The Ultimate Ranking of the Best Note-Taking Apps of 2026 (GOAT Tier List)

Full Comparison, Features, Pros & Cons, and Final Verdict

Choosing the perfect note-taking app in 2026 can feel overwhelming. With dozens of apps offering handwriting tools, markdown support, cloud sync, visual boards, and AI features — it’s harder than ever to pick the right one.

In this guide, we break down the best note-taking apps of 2026 , ranked through a full tier list:
Specialized → Reliable → Superb → Excellent → GOAT (Greatest of All Time).

These rankings are based on:

• Cross-platform availability

• Performance & stability

• Features (handwriting, text, sync, AI, PDF management, organization tools)

• Value for money

• Real-world usage

• Best use cases

If you’re looking for the perfect app for school, work, brainstorming, planning, or digital notebooks—you’ll find it here.

Tier Rankings Explained

The note-taking apps in this ranking are sorted using 5 tiers:

1. Specialized

Niche apps that excel extremely well in one specific area.

2. Reliable

Good apps that get the job done, but have limitations or missing features.

3. Superb

Very strong apps with great features, but not polished enough to be “excellent”.

4. Excellent

Near-perfect apps with powerful features that fall short only in a few areas.

5. GOAT (Greatest of All Time)

The most complete, polished, reliable note-taking apps of 2024.

Specialized Tier

Specialized apps are designed for narrow use cases. They’re perfect for quick lists, fast notes, storyboarding, or visual idea organization.

1. Google Keep (Specialized Tier)

Google Keep is fast, simple, lightweight and perfect for quick reminders, grocery lists, sticky notes, and fast tasks.

Why It’s Specialized:

• It’s not meant for long-form notes

• Very limited organization tools

• No advanced handwriting or document features

Best For:

• Quick ideas

• Task lists

• Fitness notes / workout plans

• Fast reminders across devices

Pros:

• Extremely simple

• Fast sync

• Works everywhere

• Free

Cons:

• Too basic for serious note-taking

• No folders / notebooks

• No PDF editing

• No rich formatting

Reliable Tier

These apps are solid, useful, and functional. They get the job done, but they lack polish, power, or consistency.

2. Microsoft OneNote (Reliable Tier)

OneNote is a classic note-taking app known for flexibility, folders, subpages, and handwriting tools.

Why It’s Reliable:

• Frequent crashes

• Stability issues

• Handwriting experience is inconsistent outside Windows

• UI is outdated on some devices

Best For:

• Cross-platform users

• Students

• Structured notes with folders & tags

• Free text + handwriting combo

Pros:

• Completely free

• Great organization system

• Sync across devices

• Supports handwriting + typed notes

Cons:

• Crashes often

• Slow on mobile

• Handwriting feels laggy on Android/iPad

3. NoteWise (Reliable Tier)

A GoodNotes-like app for Android, filling the gap left by GoodNotes’ weak Android version.

Why It’s Reliable:

• Good writing experience

• Basic PDF annotation

• However — nothing original or unique

Best For:

• Android tablet users

• Basic handwriting notes

Pros:

• Simple

• Clean UI

• Good pen feel

Cons:

• Lacks advanced features

• Feels like a simplified clone

• Limited compared to iPad apps

4. Simplenote (Reliable Tier)

Simplenote is one of the cleanest, fastest text-only note apps ever made.

Why It’s Reliable (and not GOAT):

• No folder organization

• Only tags

• Notes get cluttered

• Too simple for power users

Best For:

• Script writing

• Drafting ideas

• Writers & minimalists

Pros:

• Cross-platform

• Free

• Super fast

• Great for writing

Cons:

• No folders

• Limited formatting

• No handwriting support

Superb Tier

These apps are very powerful, but have limitations that stop them from being excellent.

5. Notability (Superb Tier)

A long-time favorite on iPad, loved for its buttery-smooth handwriting.

Why It’s Superb:

• Great writing experience

• Simple UI

• Good PDF annotation

• But fewer features compared to GoodNotes 6

Best For:

• Students

• Lectures & PDFs

• Simple handwritten notebooks

Pros:

• Clean interface

• Excellent pen feel

• Good audio recording + notes

Cons:

• Lacks advanced features

• Not cross-platform

• Falling behind GoodNotes

6. Obsidian (Superb Tier)

Obsidian is a markdown-based knowledge management system with insane power and depth.

