Note Taking App For Mac Laptop

Posted By admin On 11.05.21

Editor's note: This article was updated on at 4:45 PM PST to highlight Notability's new app for the Mac and to correct a typo. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in.

Apple offers its default note-taking apps to its users named Apple Notes. The app has some limitations and it doesn’t fulfil the basic needs of everyone. For the very same reason, the MacBook Air users are always searching for the suitable Note apps which can take care of their basic note-related needs.

Here, we have compiled all the best Note Apps for MacBook Air which you can consider as the alternative apps to Apple’s default Apple Notes app. Follow the list and you will be able to pick the most suitable note-taking app for MacBook Air and other Mac systems.

Best Note Apps for MacBook Air

Contents

Best Note Apps for MacBook Air

Evernote

Evernote is undoubtedly the world’s best note-taking app which is widely available not only on the Mac Platform, but it is available on other systems such as Microsoft’s Windows PC system and Android and iOS Mobile platforms. You can either use this application as an independent app or can use it with its web-based version through its website.

The app lets you take notes of everything including screenshots and images. Besides this, you can also create different notes and can share them to other users with a single click. The app provides a wide range of tools which makes the app’s interface more flexible to users. Evernote is a free to use application which you can get it from the below given link now.

Install Evernote : https://itunes.apple.com/app/evernote/id406056744/

Zoho Notebook

Notebook from Zoho is the easiest and simplest note-taking app available for Mac systems. If you are searching for an advanced note-taking app for your MacBook Air, then Notebook is the best option for you. The app serves a decent user interface to take notes of everything with an innovative way.

Users can make use of different tools to make their notes attractive. With instant sharing features, they can quickly share their notes and collaborate with other people as well. The app features a dedicate Photo Card tool allowing users to store their best moments as well. The app is for free and you can give it a try from the following link now!

Install Notebook by Zoho : https://itunes.apple.com/app/notebook-take-notes-sync/id1173152781/

Agenda

Agenda is yet another innovative note-taking app for Mac users. The application is available on both, iOS and macOS platforms and syncs automatically between the Apple devices running under the same Apple ID. It is designed to give an overview of your past, current and future event easily.

The application comes with a set of incredibly useful features to make your note-taking experience easy. You can add pictures, can save attachments and can instantly share your notes between the users. Note sorting feature lets you sort your notes by dates, times etc. There is a dedicated search bar also available to search your notes by entering its name. The application is for free and works beautifully on a MacBook Air system as well. Go ahead and try it out now!

Install Agenda : https://itunes.apple.com/app/agenda-a-new-take-on-notes/id1287445660/

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft’s OneNote comes with numerous advance features to make perfect planning of upcoming tasks. This note-taking application is compatible with both, Apple’s Mac and Microsoft’s Windows PC Operating Systems. The app comes with a number of customizing tools to create notes as per your requirements. You don’t need to worry about the data, as the app itself saves your notes and keep it synced with other devices as well.

The app supports different types of files and allowing you to add texts, slides, images, video links etc. You can make incredible notes worry-free as the application lets you use a number of tools to make your notes look attractive to others and to yourself as well. There is an instant share option also available to share your notes instantly. The app lets you work with other users by combining the documents with the share option. The app is for free and you can install it now from its official iTunes link.

Install Microsoft OneNote on MacBook Air : https://itunes.apple.com/app/microsoft-onenote/id784801555/

Simplenote

If you are searching for an easy and simple Note-taking app to use on a MacBook Air, then Simplenote is the best option for you. This note-taking app serves the simplest interface which you may have not seen on any other note-taking apps. It comes with limited features and lets you take note of everything that you want quickly.

Unlike other note-taking apps, the Simplenote serves faster interface to take notes in less time. You can take notes, prepare lists of planning, can note down your ideas, business plans etc. on this platform. The notes that you save or work on will be synced with other devices automatically. So if you take note on a MacBook Air, you will also be able to view and edit that note on an iOS device. The application is for free and you can get it from the following link now.

Install Simplenote on MacBook Air : https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/simplenote/id692867256?mt=12

Conclusion:

The above list is prepared after a lot of research from the users of MacBook Air from around the world. Each of the above listed apps offer an easy to use interface for taking notes, saving them for future and sharing them with other people easily. They are for free and you can make use of them on multiple devices with auto-sync feature. Follow the list and pick the most suitable one for your MacBook Air.

