Ranked list · 2026

The 19 Best Note Taking in 2026

Ranked by a blend of community upvotes and verified user-review ratings — the top note taking our community recommends.

1
Notion
One workspace. Every team.
Freemium
Best for: Small teams seeking adaptable workflow tools
4.3 (4)View
2
Obsidian
A local-first, markdown-based knowledge base with powerful linking.
Freemium
Best for: Advanced note-takers and researchers
4.0 (2)View vs #1
3
Foam
A note-taking app for networked thought
Free
Best for: Individual researchers and writers
View vs #1
4
open-notebook
A free, open-source note-taking app
Free
Best for: Students seeking distraction-free writing experience
View vs #1
5
Joplin
A free, open source note-taking and to-do application
Free
Best for: Students and solo researchers
View vs #1
6
Twenty
A fast, secure, minimalist note‑taking app for students and freelancers
Free
Best for: Students and freelancers needing fast, encrypted, minimalist note-taking
View vs #1
7
Notesnook
Private and secure note-taking app
Freemium
Best for: Security-conscious teams and individuals
View vs #1
8
AppFlowy
Note-taking and database app
Free
View vs #1
9
memos
A simple, open-source, self-hosted note-taking app
Free
View vs #1
10
Siyuan
A note-taking and knowledge management tool
Free
Best for: Researchers and students seeking advanced note organization
View vs #1
11
nb
A minimalistic, open-source note-taking app
Free
Best for: Writers seeking minimal distraction
View vs #1
12
note-gen
AI-powered note-taking assistant
Free
Best for: Students seeking effortless note organization
View vs #1
13
VNote
A note-taking application that knows programmers and Markdown better
Free
Best for: Solo programmers and Markdown enthusiasts
View vs #1
14
Laverna
A note-taking app with a focus on security and simplicity
Free
Best for: Solo freelancers with security concerns
View vs #1
15
fsnotes
Note-taking app with tagging and searching capabilities
Free
Best for: Individuals seeking simple note organization
View vs #1
16
Trilium
A hierarchical note taking application
Free
Best for: Researchers seeking customizable, hierarchical note organization
View vs #1
17
plane
A simple, fast, and secure note-taking app
Free
View vs #1
18
logseq
A knowledge management tool for personal knowledge base and note-taking
Free
Best for: Individuals seeking flexible knowledge management.
View vs #1
19
Evernote Business
Powerful note‑taking and collaboration for teams
Paid (Subscription)
Best for: Teams needing searchable, AI‑enhanced collaborative notes
View vs #1

How this ranking works

Each product is scored by combining community upvotes with its average user-review rating (weighted by the number of reviews), so both popularity and real satisfaction count. Rankings update automatically as the community votes and reviews. Explore all Note Taking or browse more ranked lists.