What is the best Note Taking app in 2026?

Our editors rank TickTick #1 for most teams in Note Taking based on features, value, and user feedback. See the full ranked list above for alternatives.

Are there free Note Taking tools?

Yes — many Note Taking apps offer free plans or trials. Use the pricing filter in our directory to browse free and freemium options.

How do we rank Note Taking software?

We evaluate each app on features, ease of use, value for money, integrations, and real user feedback. Apps are ranked by overall editor score within this category, with manual adjustments when hands-on testing reveals a clear winner.

Best Note Taking Tools Updated Sep 2026

#1

TickTick

Cross-platform task, note-taking, and planning app with calendar views and habit tracking.

5.0

Best Task Manager App

38

AppsInsight Score

Overview

What is TickTick?

Cross-platform task, note-taking, and planning app with calendar views and habit tracking. TickTick is a task and note-taking app for people who need one place for tasks, habits, and schedules.

Editorial

Why we recommend it

After evaluating dozens of productivity and task management applications, my team and I found TickTick to be one of the most well-rounded solutions for individuals and teams. It combines task management, calendar planning, habit tracking, reminders, and collaboration features in a single, intuitive platform, making it easier to stay organised without switching between multiple apps. What impressed my team and me most is TickTick's clean interface, cross-platform support, and consistent performance across devices. Whether you're managing personal tasks, coordinating projects, or planning daily routines, the app offers the flexibility and features needed to improve productivity. Based on our hands-on evaluation, we recommend TickTick for professionals, students, freelancers, and businesses looking for a reliable, feature-rich productivity app that delivers excellent value…

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Audience

Best for

Students
solo professionals
SMB teams
cross-platform users
people managing personal and work tasks in one app

Capabilities

Key features

Task Lists and Notes

Keep work tasks, personal chores, and study items in one place with note support for each item.

Calendar Views

Plan in yearly, monthly, weekly, daily, agenda, multi-day, and multi-week views.

Kanban Boards

Organize tasks by status or workflow when a list view is not enough.

Timeline Planning

Map tasks by duration so you can see schedule load and adjust dates by dragging.

Reminders and Recurrence

Set one-off, repeating, email, constant, and location-based reminders for deadlines.

Pros

There is a free plan, plus Premium is priced at $35.99 per year, so entry cost is clear.
Works on web, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows, which helps teams and solo users on mixed devices.
The site lists several planning views, including calendar, Kanban, timeline, and Eisenhower matrix.
Premium adds fuller calendar functions, advanced filters, task history, and historical statistics.
Integrations listed in the fact sheet include Notion and Google Workspace support.

Cons

There is no free trial, so testing Premium means paying upfront.
The fact sheet lists only a small set of integrations, so it may not fit teams that need many native connectors.
There is no API in the fact sheet, which limits custom automation.
Some advanced planning features are behind Premium, including fuller calendar controls and custom filters.

Plans

Pricing

Paid Subscription35.99

Premium $35.99 billed annually

Summary

Final verdict

After evaluating dozens of productivity and task management applications, my team and I found TickTick to be one of the most well-rounded solutions for individuals and teams. It combines task management, calendar planning, habit tracking, reminders, and collaboration features in a single, intuitive platform, making it easier to stay organised without switching between multiple apps.

#2

Otter.ai

AI meeting notes with searchable transcripts and workflow handoff

5.0

58

AppsInsight Score

Overview

What is Otter.ai?

AI meeting notes with searchable transcripts and workflow handoff Otter.ai is an AI notetaker for meetings, interviews, and day-to-day conversations.

Audience

Best for

Sales teams
customer support teams
recruiters
educators
SMB marketing teams
enterprise operations teams

Capabilities

Key features

AI Meeting Transcription

Captures live conversations and turns them into searchable text across web, desktop, mobile, and browser extension.

Meeting Summaries

Generates clear summaries with decisions, insights, and takeaways after each meeting.

Action Item Capture

Pulls next steps from meetings and assigns them so follow-up work is easier to track.

