Best Note Taking Reader Apps

244+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.0 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

Notes is the household name in note taking reader, but it's far from the only option. We track 244+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Compare top Note Taking Reader Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1NotesNotesFree4.8★ (620K)NoNoAug 2026
2Note Taking Writing AppNote Taking Writing AppFree2.8★ (22)NoNoMay 2026
3OrigNotesOrigNotesFree4.7★ (275)NoNoAug 2026
4AI Note Taker & Meeting NotesAI Note Taker & Meeting NotesFree5.0★ (9)NoYesAug 2026
5AxNote: Note TakingAxNote: Note TakingFree4.3★ (7)NoYesJun 2026
6Notes: Note taking & writingNotes: Note taking & writingFreeNoYesMay 2026
7Note Taking QuickNote Taking QuickFreeYesYesMay 2026
8Notestudio: note taking, pdfNotestudio: note taking, pdfFree4.9★ (14)NoYesJul 2026

Top Picks for Note Taking Reader

Notes#1

Notes by Apple Inc.

Take note of almost anything
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.8😐(620K ratings)
Free
Notes screenshot 1
Notes screenshot 2
Notes screenshot 3
Notes screenshot 4
Notes screenshot 5

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

  • 📝 Versatile note-taking app
  • 🔒 Secure with password/biometric lock
  • 🌐 Seamless sync across devices
  • 🚀 Quick and responsive

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding/retrieving notes
  • 🔋 High battery drain when using Apple Pencil
Note Taking Writing App#2

Note Taking Writing App by Irina Tiukalova

Notepad journal planner
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
2.8(22 ratings)
Free
Note Taking Writing App screenshot 1
Note Taking Writing App screenshot 2
Note Taking Writing App screenshot 3
Note Taking Writing App screenshot 4

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and important information with a versatile note-taking application. Easily record text, audio, photos, and sketches. Organize your notes with tags and find them quickly with a powerful search function.

More Note Taking Reader apps to explore

4
AI Note Taker & Meeting Notes
AI Note Taker & Meeting Notes
AI Note Taker & Meeting Notes
Transcribe Voice & Summarize
Free

This app converts your voice into organized text notes, automatically identifying key points and providing relevant answers. It supports multiple languages and allows easy sharing of your transcribed information.

Voice transcriptionKey point highlightingAI-powered answers
📊 Productivity
(9)
free with in-app purchases
5
AxNote: Note Taking
AxNote: Note Taking
AxNote: Note Taking
Sketches, text & images
Free

This app offers an intelligent canvas for note-taking, allowing users to generate summaries from text, handwriting, and audio recordings. It supports image annotation, data visualization with tables and charts, and handwriting conversion to typed text. Designed for Apple Pencil, it provides flexible layouts and on-device AI features.

AI-powered summaries from text, handwriting, and audioAudio transcription and topic explorationImage and PDF annotation
📊 Productivity
(7)
free
6
Notes: Note taking & writing
Notes: Note taking & writing
Notes: Note taking & writing
Good quick notes & planner
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
7
Note Taking Quick
Note Taking Quick
Note Taking Quick
Notebook, Endless Paper, PDF
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
8
Notestudio: note taking, pdf
Notestudio: note taking, pdf
Notestudio: note taking, pdf
For Study & Work. Pen & Pencil
Free

Capture, organize, and create notes with a blend of analog feel and digital power. Annotate PDFs, add media, and export in various formats. Offers advanced drawing tools and a customizable interface for focused work.

Multi-page note creationPDF markup and annotationFlexible note sizes and paper styles
📊 Productivity
(14)
free with in-app purchases
9
StarNote: Handwritten Notes
StarNote: Handwritten Notes
StarNote: Handwritten Notes
PDF Markup & Digital Planner
Free

This app offers a realistic pen-on-paper handwriting experience on tablets with an infinite canvas for notes and sketches. It includes advanced layering, PDF annotation, and a robust organizer for efficient digital note-taking and planning.

