The stylus is a tool that has been around since the invention of the touch screen. The stylus was originally used to navigate on-screen menus, but now it is also used to draw and write on a tablet or smartphone. Styluses are often used by artists who want to create digital art, but they can also be used by everyday people who want to take notes or write down their thoughts.
There are many different kinds of styluses available today. Some have tips made of rubber or other materials, while others are made from metal or plastic. There are also some styluses that come with a pen tip at one end and an eraser at the other end.
There are many apps available for styluses as well as devices that work with them. Here are our top picks:
In alphabetical order:
Best Apps For Stylus
FEATURED Drawing Apps
- Photoshop SketchCreate stunning, expressive drawings with Adobe Photoshop Sketch, which gives you natural drawing tools, inspired custom brushes from Adobe Brush CC, and your creative community at your fingertips, so you can express yourself beautifully anywhere.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Infinite PainterProcreate is the most powerful and intuitive digital illustration App available for iPad. It’s packed with features artists love, including 120 incredible brushes and much more.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Infinite Painter.
- ConceptsConcepts intelligently combines paper + pencil with powerful vector manipulation. Make quick sketches, beautiful illustrations, and precise drawings with ease and style.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Concepts.
- ProcreateProcreate is the most powerful and intuitive digital illustration App available for iPad. It’s packed with features artists love, including 120 incredible brushes and much more.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Procreate.
- Illustrator DrawIllustrator Draw is your digital sketchbook, letting you capture and explore ideas in vector format anywhere you go. With a Creative Cloud membership, easily sync Illustrator Draw projects to Creative Cloud and open them for refinement in Illustrator.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Autodesk SketchbookInteractive Sketchbook is a pencil illustration app with great tutorials and advanced tools for drawing from photo reference.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Autodesk Sketchbook.
- Artstudio ProArtstudio Pro is a painting and photo editing app with a special “Stylus Only” mode for advanced palm rejection and creating real looking strokes.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Artstudio Pro.
- Colored PencilSimple and comfortable drawing with colored pencils and canvas is waiting for you.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- AmaziographHave you ever dreamed to paint pictures like nobody else? Do you want to feel like an artist or modern designer? Could this be so easy and amusing? Amaziograph is the answer.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- MediBang PaintMediBang Paint is a FREE lightweight digital painting and comic creation program that comes loaded with brushes, fonts, pre-made backgrounds, and other resources.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Zen Brush 2Zen Brush 2 is an app that allows you to easily enjoy the feeling of using an ink brush to write or to paint. It allows anyone to easily perform fluent strokes while not compromising on the fascinating texture of a real ink brush. Create works that radiate the right atmosphere by choosing the best background template from our large collection.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Zen Brush 2.
- Jump PaintA completely free app for creating official Weekly Shonen Jump manga and illustrations!!This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Comic DrawComic Draw is an easy to use, full featured comic production studio. All the way from scripting to publishing, it has everything you need to create professional looking comics all on your iPad!This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- ArtrageArtRage is the perfect creative tool for your iPad and iPhone, an app that turns your screen in to a canvas and lets you get on with creating your masterpiece.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Tayasui SketchesBecause beautiful tools make beautiful drawings, we created Sketches with the more realistic tools available. Sketches is a perfect mix of beauty, simplicity and power, a truly unique combination you won’t find anywhere else.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Interactive SketchbookEveryone needs a drawing app and if you get just one it should totally be Sketch Club!! It combines standard digital painting and drawing tools, vector art, old school pixel art, and also new procedural tools which help you get amazing results even if you’re new to working digitally. You can even record speed painting sessions, set them to music, and upload to YouTube all within the app! Sketch Club provides not just the tools to create but also some of the motivation and inspiration through it’s integrated online community. You can upload your sketches to let others rate and comment as well as enter daily challenges and fun competitions for fabulous prizes! You can see what people are creating at SketchClub.com Learn how to connect – watch videoThis app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Interactive Sketchbook.
