Best Note Taking Apps For 2025 Notion Vs Evernote Vs Onenote

Nov 5, 2025 · LocArk Team · Digital Productivity · 8 min read Discover the best note-taking apps for 2025, including cloud-based solutions like Notion and Obsidian, plus secure offline alternatives like LocArk for... Note-taking has evolved far beyond simple text documents. Today’s digital note-taking landscape offers everything from AI-powered collaboration platforms to privacy-focused offline solutions. Whether you’re a student, professional, or creative, choosing the right note-taking app can significantly impact your productivity and data security. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best note-taking apps of 2025, examining their unique strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases. From cloud-based powerhouses to secure local alternatives, we’ll help you find the perfect solution for your needs.

Before diving into specific apps, let’s establish the criteria that define excellent note-taking software: Compare top note-taking apps for 2025: Notion, Obsidian, OneNote, Evernote, and more. Find the best app for students, teams, and professionals. From Notion's flexible workspaces to Obsidian's knowledge graphs, discover which note-taking app matches your workflow, ecosystem, and long-term productivity goals. If you’re also upgrading the rest of your setup, you may want to pair your chosen app with the tools in our productivity tools roundup. Updated for 2025 with AI features, pricing changes, and the latest trends in personal knowledge management. You’ll also find practical migration tips and real-world examples so you can move confidently from older tools like Evernote or OneNote into more modern systems.

The note-taking app landscape has transformed dramatically. What started as a digital replacement for paper notebooks has evolved into sophisticated knowledge management systems, collaborative workspaces, and AI-assisted thinking environments. Whether you're a student capturing lectures, a professional managing projects, or a knowledge worker building a "second brain," the app you choose will shape how you think, plan, and remember information every day. A good system also connects neatly with your devices, storage, and wider workflow—something we cover in related guides like our PC performance optimisation and cloud storage comparison. I spent more than two years testing and finding the best note-taking apps. There are always new ones coming to the market, so it was not an easy task.

I always get the same question from you guys: which note-taking apps are the best in 2025? And finally, in this article, I collected my personal favorite note-taking apps based on features, pricing, and experience. So, if you are curious about what I found after testing 100+ productivity tools and spending over 2 years with testing, sit back and scroll down to discover the best note-taking apps in 2025. To rank the best note-taking apps, I considered some factors to ensure I can provide you with the best recommendation. These are the aspects that I used to put together my list of best note-taking apps in 2025: 8:18 am September 9, 2025 By Julian Horsey Imagine this: it’s 2025, and your notes aren’t... With a single tap, your app connects ideas across projects, suggests relevant resources, transcribes meetings in real time, and even organizes your thoughts before you’ve had a chance to.

Sounds futuristic? It’s not. Compare top note-taking apps for 2025: Notion, Obsidian, OneNote, Evernote, and more. Find the best app for students, teams, and professionals. From Notion's flexible workspaces to Obsidian's knowledge graphs, discover which note-taking app matches your workflow, ecosystem, and long-term productivity goals. If you’re also upgrading the rest of your setup, you may want to pair your chosen app with the tools in our productivity tools roundup.

In 2025, your notes aren’t just words — they’re your brain’s external hard drive. From project ideas and meeting notes to research and journaling, keeping everything organized is vital. But with so many note-taking apps out there, the question remains: Which one is actually the best? The three heavyweights — Notion, Evernote, and OneNote — each have passionate fans and unique strengths. Notion is the modular workspace loved by creators. Evernote is the seasoned classic built for organization and search.

OneNote is Microsoft’s free powerhouse for handwritten notes and office integration. In this hands-on comparison, we’ll break down features, pricing, AI tools, pros, and real-life use cases — so you can find the perfect fit for your digital workflow. Gone are the days of paper planners and random sticky notes. Today’s digital notebooks do more than just capture text — they help you think, plan, and create efficiently. As digital productivity tools continue to evolve, choosing the right note-taking app in 2025 is more crucial than ever. Whether you’re a student, entrepreneur, remote worker, or creative professional, the right platform can greatly enhance how you capture, organize, and retrieve information.

This year, Evernote, Notion, and OneNote emerge as the top contenders in the digital note-taking space. While each offers robust features, their differences can significantly impact your workflow. Below, we break down their strengths, limitations, and ideal use cases to help you make the best choice. Evernote has long been a cornerstone in the note-taking world, known for its classic notebook interface and structured organization. It remains a go-to for users who favor simplicity and a clean user experience. Evernote supports text, images, audio clips, checklists, and attachments—all synchronized across devices.

