In this article you will find out the best note taking app for iPad. Are you using the iPad’s full creative potential? With its sleek design and smooth touchscreen, you can use the Apple Pencil Stylus, or even your finger, to quickly make a to-do list, capture your thoughts, doodle, compose documents, or sign a PDF.
The iPad’s built-in Apple Notes app has new features, including scanning, attachments, and photos. But if you’re curious about what else is out there, here’s a look at some of the best iPad note-taking apps.
Some can even turn your handwritten notes into text that others can read, no matter how sloppy it is. This list covers both iPad and iPad Pro apps that can help you convert your stray bits of paper into a digital folder to help you stay focused and organized and never lose an important idea again.
Notebook: Create Organized, Artistic Notes and Notebooks- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- This free app is ad-free.
What We Don’t Like
- No way to customize the interface or background colors.
If you’re looking for a way to organize your memories, ideas and important information on your iPad with beautiful individual notebooks, look no further than Notebook, by Zoho.
Fill your notebook with sketches, audio, files and notes and then organize them with Notebook’s built-in Smart, Recipe, Video or Link Cards. Add PDFs, word documents, and spreadsheets, and check stuff off your checklist as you work through tasks. Take handwritten notes with your finger or Apple Pencil.
Price:
Free
Nebo: Use Your Apple Pencil to Create Notes and Random Doodles- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- Ability to convert notes into digital documents.
- Copy and paste fully editable diagrams to PowerPoint.
What We Don’t Like
- Only compatible with the Apple Pencil.
- If you want to use it with other devices, each device needs a separate license.
With its highly responsive handwriting recognition, Nebo lets you take electronic notes as quickly as you can write. Move lines of text to create space for insertions, and the app converts your handwritten words into titles, paragraphs, and bullet points alongside your own diagrams and doodles. Export as text, PDF, HTML or Word (.docx).
Price:
$7.99
MetaMoJi Note: Embellish Your Notes With Sketches- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- Easy to type notes and quickly switch to a stylus, along with the ability to cut and paste between documents.
What We Don’t Like
- Handwriting recognition module is an in-app purchase.
- Can be difficult to take notes quickly, with a lag in loading new pages.
MetaMoJi Note by MetaMoJi Note Corp, allows you to customize your iPad notes, pages and backgrounds, with the ability to quickly add your own sketches and notes.
Your own handwritten notes can be cut and pasted on the note background. With superior palm-resistance when using the stylus, you can mark-up PDF files, and then re-save as a PDF to share. The efficient tagging system allows the same note to be stored in several folders at once. Create anywhere with a finger or stylus.
Price:
The Lite version is free. Premium is $7.99 per month, $29.99 per year
Agenda: Track Your Notes With a Timeline- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- Provides a complete timeline of past, present and future notes to track progress against deadlines.
What We Don’t Like
- Agenda has no handwriting support. Image insertion and attaching files is also not available.
Instead of compiling a static collection of notes, Agenda by Momenta B.V., lets you stamp a date on each note to create an interactive timeline.
Agenda also provides the ability to tag, create lists and put notes directly on your calendar. Notes can be shared as PDFs and other formats. Not compatible with the Apple Pencil.
Price:
Free; Premium is $9.99
Transom: The Tools You Need to Finally Finish That Novel- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- Fluid, no-frills app that makes it easy to quickly capture thoughts as inspiration strikes.
What We Don’t Like
- Currently, there is no way to add categories of notes, making it difficult to tag and sort notes, by character and by chapter.
Capture your thoughts when inspiration strikes with Transom, by VoidMedia. Specifically created for novelists and writers, Transom has the ability to let you tag your iPad notes by character or setting, and the name of the piece. You can export all of your notes as a PDF and provide iCloud back-up. Not compatible with the Apple Pencil.
Price:
Free
Notepad+ Pro: Draw, Annotate, and Embellish Your Thoughts- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- The ability to hide sensitive information in documents with the blur tool.
What We Don’t Like
- Unable to categorize notes into folders.
With template selections from eight galleries, and its ability to move images from other apps, Notepad+ Pro, by Apalon Apps, lets you customize the look of your iPad notes.
Use your finger, stylus or keyboard to type your notes, or mark-up images, you can choose from pens and highlighters in an array of colors. Аnnotate and edit files whether they are in PDF, Excel, Keynote or Numbers. Compatible with Apple Pencil.
Price:
$19.99
Notes Plus: Convert Your Scribbles to Text- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- Background audio recording.
What We Don’t Like
- Saves each page in the document as a separate document. Has trouble with larger documents.