- MusicJotNotate music in your own handwriting and watch it beautifully rendered. Full playback and export features.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Animation DeskAnimation Desk is the most comprehensive animation app on iPad and iPhone. Animation Desk Cloud allows you to create animations, cartoons, and even animated GIF when you’re on the go.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Sketch ClubEveryone needs a drawing app and if you get just one it should totally be Sketch Club!! It combines standard digital painting and drawing tools, vector art, old school pixel art, and also new procedural tools which help you get amazing results even if you’re new to working digitally. You can even record speed painting sessions, set them to music, and upload to YouTube all within the app! Sketch Club provides not just the tools to create but also some of the motivation and inspiration through it’s integrated online community. You can upload your sketches to let others rate and comment as well as enter daily challenges and fun competitions for fabulous prizes! You can see what people are creating at SketchClub.com Learn how to connect – watch videoThis app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to Sketch Club.
- ForgeForge is the digital workspace for visual thinking. Every design is made up of countless ideas. Forge is the first design app that’s all about those ideas, and nothing more. It’s not about perfecting the finished product, but about shaping the best foundation to get you there.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
MORE DRAWING APPS
FEATURED Notetaking Apps
- GoodNotes 5GoodNotes lets you take handwritten notes, sketch diagrams, mark-up PDFs and organize them on a beautiful bookshelf. Turn pages with a swipe, highlight or add notes to any page, and share your notes with anyone. GoodNotes will automatically save your notes and has full backup function to prevent data loss.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to GoodNotes 5.
- GoodNotes 4GoodNotes lets you take handwritten notes, sketch diagrams, mark-up PDFs and organize them on a beautiful bookshelf. Turn pages with a swipe, highlight or add notes to any page, and share your notes with anyone. GoodNotes will automatically save your notes and has full backup function to prevent data loss.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to GoodNotes 4.
- Notes PlusPowerful note-taking app loved by million users since the iPad’s debut.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- NoteshelfTake handwritten notes, markup documents, draw diagrams, and record audio. Acclaimed for its smooth and natural handwriting.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- NoteLedge UltimateNoteLedge is an all-in-one multimedia note-taking app that gives you everything you need to take visual notes and organize multimedia content. It is the only app you would need for taking notes, writing journals, sketching, and scrapbooking.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to NoteLedge Ultimate.
- NoteLedgeNoteLedge is an all-in-one multimedia note-taking app that gives you everything you need to take visual notes and organize multimedia content. It is the only app you would need for taking notes, writing journals, sketching, and scrapbooking.This app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to NoteLedge.
- PDFpenWith PDFpen, use your iPad to sign a contract, make corrections, fill out an application, make comments on a presentation and much more. It’s the mobile app that doesn’t feel like you left the important features back at the office. Learn how to connect – watch videoThis app supports: Read more at the iTunes App Store.See how to connect your Jot to PDFpen.
- NotabilityNotability: powerful, yet wonderfully simple note-taking and annotation.This app supports:Read more at the iTunes App Store.
- Explain EverythingExplain Everything is an easy-to-use design, screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that lets you annotate, animate, narrate, import, and export almost anything to and from almost anywhereThis app supports:
best note-taking app with stylus
The best note-taking apps can help you ensure you never forget a flash of creative inspiration. Writing things down on paper is all well and good, but we find it’s very easy to lose our notes that way. But storing your thoughts, ideas and concepts electronically keeps them safe, secure and, best of all, searchable so that you can find them quickly when you need to.
There are literally hundreds of note-taking apps on the market. A lot of them are free, or at least provide a free trial, but most busy creatives have nowhere near enough time to try them all out. That’s why we’ve done the research for you, road-testing everything from the best iPad pro apps to the best Android apps. In this article, we round up the very best note-taking apps available for a range of devices and platforms. Read on to find out which is the best fit for you.
