Best Note-Taking Apps and Software [2024]

Productivity
1

What do people use for taking notes in 2023? It seems like there are different kinds of note taking apps — some are for just for taking notes and others seem more focused on reading and annotating PDFs.

Here are a few that I know about:

Hand-written:

  • OneNote
  • Notability
  • Nebo
  • Notable
  • Good Notes
  • Margin Notes 3
  • Apple Notes

Typed:

  • Obsidian
  • Taskade
  • Notion

PDF Readers that allow annotations:

  • Highlights
  • PDF Expert
  • Liquid Text

I use a small custom script for taking notes on my laptop (Vim + markdown), but I’m looking for a way to read and take notes from PDFs, maybe something like PDF Expert. I have OneNote (came with Excel), but it doesn’t seem to be great for PDFs, because it turns the PDFs into images.

I’d be interested to hear about what people are using in 2023 and the pros and cons of your system.

Related:

There was an older discussion about this topic here from 2012 that got corrupted when the old forum content was migrated. An archive of the old discussion is here. Software has progressed a lot in the past 11 years, so I think it’s probably outdated.

Old discussion from 2012

[This thread was copied here from the old forum.]

Josh Cohen 18 September, 2012 - 10:01

Does anyone use notetaking software?

Here are some that I use used):

(I moved everything into Org Mode since this was originally posted.)

  • Org Mode
  • Evernote
  • S Memo (Galaxy Note – syncs with Evernote)
  • Autodesk Sketchbook (on Galaxy Note, but just installed it on my laptop as well)
  • Google Docs/Drive
  • Text editor

Does anyone have other preferences?

Here’s a longer list:

Comparison of note-taking software - Wikipedia

r30 22 December, 2013 - 07:10

PDF X-Change Viewer

All materials for my studying are available in pdf format, so I just use this application to attach sticky notes (comments) to the pdf. It also allows to highlight text, insert shapes, create a table of contents. When reading a topic I useually place it in a memory palace. But in order not to forget what I placed in the memory palace, I need to revise it at least one time. So I attach a sticky note to the text where I write which place/scene I used to accomodate the thought expressed in the text and how exactly I bound the thought to an object in that place/scene.

Afterwards by going through these notes it is also easy to merge these locations in structurised order into single memory palace (because the most suitable places for different thoughts to be accomodated might not be yet located in a single memory palace).

bruno 15 January, 2014 - 05:22

Very clever !
As a scholar I am a big fan of PDF X-Change Viewer but never considered this kind of use.
I will definitely give it a try.

Following this idea, I am also wondering if one smart use would be to convert images to pdf and then using sticky notes to put content in your memory palace. Of course, it recquires the willing to consider pictures as good condidate to build memory palace.

Edit : To answer the main question, Why not mindmapping softwares ? Personally, I take all my notes with like that and I know a lot who do the same. My point of view is that It diminish the number of words to write to get meaningfull notes, and this time can be used to actively organise them. The drawback is that it needs a certain amount of experience to do this easily.

Rumburak 16 January, 2014 - 01:17

I played around with “Stickies” (not Sticky Notes) Word and Excel but now I simplified note taking to MindJet Mindmanager. Basically I have one main map with sub branches linked to sub-maps. It’s compatible with Word, Excel, Outlook, PDF, got a sketch option, can export tons of formats,… so it removes all the mess of using too many programs at the same time.

uecm55 21 May, 2014 - 08:14

I use FiiNote for Android from fiistudio.com.

I can recommend it if you’re speedwriting, e.g. with a pen.

chrisaldrich 1 August, 2014 - 11:08

I’ve become addicted to using Livescribe and their Pulse Pen family for note-taking. It’s a custom pen/paper that allows you not only to write notes (and easily share them later with others), but it records everything that was being said (audio) in tandem with what you’re writing. You can then go back and add in notes later (in different colors if necessary) to pick up things you may have missed. Their pens also have a bevvy of additional functionality for sharing notes with others as well. I’m not sure how I operated without Livescribe before.

