Best Written Notes Apps

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.5 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated September 2026

Looking for free written notes apps? 20 of our 250+ tracked titles are free to download — no subscription, no trial. The rest are premium picks worth paying for.

Compare top Written Notes Apps (September 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Notepad: Easy Notes & MemosNotepad: Easy Notes & MemosFree4.8★ (28K)YesYesSep 2026
2Noteful: Notes & PDF MarkupNoteful: Notes & PDF MarkupFree4.8★ (24K)NoYesSep 2026
3Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFGoodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDFFree4.7★ (457K)NoYesSep 2026
4NotesNotesFree4.8★ (641K)NoNoSep 2026
5VoxMind AI NotesVoxMind AI NotesFree—YesYesSep 2026
6Microsoft OneNoteMicrosoft OneNoteFree4.7★ (1.1M)NoYesSep 2026
7Notes: Aesthetic NotesNotes: Aesthetic NotesFree—NoYesSep 2026
8Simple Handwritten NoteSimple Handwritten NoteFree5.0★ (1)YesNoJul 2026

Top Picks for Written Notes

Notepad: Easy Notes & Memos#1

Notepad: Easy Notes & Memos by 1381802 Ontario Inc.

Simple Notebook & Writing Pad
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.8😊(28K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Notepad: Easy Notes & Memos screenshot 1
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Notepad: Easy Notes & Memos screenshot 6

Capture thoughts, create to-do lists, and organize ideas with a versatile digital notebook. Supports handwriting, text notes, and secure cloud syncing. Personalize your experience with custom themes and icons.

What We Love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 📝 Useful for notes, lists, and reminders
  • 🎨 Customizable font and color options
  • 💾 Reliable for storing important information
  • 🔍 Helpful search functionality

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Premium subscription required to remove ads
  • 🐛 Occasional data loss or note disappearance
  • 📤 Lack of sharing or exporting options
  • 🔒 No password protection for individual notes
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup#2
4.8😊(24K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 1
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Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 6

This app revolutionizes paperless note-taking on iPad, allowing for handwritten notes, document annotation, and knowledge organization. It offers a fluid writing experience, PDF markup, powerful tagging, and audio recording synced with notes.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Smooth writing experience
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 💡 Layers feature
  • 👍 Affordable one-time purchase
  • 🚀 Efficient and lightweight
  • 👍 Great organization with tags and folders
  • 👍 Customizable UI

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔍 No handwriting recognition or search
  • 🔍 Limited text editing options
  • 🔍 Lack of advanced features like math conversion
  • 🔍 Exporting PDFs loses some formatting
Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF#3

Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF by Goodnotes Limited

Note taking, Planner & Journal
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.7😊(457K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#89in Productivity
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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

More Written Notes apps to explore

FAQ about Written Notes

What are the best written notes apps for iPhone?
Notepad: Easy Notes & Memos tops our written notes apps ranking as of September 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 28K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top written notes apps we rank are free to download, including Notepad: Easy Notes & Memos and Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup.
Notepad: Easy Notes & Memos shows ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of September 2026.
We track 250+ written notes apps on the iOS App Store as of September 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
Notepad allows you to jot down text notes, create interactive to-do lists, and capture handwritten thoughts and diagrams. You can organize your entries into folders, pin important notes, and search for specific information quickly. It's designed for managing everything from daily tasks to brainstorming ideas.
Yes, the app supports handwritten notes and drawings using an Apple Pencil. It offers fluid, responsive handwriting that mimics pen on paper, with customizable ink colors and pressure sensitivity for a personalized creative experience.