zero data leaving the device.

For developers, the built-in MCP server is a standout feature. It exposes 19 tools and 6 prompt templates that let AI agents like Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, and Windsurf read, create, search, organize, and automate your notes directly. This means your notes become part of your AI workflow: ask Claude about decisions you documented, have Cursor reference your architecture notes, or let Claude Code read project context from your notes. Setup is a single JSON line in your MCP configuration.

Notes are stored locally on your Mac. Voice audio is processed on-device through WhisperKit and never stored or transmitted. The rich text editor supports headings, bullet lists, 3-state checkboxes (unchecked, checked, cancelled), images, and Markdown copy/paste. Six note colors (yellow, peach, green, blue, purple, pink) provide visual organization, and any note can be pinned to float above all windows and Spaces.

Strengths

• Fastest capture of any app tested — five methods, each under two seconds
• Four AI providers with three interaction modes, including fully local via Ollama
• MCP server (Pro) with 19 tools for integration with AI development tools
• WhisperKit voice input (Pro) runs 100% on-device, supports 100+ languages, works offline
• Local-first storage — your notes never leave your Mac
• Pin over all windows keeps reference notes visible while working

Weaknesses

• macOS only (macOS 15+) — no iOS, Android, or web app
• No cloud sync between devices
• AI requests limited to 5 per day on free tier (50 on Pro)
• Organizational features are simpler than Obsidian or Notion
• No collaboration features

Pricing

Free version includes unlimited notes, 5 AI requests/day, rich text editor, 6 note colors, and pin-over-windows. Pro at $49/year or $99 lifetime adds MCP server, voice input, shake gesture, 50 AI requests/day, and priority support.

Who should use SlashNote

SlashNote is the right choice for developers who work with AI agents and want their notes integrated into that workflow, anyone who prioritizes capture speed above all else, users who need on-device voice transcription without internet, and people who want flexible AI assistance with the option to keep everything fully local.

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Ulysses

Ulysses is not a note-taking app in the traditional sense. It is a writing environment built for people who write professionally or seriously — novelists, journalists, bloggers, technical writers, and academics. Where most notes apps optimize for capture and organization, Ulysses optimizes for the sustained act of writing over hours and days.

The editor uses a markup-based system that keeps formatting out of your way while you write. Headers, bold, links, and footnotes are all supported, but the visual emphasis is always on the text itself, not the formatting chrome around it. Writing goals let you set word count targets for individual sections or entire projects. The writing statistics track character count, reading time, and pace over time.

Ulysses’ publishing integration is best-in-class. You can publish directly to WordPress, Ghost, Medium, and Micro.blog from within the app, complete with images, tags, categories, and a built-in preview of how your post will look. Export to PDF, DOCX, and ePub produces polished output. For writers who publish regularly, the workflow from draft to published post is seamless.

The library system organizes writing into groups and filters, keeping manuscripts, blog posts, and research materials accessible without visual clutter. iCloud sync keeps everything in sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad, so you can draft on your Mac, edit on your iPad, and review on your iPhone.

Strengths

• Distraction-free editor designed specifically for sustained writing
• Publishing integration with WordPress, Ghost, Medium, and Micro.blog
• Writing goals and statistics for tracking progress on long projects
• Polished export to PDF, DOCX, and ePub formats
• Full sync across Mac, iPhone, and iPad via iCloud
• Organization through groups, filters, and keywords

Weaknesses

• No AI features
• Subscription-only pricing with no lifetime option
• Apple ecosystem only — no Windows or Android
• Overkill for quick notes or casual use
• No collaboration features
• Not designed for structured data or project management

Pricing

$5.99/month or $39.99/year. Student discount available at $10.99/year. All plans include Mac, iPhone, and iPad access with full sync. A free trial is available.

Who should use Ulysses

Ulysses is the right choice for writers, authors, bloggers, and journalists who need a professional writing environment with strong publishing tools. If you write thousands of words regularly and want a tool that supports the entire process from draft to publication, Ulysses is purpose-built for that workflow.