Realistic low-latency handwritingInfinite canvas for unlimited spaceLayered design for complex projects
📊 Productivity
(58)
paid
10
Simple Note-taking
Simple Note-taking
Simple Note-taking
Simplest note-taking is here!
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
11
Note Taking - Voice Photo Memo
Note Taking - Voice Photo Memo
Note Taking - Voice Photo Memo
Notetaking without writing
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
12
My Note Taking - Perfect notepad that helps you take note and journaling
My Note Taking - Perfect notepad that helps you take note and journaling
My Note Taking - Perfect notepad that helps you take note and journaling
by Atthaporn Chanprakon
Free

This application offers a clean and intuitive interface for taking notes and journaling. It features quick search functionality to help you find entries faster and allows for customization of font size and style for an optimal writing experience.

Clean and beautiful interfaceEasy-to-understand functionsQuick search for notes
📊 Productivity
(6)
free
13
SmartNotes: Simple Note Taking
SmartNotes: Simple Note Taking
SmartNotes: Simple Note Taking
Clean notes with categories
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
14
AI Note Taker: SwiftNote
AI Note Taker: SwiftNote
AI Note Taker: SwiftNote
Lecture & Meeting Recorder
Free

This app transforms audio recordings, web articles, and documents into organized, intelligent notes using AI. It offers features like automatic transcription, summarization, and interactive study tools.

AI-powered transcription and summarizationWeb content and PDF importInteractive quizzes and study tools
📊 Productivity
(310)
free with in-app purchases
15
NoteTaker, Note taking app
NoteTaker, Note taking app
NoteTaker, Note taking app
Voice dictation & notes writer
Free

Transform your devices into digital notebooks for natural handwriting, drawing, and annotation. Import PDFs and images, and export your work for a paperless workflow. Syncs across devices via iCloud.

Natural handwriting experienceApple Pencil and finger supportiCloud Sync for notes
📊 Productivity
(12)
free with in-app purchases
16
Ai Note Taker Text Summary
Ai Note Taker Text Summary
Ai Note Taker Text Summary
Ai Transcribe Speech To Text
Free

This application uses AI to transcribe speech to text, capture notes via voice, text, or image, and automatically generate concise summaries. It supports multiple languages, syncs across devices, and integrates with other productivity tools, ensuring secure storage of your information.

Smart note capture (voice, text, image)Automated note summariesMultilingual support
📚 Education
(4)
free with in-app purchases
17
Note
Note
Note
by Orgajja Co Ltd
Free

A straightforward and effective application for capturing your thoughts and ideas. It offers a clean interface for jotting down notes quickly and efficiently.

Simple interfacePowerful note-takingQuick idea capture
📊 Productivity
(3)
free with in-app purchases
18
PDF Note Pro - Note Taker
PDF Note Pro - Note Taker
PDF Note Pro - Note Taker
And M4A Audio Recorder
Free

This application allows users to take freehand notes directly on PDF documents and record audio simultaneously. Notes are saved in native PDF and M4A formats, syncing across devices via iCloud for seamless access on mobile, desktop, and web. It offers powerful annotation tools and is available for free on iOS.

Freehand PDF annotationM4A audio recordingiCloud syncing across devices
📚 Education
(1)
free
19
Noty AI: Smart Note Taker
Noty AI: Smart Note Taker
Noty AI: Smart Note Taker
Notes, Powered by AI
Free
💼 Business
(0)
20
Simple Notepad・Simple and Cool
Simple Notepad・Simple and Cool
Simple Notepad・Simple and Cool
Simple and cool notepad app
Free

This app offers a straightforward and aesthetically pleasing way to jot down notes. It's designed for users who prefer simplicity over complex features, providing an intuitive and stress-free note-taking experience.

Simple note-takingBeautiful designEasy to use interface
📊 Productivity
(120)
ad-supported

FAQ about Note Taking Reader

What are the best note taking reader apps for iPhone?
Notes tops our note taking reader apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 620K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top note taking reader apps we rank are free to download, including Notes and Note Taking Writing App.
Notes has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 244+ note taking reader apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
This app allows you to jot down quick thoughts, save longer notes with checklists, images, web links, scanned documents, handwritten notes, or sketches. You can also record and transcribe audio, secure sensitive data, and organize your notes with folders and tags.
You can organize your notes by placing them in folders and subfolders. Additionally, you can add tags directly within your notes for categorization. The app also supports Smart Folders that automatically organize notes based on filters like date created or presence of checklists.