Note Taking Apps For Ipad

If you’re looking for a note-taking app for your iPad, you don’t have to look too far. There are tons of apps out there to choose from, but some are better than others. Here are the best ones we’ve found:

Note Taking Apps For Ipad

Do you love the tactile experience of taking notes on paper but prefer the organizational features of digital note-taking apps? We do, too.

And until recently, the best compromise we’d found was taking notes on paper and scanning them into an app like Evernote.

While this approach worked, it wasn’t as seamless as we wanted. So for a while now, we’ve been experimenting with ways of taking handwritten notes with an iPad. And we’re excited to share that we’ve finally found a method that combines the best parts of writing by hand with the best parts of digital note-taking.

The key is to use a quality stylus, a screen protector that mimics paper, and, most importantly, the right note-taking app.

In this post, we’ll show you six of the best note-taking apps for the iPad. With a bit of practice, these apps will give you all the benefits of writing by hand without sacrificing the convenience of digital organization (except for app #5, discussed below).

Note: All of the apps below work for both the iPad Pro and Classic, though the Pro’s larger screen size makes note-taking easier.

1. Notability

If we had to recommend just one iPad note-taking app, it would be Notability. The app offers a delightful writing experience, yet it also makes it easy to embed images, annotate PDFs, and even record voice memos.

Sketching and drawing in Notability is downright delightful. Being able to doodle and quickly sketch out illustrations is one of our favorite things about taking notes on paper. Notability does an excellent job of emulating this experience, while also allowing you to do things you can’t do on paper such as resizing and moving your drawings.

In addition, Notability includes a variety of flexible layout options. This allows you to, for instance, have a slide or reference material open on one side of the page while you take notes on the other.

And beyond the layout of individual pages, you can also organize your notes using digital “Dividers” (which is perfect if you’re used to taking notes in a physical binder).

Finally, Notability gives you plenty of options for exporting and sharing your notes, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and AirDrop.

Price: $11.99 / year

Check out the video below to see Notability in action:

2. Noteshelf

Noteshelf was our favorite note-taking app for the iPad before we discovered Notability, and it’s still a superb option.

It has many of the features we love in Notability, including the option to annotate PDFs and multitask with the iPad’s split screen. You can also record voice notes to go along with your handwritten notes, which is perfect for recapping a lecture or meeting at a later date.

If you speak/write multiple languages, you’ll also be pleased to know that Noteshelf can recognize handwriting in 65 different languages. This makes it a powerful tool whether you’re taking a language class or learning a language on your own.

Finally, Noteshelf lets you export your notes to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Evernote. The option to export to Evernote is noticeably missing from Notability, making Noteshelf our top pick for serious Evernote users.

Apple Watch users will also benefit from the app’s ability to record voice notes using the Noteshelf Apple Watch app.

Price: $9.99

3. GoodNotes

Up next, we have GoodNotes. This app has everything you want for taking notes, including the ability to switch between typing and writing. You can choose from several built-in note layouts and templates, as well as import your own.

Notably, GoodNotes lets you adjust the sensitivity and palm recognition of the pen to match your writing style. This is perfect if you’re like me and tend to press very hard when writing.

Finally, GoodNotes includes a “Presentation Mode” that lets you turn your iPad into a digital whiteboard.

Using either AirPlay or an HDMI cable, you can project what you’re writing onto a larger screen while still being able to see the GoodNotes interface on your iPad. This is handy whether you’re giving a class presentation or pitching a business idea.

Price: Free (limited to three notebooks). Upgrade for $7.99 to get unlimited notebooks and handwriting recognition.

Want to learn how to take better notes? Check out our guide to the best note-taking systems.

4. Apple Notes

We couldn’t discuss iPad note-taking apps without mentioning Apple Notes. The app comes free with macOS/iOS devices, and it does a great job of letting you type or take notes by hand. The app’s drawing features are also solid, making it easy to add sketches and illustrations to your notes.

