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Best Note Taking App For Students

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.8 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated October 2026

From beginner-friendly picks to power-user tools, our note taking app for students list covers 249+ iPhone apps updated through October 2026. Compare ratings, prices, and screenshots in one place.

Compare top Note Taking App For Students (October 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFGoodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFFree4.7★ (465K)NoYesOct 2026
2Notability: AI Notes & PlannerNotability: AI Notes & PlannerFree4.8★ (458K)NoYesOct 2026
3Freenotes®: AI Notes TakingFreenotes®: AI Notes TakingFree4.7★ (64K)NoYesOct 2026
4Microsoft OneNoteMicrosoft OneNoteFree4.7★ (1.1M)NoYesOct 2026
5Take Note - Pocket EditionTake Note - Pocket EditionFree5.0★ (2)NoNoMay 2026
6Notify - AI Note TakerNotify - AI Note TakerFree—NoYesSep 2026
7HiGGSi - AI-powered note appHiGGSi - AI-powered note appFree—YesYesMay 2026
8pluma | your in class note apppluma | your in class note appFree—NoNoMay 2026

Top Picks for Note Taking App For Students

Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF#1

Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF by Goodnotes Limited

Note taking, Planner & Journal
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(465K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 5
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Capture ideas, enhance productivity, and unlock insights with advanced AI features. This app offers tools for professionals, students, and creatives, including infinite whiteboards, AI-powered transcription and summarization, and customizable digital notebooks.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Excellent note-taking experience
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Smooth writing with Apple Pencil
  • 📁 Powerful organization with folders and notebooks
  • 🖼️ Ability to annotate PDFs and documents
  • 🌈 Customizable paper styles and covers

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and crashes
  • 🔍 Syncing and iCloud issues
  • 🔍 Lack of flexibility with text input
  • 🔍 Limited eraser and highlighting options
  • 🔍 Subpar performance on Mac app
Notability: AI Notes & Planner#2

Notability: AI Notes & Planner by Ginger Labs

Digital notepad, daily planner
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
4.8😊(458K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#100in Productivity
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Capture, organize, and enhance your thoughts with a versatile digital notebook. Seamlessly blend handwriting, typing, and multimedia to annotate documents, record lectures, and generate summaries. Ideal for students and professionals seeking to boost productivity and learning.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great app for note-taking
  • 👍 Smooth handwriting experience
  • 📝 Excellent organization and file management
  • 🎙️ Useful audio recording feature
  • 🔍 Handwriting recognition and search
  • 🌈 Customizable colors and themes

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Sync issues with iCloud
  • 🔍 Limited search and organization options
  • 🖍️ Frustrating highlighter behavior
  • 🔒 Concerns about subscription model
  • 🔧 Buggy after recent updates
Freenotes®: AI Notes Taking#3

Freenotes®: AI Notes Taking by Free Notes AI Note Taker LTD

Docs PDF Memo Planner Pencil
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(64K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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This AI-powered digital notepad transforms your device into an intelligent workspace. It offers handwriting recognition, PDF annotation, and AI assistance for summarizing documents, answering questions, and aiding in study. Organize notes, sketch ideas, and sync across devices for a seamless paperless experience.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Completely free app with no ads or in-app purchases
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 📚 Comprehensive note-taking features (layers, templates, stickers, etc.)
  • 🎨 Highly customizable (colors, fonts, covers, etc.)
  • 🗂️ Excellent organization tools (folders, notebooks, etc.)
  • 💻 Seamless integration with iPad and Apple Pencil
  • 🔥 Regularly updated with new features and improvements

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional issues with syncing and iCloud backup
  • 🖌️ Limited customization options for pen/pencil settings
  • 🔍 Lack of handwriting recognition and search
  • 🔗 No support for external links or clickable content
  • 🔀 Difficulty in rearranging or splitting notebooks

More Note Taking App For Students apps to explore

FAQ about Note Taking App For Students

What is the best note taking app for students for iPhone?
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF tops our note taking app for students ranking as of October 2026, with a 4.7-star average from 465K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top note taking app for students we rank are free to download, including Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF and Notability: AI Notes & Planner.
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of October 2026.
We track 249+ note taking app for students on the iOS App Store as of October 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.