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Simplenote

Simplenote does exactly what its name suggests: it is a simple app for writing notes. There are no databases, no AI features, no visual themes, no rich media attachments, and no advanced formatting beyond basic Markdown. What it offers instead is a clean text editor, instant sync across every platform, and a price of zero dollars.

The interface is a two-pane layout: notes list on the left, editor on the right. You can pin notes to the top, tag them for organization, and search across all notes instantly. Markdown support covers headings, lists, links, bold, code blocks, tables, and task lists with checkboxes. A version history slider lets you browse through previous states of any note, making accidental deletions easy to undo.

Sync is Simplenote’s quietly impressive feature. Changes appear on every device almost instantly — Mac, iPhone, Android, and web. There is no iCloud dependency, no proprietary cloud service to manage, and no sync conflicts to worry about. It just works, across platforms, for free.

The collaboration feature lets you share notes via email. Recipients need a Simplenote account to edit shared notes. For notes you want to share publicly, the publish feature generates a public link accessible to anyone without an account.

Strengths

• Completely free — no tiers, no limits, no upsells
• Cross-platform sync across Mac, iOS, Android, and web
• Version history with a slider for browsing previous states of any note
• Markdown support for structured formatting
• Lightweight and fast with minimal resource usage
• Public sharing via generated links

Weaknesses

• No AI features
• No rich media (images, files, audio)
• No advanced organization beyond tags
• Basic formatting only
• No offline access on web version
• Interface is utilitarian rather than polished

Pricing

Free. Completely free. No premium tier, no subscription, no feature gates.

Who should use Simplenote

Simplenote is the right choice for people who want plain-text notes that sync everywhere for free, use both Mac and Android (or Windows), prefer minimal software without feature bloat, and do not need AI, rich media, or advanced organization.

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Agenda

Agenda occupies a unique space in note-taking: it organizes notes on a timeline. Every note can be linked to a date or a calendar event, creating a chronological record of your projects, meetings, and decisions. While other apps focus on spatial organization (folders, tags, links), Agenda adds the dimension of time.

Notes live inside projects, and projects can be grouped into categories. But the defining feature is the timeline view: scroll through your notes chronologically, see what you wrote last Tuesday, and connect notes to specific calendar events. When you have a meeting on your calendar, Agenda can show you the related notes automatically. When you write meeting notes, they are anchored to the date and calendar event.

The editor supports rich text, checklists, tags, and basic formatting. You can add reminders to notes, creating a bridge between your notes and your task management. Notes can be shared via links, and premium features add handwriting, drawing, and presentation mode.

Agenda’s pricing model is unusual and worth highlighting. The app is free with no time limit and no note limit. Premium features are available through a one-time purchase that unlocks everything available at the time of purchase. Future premium features released within 12 months are included; after that, you can continue using what you have or purchase the next update cycle.

Strengths

• Date-linked notes connect your writing to your calendar and timeline
• Calendar integration automatically surfaces notes related to upcoming events
• Project organization groups related notes into coherent units
• Generous free tier with no note limits or time restrictions
• One-time purchase option — no mandatory subscription
• Cross-device sync via iCloud across Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Weaknesses

• No AI features
• The date-focused model does not suit every workflow
• Less flexible than tag-based or link-based organization for non-chronological information
• No Windows or Android support
• Smaller community and fewer integrations than larger apps
• Premium pricing structure can be confusing

Pricing

Free with no time limit or note restrictions. Premium features at $34.99 (one-time) for macOS or $44.99 for iOS/iPadOS. Lifetime premium at $179. Premium unlocks all current features plus updates for 12 months.

Who should use Agenda

Agenda is the right choice for project managers, meeting-heavy professionals, and anyone whose work revolves around calendar events and chronological records. If you think about your notes in terms of “when” rather than “where,” Agenda’s timeline approach will feel natural.

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Best App for Different Use Cases

For Developers

SlashNote stands out for developer workflows. The MCP server means your notes integrate directly with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code. You can tell an AI agent to check your architecture notes, document a decision, or create a task list — and it reads and writes to your actual notes. WhisperKit voice input works offline for capturing thoughts during debugging sessions, and local storage means your notes never touch a third-party server.