Why It’s Superb:

• Extremely powerful

• Graph view

• Plugins

• Note linking

• Automation
  BUT — it has a steep learning curve and is not beginner-friendly.

Best For:

• Researchers

• Writers

• Knowledge workers

• Zettelkasten lovers

Pros:

• Unlimited customization

• Markdown-based

• Insanely powerful linking

• Graph view is unmatched

Cons:

• Hard for beginners

• Overwhelming features

• Not ideal for casual users

7. Milanote (Superb Tier)

A visual note-taking and idea-mapping tool built like a creative board.

Why It’s Superb:

• Best visual/creative layout

• Boards, images, storyboarding

• Team collaboration

• Great for planning videos, designs, ideas

Best For:

• Designers

• Filmmakers

• Content creators

• Storyboard planning

Pros:

• Visual and intuitive

• Easy to organize large projects

• Cross-platform

• Great for teams

Cons:

• Not good for handwriting

• Not ideal for long writing

• Limited offline support

8. Evernote (Superb Tier)

The original note-taking giant — but no longer a king.

Why It’s Not Higher:

• Limited to 2 devices for free

• Many users migrated to competitors

• Slow updates

Best For:

• Those with many old notes

• Long-term users locked into Evernote

Pros:

• Strong organization

• Clean UI

• Still reliable

Cons:

• Weak free plan

• Less innovation

Excellent Tier

Apps that are near-perfect but have one or two flaws.

9. Samsung Notes (Excellent Tier)

One of the best Android handwriting apps.

Why It’s Excellent:

• Fantastic writing feel

• Free

• Good PDF editing

• Clean interface
  BUT — poor text conversion and lag with large PDFs keeps it from GOAT.

Best For:

• Samsung tablet users

• Daily planners

• Digital notebooks

Pros:

• Free

• Smooth handwriting

• Good organization

Cons:

• Very bad handwriting-to-text

• Lag with heavy PDFs

10. Notion (Excellent Tier)

The internet’s favorite productivity workspace.

Why It’s Excellent (not GOAT):

• Requires internet for full functionality

• Slow on mobile

• Can lag even with simple databases

Best For:

• Productivity

• Content planning

• Task management

• Team collaboration

Pros:

• All-in-one system

• Databases

• Templates

• Integrations

Cons:

• Slow

• No offline mode

• Overkill for simple notes

GOAT Tier (The Best Note-Taking Apps of 2026)

Only two apps made it here.

11. Apple Notes (GOAT Tier)

The most complete, balanced, fast, free, and perfectly integrated note-taking app.

Why It’s GOAT:

• Free

• Fast

• Folder organization

• Handwriting + text

• Scanning

• Checklists

• Smart folders

• Sync across Apple devices

• Simple but powerful

Apple Notes is everything Simplenote wants to be.

Best For:

• Students

• Professionals

• Writers

• Anyone with an iPad/iPhone

12. GoodNotes 6 (GOAT Tier)

The king of handwritten note-taking on iPad.

Why It’s GOAT:

• Best handwriting feel

• Best PDF annotation

• Smoothest user experience

• AI features

• Great organization

• Audio recording

• Dedicated text boxes

• Study tools

Important:
The Android version is NOT recommended. Only the iPad version is GOAT-tier.

Best For:

• Students

• Digital planners

• Lecture notes

• PDF annotation

• Creative notes

Pros:

• Industry-best writing feel

• Fast

• AI handwriting cleanup

• Voice notes

• Folders & notebooks

Cons:

• Weak on Android

• Subscription model

Final Comparison Table: Best Note-Taking Apps of 2026

Final Verdict: What’s the Best Note-Taking App of 2026?

Here are the top choices depending on your needs:

• Best Overall (iPad): GoodNotes 6

• Best Text-based Note App: Apple Notes

• Best for Productivity & Planning: Notion

• Best for Creativity & Vision Boards: Milanote

• Best for Android Handwriting: Samsung Notes

• Best for Researchers: Obsidian

• Best for Quick Notes: Google Keep

No matter your platform, there's a perfect note-taking app waiting for you.