The best note-taking apps available today
Best note-taking apps: Screengrab of Evernote
(Image credit: Evernote)
- Evernote
The best note-taking app overall.
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: Evernote CorporationAvailable for: iOS, Mac, Windows, AndroidFree version: YesFree trial for paid version: 14 days
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Cross-platform
+Range of features
+Granular search options
REASONS TO AVOID
-Paid plans expensive
A pioneer in the field, founded in 2000, Evernote remains the cream of the best note-taking apps today. Working across all major platforms, this is the app we’d recommend for anyone looking to get started. Why? Because it’s got a good, capable free version, you can access your notes practically anywhere (laptop, desktop computer, tablet, or phone), and the app’s packed with useful features.
We particularly like using the Web Clipper browser extension to save web pages; the ability to set reminders, and the integration with Siri for taking voice notes. You can search your notes not only by text, but also by tags, the date they were created, the type of media they contain, the location where you created them, and even more.
There are two paid-for versions: Evernote Premium for individuals, and Evernote Teams for, well, it speaks for itself. The former includes sync across unlimited devices (you only get two in the free plan), a 200MB maximum note size, 10GB monthly upload limit, access to notes offline and the ability to annotate PDFs. The Teams plan, aimed at businesses, offers even larger uploads and some great team collaboration tools. Admittedly, neither of these comes cheap, but if you want the Rolls Royce of note-taking apps, this is it.
Best note-taking apps: Screengrab of Bear
(Image credit: Evernote)
- Bear
The best note-taking app for Apple devices
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: Shiny FrogAvailable for: iPad, iPhone, MacFree version: YesFree trial for paid version: One week (monthly subscription) or one month (annual subscription)
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Minimalist and elegant
+Syncs across iCloud
+Capable free version
REASONS TO AVOID
-Sync requires subscription
Apple products are about beautiful, intuitive simplicity, and Bear fits that philosophy perfectly. As the best note-taking app for Macs and the iPad, it lets you create notes and sync them across all your Apple devices via iCloud. There’s no fussing about with folders and notebooks; you just create notes and then store them. You can attach tags, images and other files, as well as drawings created on your iPad or iPhone. There are apps for macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, plus a browser extension.
There’s a free version of Bear if you just want to take notes on your iPad, but you’ll need to pay for the Pro subscription to sync them across devices. That also gives you extra export options, plus the ability to encrypt your notes, password-protect them, and unlock them using Face or Touch ID.
Just be aware that even the Pro version is a purposely stripped down app. For example, there’s no formatting panel, just support for Markdown. If you want more features, look to Evernote or OneNote, but if you want a simple, minimalist app for iOS that gets the job done, there’s no better option.
Best note-taking apps: Screengrab of Good Notes
(Image credit: Time Base Technology)
- GoodNotes
The best note-taking app for iPad Pro.
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: Time Base Technology LimitedAvailable for: iPad, iPhone, MacFree version: NoFree trial for paid version: No
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Optimised for Apple Pencil
+Good handwriting conversion
+Affordable price
REASONS TO AVOID
-No free version
If you’ve invested in the iPad Pro, we expect you’re using it for more than checking Facebook and watching cat videos. If you’re looking to take advantage of its powerful functionality to be more productive, make sure you’re using it to jot down creative ideas in the moment. To do that, we’d like to point you in the direction of GoodNotes, our next pick from the best note-taking apps.
This iOS app turns your iPad into digital paper, allowing you to make searchable handwritten notes quickly and easily wherever you find yourself. You can use the Apple Pencil (or one of the best Apple Pencil alternatives), or just your finger. It’s the most similar experience to writing on paper that we’ve found. And we’re not talking about a few scrawled words here; this clever app can recognise everything from equations to mind maps, and it does a great job of converting handwriting into text.
Everything gets auto-synced to the iCloud, and you can access your notes from your iPad, iPhone and Mac (there’s also a macOS version). GoodNotes also allows you to mark up PDFs manually. Available at a relatively cheap, one-off price, GoodNotes is the perfect app for iPad Pro users who want to make notes when inspiration strikes.