Obsidian is the runner-up for developers who need a full knowledge base. Plain Markdown files work well with Git, and the plugin ecosystem includes developer-focused tools.

For Writers

Ulysses is purpose-built for the writing workflow from first draft to publication. The distraction-free editor, writing goals, and direct publishing to WordPress, Ghost, and Medium make it the most complete writing tool on this list.

Bear is the alternative for writers who want something simpler and less expensive. The writing experience is beautiful, even if the publishing integrations are less comprehensive.

For Students

Obsidian excels for students who want to connect concepts across courses and build study materials that compound over semesters. The graph view helps visualize relationships between topics.

Apple Notes is perfectly adequate for students who just need to capture lecture notes and share them with classmates. It is free, already installed, and syncs across devices.

For Quick Capture

SlashNote is the fastest note capture tool we tested. Five creation methods, each under two seconds, with the drag-from-menu-bar gesture taking roughly one second from thought to text. The AI Voice Note mode is especially useful for capturing ideas during commutes or walks — speak naturally, and AI structures your words into formatted notes.

Simplenote is the alternative for quick capture if you need cross-platform sync (including Android and Windows) and do not need AI features.

For Teams

Notion remains the strongest choice for team collaboration, with real-time editing, comments, permissions, and a database-driven organizational system that scales across departments.

Craft is the alternative for smaller teams that want collaborative editing with more visual polish and a more Mac-native experience.

For Privacy-Conscious Users

SlashNote with Ollama provides the most private AI-assisted note-taking workflow available. Notes are stored locally, voice is processed on-device via WhisperKit, and Ollama runs AI models without any data leaving your Mac. The entire pipeline — capture, transcription, AI processing, storage — happens locally.

Obsidian offers strong privacy through local Markdown files, though it lacks built-in AI and voice features.

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How to Choose: The Short Version

The decision comes down to what matters most to you:

• Already have an Apple ecosystem and want simplicity? Start with Apple Notes. It is free and capable enough for most people.
• Need team collaboration and project management? Notion is the clear choice.
• Building a long-term knowledge base? Obsidian’s linking system pays dividends over months and years.
• Want beautiful, focused writing? Bear for notes, Ulysses for long-form.
• Need the fastest possible capture with AI? SlashNote’s menu bar approach and five creation methods are unmatched.
• Want polished, shareable documents? Craft makes everything look designed.
• Write professionally and publish regularly? Ulysses handles the entire workflow.
• Want free, cross-platform, no-nonsense notes? Simplenote.
• Work revolves around meetings and calendars? Agenda ties notes to time.

Conclusion

There is no single best note-taking app for Mac. There is only the best app for how you work. After testing all nine apps across real workflows, what stands out is how distinct each app’s strength is. Apple Notes excels at being free and everywhere. Notion excels at team collaboration. Obsidian excels at knowledge graphs. Bear excels at writing aesthetics. Each has earned its place by solving a specific problem better than the alternatives.

For people who feel the friction of switching apps to capture a thought — developers who want their notes connected to AI tools, professionals who dictate ideas between tasks, anyone who has lost a good idea because opening an app took five seconds too long — SlashNote’s menu bar design and five capture methods solve that problem directly. The combination of instant capture, four AI providers, on-device voice transcription through WhisperKit, and a built-in MCP server for AI agent integration creates a workflow that simply does not exist in other note-taking apps.

The free version includes the core experience: unlimited notes, rich text editor, and all five capture methods. Pro unlocks MCP server, voice input, shake gesture, and expanded AI usage for people who make it a daily tool.

Many people find that a two-app setup works best: a fast capture tool for the moments when speed matters, and a long-term system for organizing what you keep. SlashNote pairs well with Obsidian for developers building a knowledge base, with Notion for team-oriented workflows, or with Apple Notes for people who want their important notes synced to their phone.

Whatever you choose, the best note-taking app is the one you actually use. Pick the tool that removes friction from your specific workflow, and the notes will take care of themselves.

Download SlashNote free on the Mac App Store