It also occurs to me that using a modified version of the Cornell System for note-taking may be useful. One could use the additional “cue” column for writing down images/codes and loci to speed up the memorization process (or make it easier to do quick reviews of loci prior to a test.)

bruno 5 August, 2014 - 01:19

Very interesting ! Thanks for sharing.

Zettelkasten Note-Taking System
What are your preferred note-taking tools?
How do you like to take notes? [POLL]
What is your note taking method?
3

I think Notion is the best note taking software for me. I am using it since 2022

2 Likes
4

I only use Anki, I make everything work in that somehow

3 Likes
5

I use Obsidian and I love it.
I use Anki plugin for Obsidian. You can make notes, then, boom in Anki.
I use Excalidraw plugin for all my drawing needs.

I basically live around Obsidian. All I need now is to develop an efficient memorizing system so I can retain them in my first memory.

4 Likes
6

I used emacs orgmode before.

But now I use logseq more and more often.

And for things like kanban and other kind of organizing material I use Tiddlywiki with some of my self written plugins. or plugins from others.

1 Like
7

I use Joplin for note taking and have done for many years. The phone version effortlessly syncs with the desktop version. Its nothing fancy and it just works.

2 Likes
8

For note taking, I just write in my notebook. (with drawings, highlighters, overall flowchart, tags, titles…)

It’s just my personal view that I feels writing notes on paper is better than in the app.
Sometimes I use anki.

2 Likes
9

On the paper, right? It is the best way to making notes.:upside_down_face::slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like
10

I’ll post some realted links here for people who stumble across this discussion. :slight_smile:

1 Like
11

In 2023 I am using the following for Notes taking and for my second brain:

  • Basic folder on my laptop, which is committed to a private GIT repository
  • Text files mostly written in Markdown notation
  • Visual Studio Code with Foam and associated extensions
2 Likes
12

I have been using TiddlyWiki. It took me a couple of attempts, but now I use it for a few things. You can keep a journal with it, or just write random facts, or outline a book you are writing.

I keep a knowledge base. Anything that takes me more than 5 minutes to find or figure out, I create an entry in TiddlyWiki. It is especially useful for things that I need every 3 or 4 years – not worthwhile memorizing, but worthwhile to have notes. Lots of things disappear on the internet, so it is good to have my own version of the information in my own words tucked away. I keep a copy of it on a private GitHub repository, so I can edit it at work or at home.

In another TiddlyWiki on my phone (AndTidWiki), I keep track of things my group of friends watch on TV every week. “What episode were we on?” I can tell them. (Maybe I should use mnemonics, but this is more reliable.)

3 Likes
13

Do these methods work for you when you write down your memory palaces and stations? I really liked notion databases to link a database to my notes. However, when it comes to review doing it this way is kinda slow.

1 Like
14

I use OneNote, which is great for quick note. handwriting in onenote also works pretty well.
All the note-taking apps you listed are well-known, I think it will depends on the devices and workflow.

1 Like
15

I use Obsidian, which I think is great.
A bit of a learning curve, but has a very responsive community and plug-in designers and you can do pretty much what you want…there’s likely a plug-in for that!

All of your data is kept locally and in text files, thus ‘future proofing’ your information (protecting it from proprietary formats which will likely mean that you can’t access said information if that software goes belly up).

16

It’s ok to take notes by hand on paper but what about the speed of note-taking.

(I know that even digital notes take time.)

So, can you provide me some tips to increase my note-taking tips.
I take notes while reading book. I do both of them simultaneously.

17

I have Obsidian, MarkText, Notion, One note.

18

I am the slowest in terms of speed. But even then I prefer handwritten, it has its downside.

But the advantage of it balanced it out for me.

When I feel overwhelming I just chunk it down in simple words. And don’t write complete detailed notes. Only the thing that I supposed to review other I just try to learn as much as possible and just write their topics name.

In Notion, it does feels fastest, but majority of time. My mind tells me just copy paste dude. So I do that a lot. And end up having notes ready but I don’t know about it, so what’s the point of having it when I don’t even learned compare to atleast learn some in handwritten.

1 Like