Best Note Taking Free Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated November 2026

The best note taking free apps on iPhone average 4.7โ˜… across 250+ titles โ€” we've ranked them by what real users actually keep on their phones. Updated November 2026.

Compare top Note Taking Free Apps (November 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Notability: AI Notes & PDFNotability: AI Notes & PDFFree4.8โ˜… (459K)NoYesNov 2026
2Microsoft OneNoteMicrosoft OneNoteFree4.7โ˜… (1.1M)NoYesNov 2026
3NotesNotesFree4.8โ˜… (667K)NoNoNov 2026
4Freenotesยฎ: AI Notes TakingFreenotesยฎ: AI Notes TakingFree4.7โ˜… (65K)NoYesNov 2026
5Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFGoodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFFree4.7โ˜… (468K)NoYesNov 2026
6Notepad: Easy Notes & MemosNotepad: Easy Notes & MemosFree4.8โ˜… (29K)YesYesNov 2026
7Google Keep - Notes and listsGoogle Keep - Notes and listsFree4.6โ˜… (29K)NoNoNov 2026
8Otter Transcribe Voice NotesOtter Transcribe Voice NotesFree4.8โ˜… (89K)NoYesNov 2026

Top Picks for Note Taking Free

Notability: AI Notes & PDF#1

Notability: AI Notes & PDF by Ginger Labs

Handwriting, PDF & audio
Editor's Choice
๐Ÿ“Š Productivity
4.8๐Ÿ˜Š(459K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
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Notability: AI Notes & PDF screenshot 5

Capture, organize, and enhance your ideas with handwritten notes, document annotation, and audio recording. This app streamlines learning and work by making your notes searchable, shareable, and interactive.

What We Love

  • ๐Ÿš€ Great app for note-taking
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Smooth handwriting experience
  • ๐Ÿ“ Excellent organization and file management
  • ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Useful audio recording feature
  • ๐Ÿ” Handwriting recognition and search
  • ๐ŸŒˆ Customizable colors and themes

Room to Improve

  • ๐Ÿ› Sync issues with iCloud
  • ๐Ÿ” Limited search and organization options
  • ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Frustrating highlighter behavior
  • ๐Ÿ”’ Concerns about subscription model
  • ๐Ÿ”ง Buggy after recent updates
Microsoft OneNote#2

Microsoft OneNote by Microsoft Corporation

Capture Notes, Ideas and Memos
Strong Contender
๐Ÿ“Š Productivity
4.7๐Ÿ˜(1.1M ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#93in Productivity
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Capture and organize your thoughts, ideas, and plans with a powerful digital note-taking app. Utilize AI features for summarization and transcription, and seamlessly sync notes across all your devices. Collaborate on creative projects and integrate with other Microsoft Office applications.

What We Love

  • ๐Ÿš€ Simple, works well
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Great for planning
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Powerful note-taking app
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Invaluable tool for note taking
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Used for years, couldn't be without this app
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Helps keep up with college
  • ๐Ÿ‘ A+ for getting life organized
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Best app to get organized
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Excellent across ALMOST all platforms
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Excellent for work and school
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Wonderful app (better than Evernote)
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Paperless uni student
  • ๐Ÿ‘ EVERYTHING in one place & mega easy to find
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Amazing. Especially since it's free
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Awesome app
  • ๐Ÿ‘ Using it for years

Room to Improve

  • ๐Ÿ”จ Could be better
  • ๐Ÿ”จ Formatting issues on mobile app
  • ๐Ÿ”จ Buggy widget, no dark app icon
  • ๐Ÿ› Glitchy, crashes often
  • ๐Ÿ› Terrible sync speeds
  • ๐Ÿ› The drawing tool switches to text tool without being selected
  • ๐Ÿ› Crashes since iOS 17
  • ๐Ÿ› Dude, please fix scrolling issue
  • ๐Ÿ› Bugs, lots of bugs
  • ๐Ÿ› Terrible on iPad, very slow
  • ๐Ÿ› Glitchy af now
  • ๐Ÿ› Strokes vanish randomly when writing with Apple Pencil
  • ๐Ÿ› No easy way to select large amounts of only highlighting
  • ๐Ÿ› Unbelievably unreliable
  • ๐Ÿ› Wildly inconsistent syncing
  • ๐Ÿ› Very glitchy, too risky
  • ๐Ÿ› App crashing
Notes#3

Notes by Apple

Take note of almost anything
Worth Considering
๐Ÿ“Š Productivity
4.8๐Ÿ˜(667K ratings)
Free
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Capture your thoughts, ideas, and important information with a versatile note-taking app. Attach various file types, scan documents, create checklists, and even sketch directly within your notes. Organize with folders, tags, and smart searches, and collaborate with others on shared notes.

What We Love

  • ๐Ÿ“ Versatile note-taking app
  • ๐Ÿ”’ Secure with password/biometric lock
  • ๐ŸŒ Seamless sync across devices
  • ๐Ÿš€ Quick and responsive
  • ๐Ÿ“‚ Organized with folders and tags
  • ๐Ÿ’ป Integrates well with Apple ecosystem

Room to Improve

  • ๐Ÿ› Frequent crashes and glitches
  • ๐Ÿ” Difficulty finding/retrieving notes
  • ๐Ÿ”‹ High battery drain when using Apple Pencil
  • ๐Ÿ“ Limited formatting options (font, color, etc.)
  • ๐Ÿ”’ Password reset issues with locked notes
  • ๐Ÿ—‘๏ธ Accidental deletion of notes

More Note Taking Free apps to explore

FAQ about Note Taking Free

What are the best note taking free apps for iPhone?
Notability: AI Notes & PDF tops our note taking free apps ranking as of November 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 459K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Notability: AI Notes & PDF has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of November 2026.
We track 250+ note taking free apps on the iOS App Store as of November 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.