Aside from being free, the biggest advantage of Apple Notes is its deep integration with iOS. If you use iCloud and other Apple devices, you can effortlessly switch between taking notes on your iPad, iPhone, and Mac.

Plus, everything you create is automatically backed up to iCloud, and you can even create voice notes with Siri while you’re on the go.

Price: Free

5. Notion

Unlike the other apps we discuss in this article, Notion isn’t meant to mimic the experience of handwriting. It is our favorite note-taking app overall, however, so we had to include it.

At its core, Notion is a graphical programming language that lets you build tools. These tools can be as simple as a to-do list or as complex as a project management system for an entire company.

Or, of course, a system for managing all of your notes across subjects.

As you can see in the screenshot above, Notion gives you many options for formatting and laying out your notes. You’ll find all the standard options from any word processing software.

But you’ll also find some features missing in other note-taking apps, including the ability to comment on specific lines of your text.

Where things get interesting, though, is how Notion lets you organize your notes. Any page you create within Notion can be nested inside of another page, allowing for large hierarchies of information. You can also embed and link to other notes within pages, making Notion ideal for building a personal knowledge database.

Price: FreeNotion – All-in-One Workspace

Notion is one of the most flexible and powerful apps I’ve ever used. It can be a note-taking app, but there’s also a database feature with multiple views (including Trello-style kanban boards and calendars) the ability to make anything into a template, and great collaboration features. At CIG, we use it for all of our team documentation, and I also manage every YouTube video I make with it.

Get StartedWe earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

6. Microsoft OneNote

Odds are, you’ve used (or at least have access to) Microsoft OneNote at work or school. But did you know that the OneNote iPad app allows you to take handwritten notes?

OneNote lets you write notes either on a blank page or a layout that emulates a sheet of lined paper. The general setup of the app mimics a physical binder, allowing you to organize your notes by topic.

OneNote for iPad also offers a variety of multimedia features. You can type text, insert graphics, and even include voice recordings. You can also search notes for specific words and view your notes across devices. And everything you create in OneNote is automatically backed up to OneDrive.

If you’re already a serious Microsoft app user, then OneNote will integrate seamlessly into your workflow.

Price: Free (with a Microsoft Account)

Looking for digital note-taking apps for your computer and phone? Check out this list of the best note-taking apps.

Start Taking Notes With Your iPad Today

I hope this article has shown you the exciting options you have for taking notes with your iPad. It’s now easier than ever to get the benefits of writing on paper without sacrificing the organizational features of digital apps.

Of course, to benefit from taking notes, you need to make it a habit. If you’re looking to build the habit of taking notes (or another productive habit), you’ll love our course on mastering habits.

Click the button below to learn how you can take it (and thousands of other classes) for free:

best note taking app for ipad air

While there’s no “correct” way to write your notes, one of the things you’ll have to decide early on is whether you want to handwrite or type your notes.

From what we’ve seen and the research we’ve done, data suggest that taking notes by hand is better than using a laptop. As with pen and paper, handwriting is slower, but it gives your mind more time to absorb what you’re writing. While keyboarding is more efficient, for many notetakers, notes created in this way simply lack the sticking power that comes with using traditional methods.

With that in mind, most of the apps below are designed for handwriting your digital notes using your iPad and your Apple Pencil.

While some apps on our list have some keyboard-based functionality, like Nebo and Apple Notes, we’re looking at these apps through the lens of notetakers planning to handwrite their notes.

But, however you choose to do it, keep in mind that taking notetaking is essential when you’re trying to learn something. Creating effective notes has been proven to enhance recall and improve study sessions, resulting in greater academic success.

Find the best app and notetaking system that works for you and stick to it!

Notability

With thousands of positive reviews, Notability has certainly proven its worth to notetakers over the years.

This app is most well-known for its unique audio syncing features, which allow you to record audio and sync it with handwritten notes while you write. During playback, the audio syncs with notes, so you can hear what you were listening to at the time you took a note.

