Free plans only

10 Best Free Free Note-Taking Apps of 2026

By the Rankozo research desk · Updated November 12, 2026

10 of the 10 tools in our best free note-taking apps ranking offer a permanent free plan. Microsoft OneNote scores highest among them at 9.1 out of 10.

1. 01

   Microsoft OneNote

   students and professionals who want unlimited-feeling notebooks with 5 GB of free cloud storage

   Free with a Microsoft account and 5 GB of OneDrive storage; Microsoft 365 Basic adds 100 GB for $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year

   Full entry, No. 1 overall

   Paid from

   $1.99

   Score 9.1

2. 02

   Notion

   individuals who want notes, task lists and databases in one free workspace

   Free plan for individuals; paid plans start at $10 per member per month billed annually

   Full entry, No. 2 overall

   Paid from

   $10

   Score 8.9

3. 03

   Obsidian

   people who want offline, local notes with no account or limits

   Free without limits; optional Sync from $4 per user per month billed annually or $5 monthly

   Full entry, No. 3 overall

   Paid from

   $4

   Score 8.8

4. 04

   Apple Notes

   iPhone, iPad and Mac owners who want a free app that is already installed

   Free on Apple devices; iCloud includes 5 GB free, and iCloud+ starts at $0.99 per month for 50 GB in the US

   Full entry, No. 4 overall

   Paid from

   Free

   Score 8.7

5. 05

   Google Keep

   Android and Google account users who want fast lists and reminders

   Free with a Google Account, which includes up to 15 GB of storage shared with Gmail, Drive and Photos

   Full entry, No. 5 overall

   Paid from

   Free

   Score 8.6

6. 06

   Standard Notes

   privacy-focused users who want free encrypted sync on unlimited devices

   Free plan with unlimited devices; Productivity $90 per year; Professional $120 per year

   Full entry, No. 6 overall

   Paid from

   $7.50

   Score 8.3

7. 07

   Joplin

   people who want an open-source app and free sync through a cloud drive they already have

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   Full entry, No. 7 overall

   Paid from

   Free plan

   Score 8.2

8. 08

   Simplenote

   people who want plain, fast text notes synced everywhere at no cost

   Free; Simplenote has no paid plan

   Full entry, No. 8 overall

   Paid from

   Free

   Score 8.2

9. 09

   Logseq

   students and researchers who think in outlines, backlinks and flashcards

   Free forever for personal use; Logseq Sync is in beta with no published price

   Full entry, No. 9 overall

   Paid from

   Free

   Score 8.1

10. 10

    Evernote

    light users who need Evernote's web clipper and search on a single device

    See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

    Full entry, No. 10 overall

    Paid from

    Free plan

    Score 7.3

Scores and prices come from our Best Free Note-Taking Apps ranking, which uses one method for every tool. Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.com