With the ability to support 52 languages, Notes Plus can convert your handwriting, no matter how sloppy, to text. With no lag in writing, Notes Plus recognizes when your palm is resting on the iPad, and also includes left-handed support.
You can also import PDF, DOC files, and images, and then export your notes as PDF or images to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and email. Supports Wacom, Adonit, and Apple Pencil.
Price:
$9.99
Note Taker HD: Flexibility in Typed, Handwritten Notes & Diagrams- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- An eraser and multi-level undo and redo buttons let you correct mistakes. The eraser works by dragging your finger over the ink to “erase.”
What We Don’t Like
- Layering several layers of text and diagrams makes it hard to select a buried image. No way to underline, bold or italic text.
With its ability to zoom in and out on a page by pinching, Note Taker HD, by Software Garden, allows you to type or handwrite notes, and annotate PDF pages right on your iPad. The app also comes with more than 60 customizable shapes and lets you insert images and crop them within your notes.
It allows you to write in large letters, and automatically inserts and resizes text to fit on the screen. Just keep writing, and Note Taker HD keeps adding your new text. Compatible with finger and stylus.
Price:
$4.99
Drafts 5: Capture ‣‣ Act- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- The customizable extended row above the keyboard can quickly convert, manipulate, and transform your to-do lists, notes, messages, and emails.
- Process your drafts quickly using unique features like Link Mode, Arrange Mode, and Focus Mode.
What We Don’t Like
- Pro version is a monthly subscription and not a one-time fee.
Drafts 5: Capture ‣‣ Act, by Agile Tortoise, offers a fast way to take notes and lets you turn them into text messages, emails or posts to social media.
Think first, create your “draft”, edit, and send it to another app. Integrates with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch so that you can type on-the-go. It does not support a stylus.
Price:
Free, with Pro version $1.99 per month/$19.99 per year
GoodNotes 5: Protect Your Thoughts, Ideas & Files- Best Note Taking App for iPad
What We Like
- Ability to use GoodNotes as a digital whiteboard, just choose which part of the page to display.
What We Don’t Like
- No ability to create subfolders, and no option to continue to scroll or swipe to create a new page.
- With its searchable handwriting recognition feature, GoodNotes 5, by Time Based Technology Limited, ensures your iPad notes are preserved, and retrievable. Privacy and password protected, this note-taking app includes back-up and syncs between iCloud for iPhone and iPad. Import images and PDFs, and annotate PDFs to sign forms. Works with fingers or Stylus.
Price:
Free; full version $8.99
Simple Notes: Dictate Your Notes and Save Time- Best Note Taking App for iPad.
What We Like
- Syncs easily and quickly between the iPhone and iPad, making Simple Notes a great collaboration tool.
What We Don’t Like
- Not compatible with Bluetooth keyboard, and no copy and paste.
- Simple Notes, by Elias Sleiman, will collect your iPad notes whether you type them, or speak them. Your voice recording is saved so that you can retrieve and listen later. Other features include the ability to change the color, font, and size of your notes, and supports enhanced categorization features. No stylus support.
Price:
Free; Pro version $9.99
How did we choose these note-taking apps? Best Note Taking App for iPad.
There are some features we considered when searching for the best note-taking apps. Best Note Taking App for iPad.
Interface:
We looked for note apps that offer a clean, streamlined interface that is not too cluttered or distracting from your work.
Tools:
When it comes time to write, you want to be sure that there are the right tools to help you get the job done. We looked at features like the type of writing, dictation, presentation, and editing tools available with each of the best note-taking apps.
Security:
Security and file backup are critical when choosing the best note-taking app for iPad. Many notes contain sensitive information, so you want to be sure that your files will not be lost and are also secure from any prying eyes.
Cost:
Budget is critical, so we considered how much each app costs and what each purchase gives you. When choosing the iPad’s best note-taking app for you, think about how you plan to use the app and which features are essential to your needs.
Why should I use a note-taking app for iPad? Best Note Taking App for iPad.
Note-taking apps offer far more than you may expect. In addition to storing your notes and bright ideas, there are also many other support features, including converting handwriting to digital notes, templates to choose from, and even adding different forms of media like video and audio.
And they’re great for organizing ideas on the go. Whether you’re scribbling your own ideas or collaborating with friends or colleagues, you’ll have a central hub to access your notes easily.
What is the highest-rated note-taking app for iPad? Best Note Taking App for iPad.
GoodNotes 5 receives the highest rating from the App Store on our list, earning a 4.8 average rating. However, Nebo also receive high ratings on the App Store.
Ratings were one of the main drivers in choosing the best note-taking apps. And some of the ones we offer allow you to test drive them for free.