While it might seem trivial at first, the ability to connect the word or phrase that prompted you to write something down is a powerful refresher when studying for a test or an exam.

By combining multitasking tools and technologies like handwriting recognition and math conversion, Notability makes it easier than ever to take notes during classes, meetings, conferences, and everything in between.

In late 2021, Notability switched from a one-time purchase app to a free plan with a premium subscription option, so if you’re looking for an awesome app that doesn’t require a cash investment, Notability is a great option to consider.

Coolest features

• Audio recording syncs with notes as you write them so that you can see what you were writing during playback.
• Favorites toolbar makes it simple to create and save your favorite tools for fast and easy reuse.
• Math conversion (premium only) allows you to convert handwritten calculations into common mathematical expressions.

Main limitations

• No iCloud syncing or backups on the free plan creates some risk for notetakers who don’t upgrade.
• Limited note edits on the free plan (resets monthly) means that hardcore notetakers could find themselves unable to continue taking notes without an upgrade.
• Limited organizational tools force users into a style of note-keeping that may feel restricted or insufficient.
• Lack of a favorites toolbar can make valuable notes difficult to find, even when bookmarked as favorites.

Important details

• Pricing: Free plan available; $14.99 per year for the premium plan.
• Reviews: Notability is currently rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on the App Store with 13,000+ reviews.
• Platform: Available for iPad, iPhone & Mac.

GoodNotes 5

GoodNotes is a powerhouse for notetakers everywhere. The app comes with everything you need to take notes, write music, or mark up PDFs.

One of the biggest differentiators between GoodNotes and other competitors is its abundance of organizational tools. By default, GoodNotes allows you to create Notebooks and store everything within them. This is a fundamental difference from a tool like Notability or Apple Notes, where your ability to organize is somewhat constrained by the software.

Of course, GoodNotes doesn’t stop there. The app offers a powerful search function, onboard handwriting recognition, and much more. You can use these features to annotate and mark up your imported documents. The app also syncs with iCloud and third-party storage so that you can keep your notes with you at all times.

So, what’s the downside?

When it comes right down to it, there aren’t a ton of cons to GoodNotes, but the ability to record audio is a pretty significant feature that this app is missing compared to Notability and others.

Coolest features

• Notebook creation tools provide an unparalleled level of customization for notebooks and notes.
• Infinite, nested storage enables users to store folders within folders and create an organizational structure that suits their needs.
• Favorites tab allows you to locate any note, document, or page in seconds from a single location.

Main limitations

• Lack of audio recording means that you’ll only have your notes to rely on when studying for your tests unless you use other tools to record.
• Text conversion is clunky and difficult to deal with. It works well, but converting handwritten text to typed text is a tedious process.
• Lack of a favorite toolbar means that you’ll need to reformat your tools each time you select or change them. While the app saves some settings, like pen width and color, resetting your tools still feels more involved than it should be.

Important details

• Pricing: Limited free plan available; $7.99, one-time purchase from the App Store for the full version.
• Reviews: GoodNotes 5 app currently has 4.8 stars derived from a total of 45,000+ reviews.
• Platform: Available for iPad, iPhone & Mac.

GoodNotes is most often compared against Notability, and the two apps have had a friendly rivalry for years.Read our in-depth comparison of both apps.

Apple Notes

Believe it or not, Apple Notes has been around since the early days. The app first launched with the first version of iOS, way back in 2007. Originally, it was a mobile version of the Notes app that has been (and continues to be) a staple on the Mac operating system.

Why does all that matter? Because the Notes app is older than any other app on our list, and its longevity makes it clear that it isn’t going anywhere.

As a notetaking app, Apple Notes has come a long way. Like most of the other notetaking apps, it comes with a writing implement (pencil), a highlighter, an eraser, a lasso selector, and a ruler. It’s all arranged on a toolbar that can be moved to suit your needs.