Best note-taking apps: Material Notes on 6 phone screens
(Image credit: Prasad Shirvandkar)
- Material Notes
The best note-taking app for Android.
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: Prasad ShirvandkarAvailable for: AndroidFree version: YesFree trial for paid version: No
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Easy interface
+Useful features
+Free version
REASONS TO AVOID
-Only for Android
Note-taking apps shouldn’t be complicated, but it’s surprising how often you can open one and not know where to start. The Android app Material Notes doesn’t have that problem. Its opening screen proclaims simply, ‘Click the + button to add notes’, and it couldn’t be easier to use.
The user-friendly approach continues through the whole interface, allowing you to create notes, to-do lists and reminders without effort. You can colour-code them, organise them into categories, archive them, assign favourites, and more. There are also some handy unique features, such as the ability to create quick notes from notifications, back up your notes to Google Drive, print directly from the app, and tell your device to read notes out loud.
The app is free to download, while a Pro version – available for a cheap one-off payment – adds extra features including a calendar view, backend encryption, extra fonts, and reminder notifications. There’s no sync functionality, but for many, that’s a feature rather than a gripe, since not everyone wants sensitive information floating about on the web. If you just want to keep your notes on a single device, this is the best note-taking app available for Android. If you do want to sync notes across devices, however, we’d point you to Evernote at number one on our list.
Best note-taking apps: Screengrab of Microsoft OneNote
(Image credit: Microsoft)
- Microsoft OneNote
The best note-taking app for Windows.
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: MicrosoftAvailable for: Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, webFree version: NoFree trial for paid version: One month (for Office 365 subscription)
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Feature-rich
+Optimised for MS software
+Powerful free version
REASONS TO AVOID
-Extra storage requires subscription
If you do most of your work in Microsoft’s ecosystem, a notetaking app optimised for Windows makes a lot of sense, even if it’s also cross-platform. The feature-rich Microsoft OneNote works across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. You can attach images, symbols, Excel tables, audio files and more to notes, and you can extract text from images. You can also clip web pages through a browser extension, and you can add diagrams and sketches drawn on a Surface tablet.
More uniquely, this note-taking app offers an Accessibility Checker, which highlights problems like low contrast, which can make text difficult to read, or images that are missing alt text. There are some great sharing and collaboration features too, such as allowing others to add comments to your notes.
Best of all, the free version of Microsoft OneNote includes the vast majority of its features. The only slight catch is that you get just 5GB of storage. If you want more, you’ll need to take out a Microsoft 365 Business subscription.
Best note-taking apps: Screengrab of Nebo
(Image credit: Nebo)
- Nebo
The best note-taking app for using with a stylus.
SPECIFICATIONS
Developer: MyScriptAvailable for: iPhone, iPad, Windows, Android, ChromeOS (but only supported devices)Free version: NoFree trial for paid version: One month (for Office 365 subscription)
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
VISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Superb handwriting conversion
+Annotate PDFs
+Add custom words
REASONS TO AVOID
-Only for high-end devices
If you want to take lots of handwritten notes with a stylus, MyScript Nebo is best note-taking app for that overall. It’s optimised for modern digital pens like Apple Pencil and the Samsung S Pen, and it has some very cool features indeed.
You can write with both fingers and a stylus, use a digital eraser where supported, and change the colour of your notes. There’s support for 66 languages, and maths and equations are recognised by the app’s clever AI.
With its proprietary Interactive Ink technology, MyScript Nebo also does a very neat job of translating handwriting into digital text. It’s also highly versatile, allowing you to combine handwriting and text in the same paragraph, sentence or even in a single word. You can add custom words, such as technical terms or slang, to help with recognition, and you can see a preview of your handwriting conversion in real time. The only downside is that it only works on high-end devices: you can find out if your device is compatible here.
Conclusion
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