Overal

4.9

From that random idea that needs to be jotted down, to making complex notes and mind maps, in today’s day and age, it’s better to stick to a note taking application, rather than relying on physical pen and paper.

In our previous article, we saw some of the best note taking apps for Windows, and in this one, we have got you covered with our list of the best note taking apps for Mac.

Best Note Taking Apps for Mac

1. Apple Notes

The stock Notes app that comes with Mac OS itself, is actually not that bad. It comes with basic note taking functionalities like formatting, lists, checkboxes, drag and dropping pictures/files. While it doesn’t offer anything out of the box, where Apple Notes shines is how fast it is to open and get started with a new note. Also it syncs immediately and effortlessly with the Notes app on your iPhone and iPad. We highly suggest you first checking out this app which already comes with your Mac, before buying or installing another note taking app.

Pros:
– Very fast and simple to use
– Comes pre-installed
– Sync with notes app on iPhone and iPad

Cons:
– Not ideal for handwritten notes or drawings
– No charts, graph support
– Works only within the Apple Ecosystem

Bottom Line: If you are someone who needs to take notes on your computer very rarely, might be for a grocery list or quick information, you’ll get by easily using the stock Notes app. Apple Notes does offer all the basic functionalities you might need and best of all, you don’t even need to install another app.

Price: Free

Link: Use Apple Notes on iCloud here

2. Evernote

Chances are you have heard of Evernote, as it is one of the most popular note taking apps available on almost all platforms. Evernote offers some great ways to keep all your notes perfectly organised. You start off your note by creating/selecting a particular notebook and all your notes are kept organised in these notebooks. You also have a tags to classify all your stuff, and it basically works like a File Cabinet.

In terms of features, it is a beast and it has almost any and every feature you’d want in a note taking app including pie charts and bar graphs to searching text in a picture. We also strongly recommend trying Evernote with its Web-clipper companion which makes taking notes/clips form the web so easy, you can never go back. But all this does come at a price, which makes Evernote a little on the bulkier and slower side.

Pros:
– Feature packed to the brim
– Available on all platforms
– Easy organisation of notes

Cons:
– Heavy app and takes time to start up
– Costly

Read: Don’t Like Their New Pricing, Try These 8 Best Free Evernote Alternatives

Bottom Line: Well, if you are someone who has to take loads of notes and are also looking to keep them organised in the best way possible, Evernote is a really good investment.

Price: Free(Basic), $34.99/Year(Plus), $69.99/Year(Premium)

Link: Download Evernote from here

3. Unclutter

Unclutter is a neat tool which can increase your productivity by many folds. The app works almost like Sticky Notes; you can access it very quickly from any window you are working on. Just go to the top of your screen and scroll down, Unclutter should appear with its three windows: the first being the Clipboard, second being Files and the last being the Notes section.

Creating a note is pretty fast, just make Unclutter appear and start with your new note or even copy directly from the clipboard or even a file. Click on the ‘+’ to take another note and you can also see all your notes or search through them.

But do keep in mind that the notes you can take are pretty limited to text only and the absence of formatting and checkbox lists might be. Ideal breaker for some.

Pros:
– Easy access, one swipe away
– Pretty fast
– Comes with a Clipboard as well as a file holder

Cons:
– Supports only text notes
– No organisation
– No sync, only on Mac OS

Bottom Line: Unclutter is a very cool app where you can take notes in a jiffy, so we’d recommend this app for someone who is looking to take some quick text notes while working on their computer and doesn’t need any fancy formatting or feature.

Price: $9.99 (Free Trial available)

Link: Get Unclutter here

4. BoostNote

Next on our list, we have a note taking app specifically designed for programmers. BoostNote started out as a open source project and has gained a lot of popularity among the programming community over the years.

What this app basically allows you to do is store your code or code snippets as notes. You can access quickly or even take notes in markdown. Once you open the app, you can select if you want to create a markdown note or create a code snippet. And when I said it is meant for developers, I meant it. BoostNote supports code syntax highlighting in more than a hundred languages and it is also very easy to keep all your notes organised.

Pros:
– Supports markdown notes
– Code highlighting
– Plenty of syntax and UI themes
– Open source
– Available on all platforms

Cons:
– Bulky
– Takes time to startup

Bottom Line: Well the answer is obvious, this app is a blessing for programmers as they can now manage all their code snippets and keep them organised while also not losing on the ability to take notes in markdown.