But even though this app has a lot of things going for it, Apple Notes also lacks some features that other apps include by default. You won’t see any onboard audio recording features or page templates here. You also can’t import any PDFs, JPG, or PNG files to the app (but you can attach them to notes).

On the other hand, as part of the Apple ecosystem, you can trust that Apple Notes works on any version of iOS, and on any iOS device, whether you have the iPad Pro or iPad mini. You’ll also find native software for Apple Notes on macOS and watchOS, so you can get notes on your Mac and Apple Watch.

Overall, Apple Notes lacks the flexibility that you’ll see with most of the other notetaking apps listed here, but it’s still a formidable tool, especially for occasional notetakers.

Coolest features

• Natively supports handwriting and typing on the same page using various inputs, including fingers, on-screen keyboard, Apple Pencil, and Apple Keyboard.
• Allows shading when drawing with the Apple Pencil. Tilt your Apple Pencil to enable shading. You can also press more firmly to create a more intense shading effect.
• Recognizes handwritten phone numbers, dates, addresses, and other data. Will enable other options for recognized text, like scheduling events or calling phone numbers directly from the Notes app.
• Native iCloud syncing across all Apple devices.

Main limitations

• Lacks many customization features including the ability to customize note backgrounds, create templates, or create deeply nested organizational structures.
• No onboard syncing for non-iCloud storage. While it’s possible to do this with a little work if you want to back up your notes to Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box, it’s not as simple as flipping a switch.
• Limited PDF annotation and markup capabilities force you to conduct these tasks elsewhere — typically using the Markup tool inside the file or image itself.

Important details

• Pricing: Free
• Reviews: Apple Notes is currently rated at 3.6 stars with just 1,100+ reviews.
• Platform: Available for iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac.

LiquidText

Unlike traditional notetaking apps, which offer a blank page for you to jot notes, LiquidText is more of a study and research tool designed to help you parse PDFs and other documents.

It works like this: When you open a file in LiquidText, the document is imported into a digital workspace. In the workspace, your document takes half of the screen and the workspace takes the other half.

As you read your document, you can highlight and mark up your text as you would in any other notetaking app.

You can also grab snippets of text and pull them to the opposite side of the screen. As you do this, LiquidText will transform these excerpts into small cards that you can move around the workspace.

As you gather data from your document, you can consolidate it into groups, draw lines and make connections between those details, and much more.

While this approach to notetaking is more researched-based, it’s definitely a gamechanger for anyone looking to parse documents for key details and insights, as LiquidText offers a battery of tools that you won’t find in most other apps.

Coolest features

• Infinite workspace allows for a tidy collection of excerpts, comments, and handwritten notes.
• Adding multiple documents to a single workspace allows users to create projects centered around a theme or idea and assists in consolidating associated research.
• Importing web pages as a PDF is quick and easy thanks to the built-in web browser.
• Ability to squeeze and expand documents during research makes critical details much easier to parse and compare.

Main limitations

• Snippets and text can easily be lost inside the workspace. Because the workspace is infinite, it’s possible to misplace or forget your snippets if you don’t stay organized.
• Workspace often feels cramped no matter how you choose to set it up.
• Not a great fit for everyone. If you aren’t doing major research projects, this app probably isn’t for you.

Important details

• Pricing: Free plan available; $29.99 for Pro (one-time purchase per platform); $7.99/month for LIVE; $9.99/month for LIVE Enhanced
• Note: LIVE & LIVE Enhanced are both cloud-based subscriptions, and the subscription covers LiquidText on all devices

• Reviews: LiquidText is currently rated at 4.6 out of 5 stars based on 4,100 reviews.
• Platform: Available for iPad, Mac, and Windows 10.

MarginNote 3

The second of the two research tools on our list, MarginNote is similar to LiquidText (featured above) in how it functions and operates.

As a research tool, MarginNote opens your document into a digital workspace where you can highlight and annotate PDFs or select excerpts from the text.