While its free plan has notable restrictions, premium plans unlock offline access, calendar integrations, and more advanced organizational tools. Limitations: Evernote can feel rigid compared to more flexible platforms, especially for users looking to build custom workflows. A book, an app, the next billion-dollar idea: everything starts from a note. .css-19a5n3-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;}Notion and .css-19a5n3-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover,... I've been a .css-19a5n3-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;}Notion convert for the past several years, and I... I dove back into OneNote for this comparison and spent time comparing the two apps to help you figure out which one makes the most sense for your note taking.

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#3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;}Notion vs. OneNote at a glance .css-19a5n3-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms 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#3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;}OneNote for beginners, Notion for tinkerers .css-19a5n3-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-brand-almost-white, #fffdf9);}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-19a5n3-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;}OneNote for freeform note-taking, Notion for productivity systems and collaboration Choosing the right note‑taking app can transform how you capture ideas, organize tasks, and collaborate with others. this guide, we summarize the strengths of three leading platforms — Notion, Evernote, and Microsoft OneNote — so you can decide which one fits your workflow, budget, and preferences.

Notion is more than a note-taking tool—it’s an all-in-one workspace that lets you build your own system for documents, tasks, projects and databases. Each page is made up of blocks that can be text, images, to‑do lists, tables, kanban boards or ven full‑fledged databases. This flexibility means you can create project trackers, wikis, habit logs or content calendars alongside simple notes. Notion offers a generous free plan for personal use, while the Plus plan starts around $10 USD per month and unlocks unlimited file uploads, unlimited guests and advanced permission control. The platform’s powerful organization tools let you nest pages and databases, filter and sort information, and link related notes together, but it does come with a learning curve. If you’re willing to invest time upfront, you can build a highly customized productivity system that rivals dedicated project management apps.

Notion also supports collaboration—multiple users can edit pages in real time, leave comments and @‑mention teammates. The platform recently added an AI assistant that can summarize meeting notes, brainstorm ideas and generate content on demand Evernote has long been a go‑to for people who just want to take notes quickly and find them again later. The app is built around simple notebooks and stacks that keep your ideas organized without requiring much setup. You can capture almost anything in a note—from typed text and to‑do lists to PDFs, photos, audio recordings and scanned documents—and Evernote’s optical character recognition makes images and handwritten text searchable. The built‑in web clipper lets you save articles, entire webpages or screenshots with a click, while the Home dashboard gives you a summary of recent notes, tasks and calendar events.

Evernote’s free plan includes basic features on two devices, but heavier users will need a subscription (starting around $14.99 USD per month) to unlock offline access, more storage, a built‑in tasks tool and integrations... If you prefer a straightforward, polished note‑taking experience and don’t mind paying for premium features, Evernote remains a solid choice. OneNote uses a freeform canvas where you can click anywhere to add text, ink drawings, images, attachments or audio clips. Notes are organized into sections and notebooks, and pages can be nested as deeply as you like. Being part of the Microsoft ecosystem, OneNote integrates seamlessly with Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams and syncs across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Free tier – 5 GB of storage via OneDrive; includes all core features.Microsoft 365 Personal – $6.99 USD per month for 1 TB of storage and full Office apps; Microsoft 365 Family – $9.99...

The landscape of digital note-taking has transformed dramatically, with these three platforms emerging as leading solutions for managing information in our increasingly digital world. Each platform offers unique approaches to capturing, organizing, and sharing information, catering to different user needs and workflows. Understanding their distinct features helps in choosing the right tool for your specific requirements. Notion has revolutionized digital note-taking by offering a highly flexible system that functions more like a personal operating system than a traditional note-taking app. Its block-based architecture allows users to create dynamic workspaces combining notes, databases, kanban boards, and wikis. The platform excels in project management and team collaboration, making it particularly valuable for organizations that need to combine documentation with project tracking.

Evernote continues to stand out for its robust organization system and powerful search capabilities. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to handle various content types while maintaining a straightforward, intuitive interface. Its web clipper remains industry-leading, allowing users to save and organize online content efficiently. The platform’s optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities make it exceptional for digitizing and searching through scanned documents. OneNote’s deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem provides unmatched advantages for users invested in the Office suite. Its familiar interface and notebook-style organization make it particularly appealing to users transitioning from physical notebooks to digital note-taking.

The platform’s inking capabilities and support for mathematical equations make it especially valuable for students and academic professionals. Each platform brings unique strengths to the table in terms of organization and structure. Notion’s block-based system offers unprecedented customization options, allowing users to create exactly the workspace they need. Evernote maintains its traditional notebook and tag hierarchies, providing a familiar and proven organization method. OneNote’s approach mirrors physical notebooks, making it intuitive for users who appreciate traditional note-taking methods. Discover how I built a fully functional budget tracking app in just 48 hours using AI—no coding required!

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