Bot-Free Desktop Recording

Records meetings directly from Mac or Windows without a bot joining the call.

Multilingual Live Transcription

Supports live transcription in multiple languages and speaker recognition for mixed-language teams.

Pros

Free forever Basic plan is available, so individuals can test it without paying.
7-day free trial on the Business tier gives teams a short trial before committing.
Business pricing is published at $16.99 per user per month, with annual pricing shown at $99.99.
Broad app coverage includes web, iOS, Android, browser extension, Mac, and Windows.
Listed integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace, Jira, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Notion.

Cons

The free Basic tier is limited to basic integrations and does not include the paid collaboration features.
Business includes 6,000 monthly transcription minutes, so heavy users need to watch usage.
Enterprise pricing is custom, so larger teams must contact sales to get a quote.
There is no public API listed in the fact sheet.

Plans

Pricing

Paid Subscription16.997-day trial

Basic

Business 16.99 /mo 99.99 billed annually

Enterprise

#3

Granola

AI meeting notes without a meeting bot

4.0

52

AppsInsight Score

Overview

What is Granola?

AI meeting notes without a meeting bot Granola is an AI notepad for back-to-back meetings.

Editorial

Why we recommend it

After evaluating AI meeting assistants, my team and I found Granola to be a refreshing alternative to traditional note-taking tools. Instead of trying to replace the meeting experience, Granola quietly works in the background, capturing key discussions and turning them into clear, well-structured notes. What impressed us most was how natural and effortless the experience feels. You can stay focused on the conversation while Granola organizes action items, decisions, and important takeaways automatically. The notes are easy to review, edit, and share, making follow-ups much faster. Based on our hands-on testing, we recommend Granola for founders, executives, consultants, product teams, and anyone who attends frequent meetings and wants accurate, AI-powered notes without interrupting the flow of the conversation.

Audience

Best for

Sales teams
product managers
founders
consultants
executives
distributed teams

Capabilities

Key features

AI Meeting Notes

Captures notes, actions, and memory from live conversations so you can focus on the meeting.

No Bot Recording

Uses your computer audio instead of inviting a bot into the call.

Calendar Meeting Briefs

Syncs with your calendar and prepares a brief before external meetings.

Cross-Platform Apps

Available on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android for desktop and mobile note-taking.

Works With Meeting Apps

Supports Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and other meeting apps.

Pros

Free plan available, with unlimited meeting notes on the free tier.
No free trial needed because the product is already free to start.
Works on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, so it covers both desktop and mobile use.
Supports Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and other meeting apps according to the homepage.
Uses computer audio instead of a meeting bot, which is a clear workflow difference.

Cons

Older notes beyond 30 days require an upgrade, so the free tier has retention limits.
No API is listed in the fact sheet.
No integrations are listed in the fact sheet, despite the site mentioning broad meeting app support.

Plans

Pricing

Free plan

Free Plan

Summary

Final verdict

After evaluating AI meeting assistants, my team and I found Granola to be a refreshing alternative to traditional note-taking tools. Instead of trying to replace the meeting experience, Granola quietly works in the background, capturing key discussions and turning them into clear, well-structured notes.

Feature	TickTick	Otter.ai	Granola
Editor rating	5.0	5.0	4.0
Pricing	Paid Subscription	Paid Subscription	Free plan
Starting price	35.99	16.99	Free
Free plan	Included	Included	Included
Free trial	No	Yes (7 days)	No
Platforms	Web app, iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, macOS, Windows	Web app, Browser extension, iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, macOS, Windows	iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, macOS, Windows

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3 Best Note Taking at a Glance

Best Note Taking by use case

3 Best Note Taking Tools in 2026 — Full Reviews

What is TickTick?

Why we recommend it

Best for

Key features

Pros

Cons

Pricing

Final verdict

What is Otter.ai?

Best for

Key features

Pros

Cons

Pricing

What is Granola?

Why we recommend it

Best for

Key features

Pros

Cons

Pricing

Final verdict

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