However, where LiquidText focuses on taking handwritten notes and marking up the document (all of which is possible in MarginNote), this software also allows for clipping notes, creating flashcards, or mindmaps, and building study outlines.

One of the key differentiators in MarginNotes is that much of the mind-mapping generation can be done in a way that looks clean and crisp, with straight lines and blocks that feel sharp and organized.

MarginNote also allows you to compile a single set of notes from multiple sources or files, so if you have several books in a series or several documents where you should combine notes, MarginNote makes it easy to simplify that process.

While this app probably isn’t a replacement for an outright notetaking app like Notability or GoodNotes, it’s a great study tool for students who need to comb through a large number of documents and keep everything organized at the same time.

Coolest features

• All notes can be edited and annotated, so you can add context to excerpts as you set them aside.
• Flashcard review helps you quickly review notes and study for exams.
• Autocreate mind map tool allows you to organize excerpts without a ton of dragging and dropping.

Main limitations

• Different viewing modes and setups can get confusing. Though useful, it’s easy to get lost during navigation and find yourself struggling to pick up where you left off.
• Overabundance of features makes for a steep learning curve.
• Auto mind mapping tool can be difficult to set up. The mind map is based on the table of contents, so some forethought is required in how you structure your notes.

Important details

• Pricing: Free (reader-only) version available; $12.99 for full version
• Upgrades: OCR Pro for $1/month or $9.50/year.

• Reviews: MarginNote 3 is currently rated at 4.7 of 5 stars with 3,700 reviews.
• Platform: Available for iPad, iPhone, and Mac.

Nebo

Where apps like GoodNotes and Notability emphasize (and mostly stick to) the idea of handwritten notes, Nebo tries to marry the concept of handwriting and text together within its notebooks.

As with other apps on the market, you can draw freely using freeform pages, but the app’s standard pages are where it really begins to shine.

All standard pages are lined sheets, and users have the option to write using an Apple Pencil or a keyboard. If you choose to handwrite your content, Nebo shows how it’s interpreting your handwriting to text in real time.

You can also mix and match your handwriting and typed text or convert your handwriting to text. This adds an extra layer of flexibility to Nebo that you won’t really see in other apps.

With the free version, you’ll just have access to the basics, including a limited number of notebooks that you can create. However, you can get a dictionary, convert PDFs, and share your content out in various formats by purchasing the appropriate upgrade pack for a relatively low cost.

It’s also worth pointing out that Nebo is also cross-platform compatible, which makes it unique for users who are looking for one of the best iPad apps for notetaking that can exist outside of the Apple ecosystem.

Coolest features

• Combining handwriting and type text is an interesting concept that is hinted at in other apps, but Nebo really takes ownership of this feature.
• Handwriting and math conversions are second to none, and both features are included at no additional charge.
• Having both freeform and lined pages allow you to work in a way that suits you best.
• The ability to edit typed text using a stylus adds extra flexibility when editing, revising, or reformatting your text.

Main limitations

• Lack of templates, layouts, and other custom formats that you see in apps like GoodNotes, Notability, or Noteshelf.
• Formatting can be a pain. While you can adjust text placement by dragging boxes around, fiddling with the indent tools to position text correctly inside the box (or on the page) can be tedious.
• Freeform pages feel subpar compared to competitors. If you’re focused purely on handwriting, this app falls a little short in its feature set.

Important details

• Pricing: Free version available; $2 for Essentials Pack; $5 for Connect Pack; $4 for PDF Pack.
• Note: Packs are sold individually or can be purchased as a bundle for $8.00.

• Reviews: Nebo is currently rated at 4.6 of 5 stars with 12,000+ reviews.
• Platform: Available on iPad, Mac, Windows, and Chrome OS.

CollaNote

In many respects, CollaNote is still a work in progress that has gained a massive following in recent years. The app provides a rock-solid notetaking experience with simple and intuitive tools that look good and feel great to use.

Inside the notetaking interface, you’ll find all the standard tools, as well as a few extra goodies.