Price: Free

Link: Download Boostnote from here

5. OneNote

OneNote is a full blown note taking application from Microsoft, which has been here for a while now. And over all these years, it feels like Microsoft has almost perfected the note-taking experience.

What separates OneNote its competitors is that it using the app feels very close to taking notes on a real notebook; you can write, draw, add pictures literally anywhere on the page at any orientation, just like on a paper notebook. It also comes with a ton of features, the biggest selling point would be built in OCR reader. While you can get it for free for almost all platforms, the Mac app is huge in size and a little slow to use.

Pros:
– Feature-rich note taking app
– Office integration
– Notebook like experience
– Completely free

Cons:
– Huge size
– Can be sluggish at times

Bottom Line: If you are invested even a little in the Microsoft space, OneNote is a no brainer and even if you are not and looking for a great digital notebook, OneNote won’t disappoint.

Price: Free

Link: OneNote is available here

6. Notability

Notability is our pick as the best note taking app for students. It works exceptionally well with the Apple Pencil on the iPad to create beautiful hand-written notes and sketches. You can rotate, scale, and recolour your ideas and sketches until your notes are just how you want them. You can even markup photos and annotate PDFs and once you’re done you can easily share them through Airdrop or any other storage service.

Notability keeps all your notes neatly organised and also syncs them up between your iPad, iPhone and Mac, so you can access them anytime anywhere.

Pros:
– Great for hand-written notes and sketches
– Support for pressure sensitive strokes of the Apple Pencil

Cons:
– No search tags
– No support for shapes
– Pricey

Bottom Line: If you have an iPad which you use to take or sketch notes, Notability works really well with the Apple Pencil and if you have the money to spend, just go for it.

A great alternative to Notability would be ZoomNotes which comes at a lower price, but offers almost all the features of Notability.

Price: $9.99

Link: Buy Notability from here

7. Journey

The next app on our list is Journey, which takes maintaining your daily notes to a whole new level. While Journey is aimed more to be a digital journal, you can still use the feature-packed text editor to take quick notes and Journey will keep them ordered by the date. You can also search through all your notes and even view them by locations. The app backs up and syncs all your notes using Google Drive and it should be imperative to say, it also does provide impressive security features to protect your privacy.

Pros:
– Keeps everything organised like a Diary
– Easy note taking
– Streamlined review of your notes

Cons:
– Costly
– Requires Gmail/Google Drive account

Bottom Line: Journey works best for noting down your everyday goals or writing something about your day. If you are looking to make the switch from a physical diary to a digital one, Journey might be your best bet.

Price: $16.99

Link: Download Journey from here

8. Manuscripts

With all the normal note taking apps or text editors, it gets really hard to note down or represent scientific equations, derivatives and mathematical graphs. Enter Manuscripts, a free note taking app made for scientists and scholarly writing. Describing it as just a note taking app would be an understatement as it is capable of much more from a writing a research article to penning down a book.
There are various templates which you can choose from and a plethora of import and export options including LaTeX.

Pros:
– Scientific Notes/Writing
– Solid import and export formats
– Citation and bibliography formatting

Cons:
– Not quick for taking simple notes

Bottom Line: Manuscripts is a capable and powerful app for when the going gets tough. Of course, it isn’t for the average Joe, but rather for taking scientific notes with equations and graphs. If you are looking for more of a digital laboratory notebook with support for experiment templates along with equations and graphs, check out Findings.

Price: Free

Link: Ger Manuscripts here

9. iThoughtsX

Last but definitely not least, we have iThoughtsX, a mind mapping tool that lets you organise your thoughts and at a glance see the whole project. Mind maps are ideal for brainstorming with means of keeping your ideas structured and nothing gets omitted out in the whole process.
Although it has a steep learning curve, it’s really easy once you get the hold of it. There are multiple templates and layouts from which you can start and there’s an impressive amount of built-in icons and clipart images.

Pros:
– Create perfect mind maps for summarising and meeting notes
– Task Management
– Hand-off feature(Start your min map on one device and finish on another device)

Cons:
– Steep learning curve
– Not good for other kind of notes

Bottom Line: Mind maps are especially useful for managers and developers or anyone managing a large project. So if you know you need to create mind maps, this app is for you.

Price: $49.99

Link: Get iThoughtsX here