Best Notetaker Apps

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated November 2026

Otter Transcribe Voice Notes is the household name in notetaker, but it's far from the only option. We track 249+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.

Compare top Notetaker Apps (November 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Otter Transcribe Voice NotesOtter Transcribe Voice NotesFree4.8★ (89K)NoYesNov 2026
2Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFGoodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFFree4.7★ (470K)NoYesNov 2026
3Notability: AI Notes & PDFNotability: AI Notes & PDFFree4.8★ (459K)NoYesNov 2026
4Summary - AI Note TakerSummary - AI Note TakerFree4.7★ (58K)NoYesNov 2026
5Note Taker AI - 100% localNote Taker AI - 100% localFree3.9★ (7)NoNoNov 2026
6Minutes: AI Meeting Note TakerMinutes: AI Meeting Note TakerFree4.9★ (14K)YesYesNov 2026
7Fireflies: AI Note TakerFireflies: AI Note TakerFree4.8★ (5.5K)NoNoNov 2026
8Notum - AI Note TakerNotum - AI Note TakerFree—NoYesMay 2026

Top Picks for Notetaker

Otter Transcribe Voice Notes#1

Otter Transcribe Voice Notes by Otter.ai, Inc.

AI Note Taking, Memo Recorder
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.8😊(89K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#21in Productivity
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes screenshot 1
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes screenshot 2
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes screenshot 3
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes screenshot 4
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes screenshot 5
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes screenshot 6

This AI-powered tool automatically transcribes voice conversations in real-time, generating notes, summaries, and even capturing slides. It acts as a meeting assistant, making it easy to focus on discussions and later search, edit, and share your recordings. Available in multiple languages and across devices.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Excellent transcription accuracy
  • 👍 Convenient features like speaker identification and timestamps
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient transcription process
  • 👍 Versatile for various use cases (meetings, interviews, lectures)
  • 👍 Helpful for deaf/hard of hearing users
  • 👍 Seamless integration between mobile and desktop

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional transcription errors, especially with technical terms
  • 💰 Concerns about increasing subscription costs and reduced free minutes
  • 🐛 Buggy behavior and crashes reported by some users
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns around data usage for model training
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF#2

Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF by Goodnotes Limited

Note taking, Planner & Journal
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(470K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 1
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 2
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 3
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 4
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 5
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF screenshot 6

Capture ideas and unlock insights with powerful AI tools for note-taking, brainstorming, and document creation. Enhance productivity for professionals and students with features like AI transcription, summarization, and interactive study sets.

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 & PDF#3

Notability: AI Notes & PDF by Ginger Labs

Handwriting, PDF & audio
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.8😊(459K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Notability: AI Notes & PDF screenshot 1
Notability: AI Notes & PDF screenshot 2
Notability: AI Notes & PDF screenshot 3
Notability: AI Notes & PDF screenshot 4
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

  • 🚀 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

More Notetaker apps to explore

FAQ about Notetaker

What are the best notetaker apps for iPhone?
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes tops our notetaker apps ranking as of November 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 89K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top notetaker apps we rank are free to download, including Otter Transcribe Voice Notes and Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF.
Otter Transcribe Voice Notes has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of November 2026.
We track 249+ notetaker apps on the iOS App Store as of November 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.

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