CollaNote is the only app we saw (other than Apple Notes) that actively distinguishes between a pen and a pencil, both of which provide a completely different writing experience.

This app also offers tools like the color fill tool to add color quickly and the curve tool to help when creating curved lines (great for charts and graphs).

For text boxes, the app makes it easy to add text and provides layering options that allow you to place your text over other objects.

And did we mention that you can collaborate with other CollaNote users by creating an account? It’s that simple.

Even though CollaNote currently lacks some of the features you’d see in more mature apps, it’s well on its way to becoming a major player in the notetaking space.

Coolest features

• Robust notetaking toolkit gives you everything you’ll need to take great notes, including a pen and a pencil, a color fill tool, a curved line tool, and more.
• Collaboration features make it easy to work with other notetakers to generate a group or shared note. An account is required, and notes are stored in your account, not with CollaNote’s servers.
• Importing PDFs, images, and other multimedia is fast and easy. With the exception of PDFs, media files reside within a note and are not imported as standalone objects.

Main limitations

• Limited to iPadOS only. While this app does back up to iCloud, it currently offers no platform compatibility with Mac, Windows, or Android.
• User interface is an acquired taste. The blocky windows and multiple toggles give the app a unique feel, but it may not be for everyone.
• Folders and notes lack customization features and fine-tuning that you see in apps like GoodNotes.
• Rigid organizational structure limits how you can format and organize your content.

Important details

• Pricing: Free!
• Reviews: CollaNote is currently rated at 4.9 stars with 5,700+ reviews.
• Platform: Available for iPad only.

Other Cool Apps

Even though we’ve mostly covered handwriting applications for notetakers, there are some other cool apps out there that you might want to consider.

Many of these apps incorporate handwriting in some way, even if its not their primary function.

• Agenda. This is a notetaking tool that uses your calendar as a way to tie your note to a fixed point in time. Notes are attached to projects and can be assigned to a specific date so that you regularly refer back to them. As you use the app and tag notes with data, those notes become recurring tasks on your agenda until you mark them as complete. It’s an innovative way to combine notetaking and task management.
• Microsoft OneNote. Wildly popular and completely free, OneNote is the go-to app for tens of thousands of users interested in taking effective notes. Although this app is geared more toward keyboard-based notetaking, its handwriting component works beautifully. Its onboard organization tools also make it a great option for storage, especially for users already integrated with other Microsoft products like OneDrive, Word, Excel, etc.
• Penultimate. If you’re an Evernote user, you might already know about this app. Penultimate is Evernote’s writing application. Notes you create here can be moved directly into Evernote and stored with other notes that you take inside the app. Compared to other apps on our list, Penultimate lacks several major features, but its connection to Evernote makes it worth a mention.
• PDF Expert. Need to annotate or edit a PDF? As a PDF editor, PDF Expert gives you total control over your PDF documents. You can mark them up, edit them, convert files, take notes, and much more. The app requires a subscription and can be a bit pricy, but it’s one of the most capable PDF tools out there.
• ThinkSpace.: While you can use other notetaking apps to create mind maps, ThinkSpace is specifically designed to help you manage this task. Create quick notes, organize them in a spatial way, add visuals, and more. If you’re more of a visual notetaker, ThinkSpace is a great addition to your toolkit.

Use Paperlike to Make the Best Note-taking Apps for iPad Even Better

Without a doubt, having the right app can make the difference between success and failure when studying for the next exam or jotting down quick notes in a meeting.

Most of the apps on our list are free apps, so you can try them out and create notes and docs (handwritten or otherwise) with absolutely no risk.

If you’re planning to use the Apple Pencil or a similar stylus to take notes on your iPad, don’t forget to pick up a Paperlike so that you can improve your notetaking experience.

Paperlike transforms your screen from slippery glass into something that feels just like a real notepad or notebook so that you can scribble and jot notes with ease.

Download an awesome app, pick up a Paperlike, and set yourself up for note-taking success.

Conclusion

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