Best Note-taking Apps for iPads

The first name, Apple Notes, is the native product most iPads come with. The user interface of the app is simple yet enriched with amazing features. You can use it to write handwritten notes, type entries, and even add pictures to your notes. The app also supports formatting texts. So you can separate titles, headings, subheadings, paragraphs, visual content, and even bullet points.

As for shareability, Apple Notes makes it super easy to share notes with others. Or you can invite people for collaborations and collective management of documents on the app.

What we love most about Apple Notes is that its responsiveness is amazing. If your iPad supports the required configuration for the app, it offers real-time responses without any lag. You can draw smoothly on the app using the Apple Pencil or your finger.

You can use Apple Notes to create presentations, school reports, assignments, checklists, visual notes, drawings, or just to kill time. And to ensure your notes are not lost, you can add tags to these notes as well. This helps you separate your notes better and find them quickly whenever needed.

The user interface of Apple Notes supports languages like Hungarian, Indonesian, English, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Bokmål, Polish, and more.

Zoho Corporation managed to develop a stunning note-taking app that optimized the experience of iPad users. This note-taking app is designed to give your creative soul a means to express. You can write recipes, make notes, revise chapters, draft letters, and even save your notes on cloud servers for easy accessibility. 

Zoho’s ability to save data on the cloud makes it easier to access your saved content on iPhones, Apple Watches, other iPads, and more. You can simply log in to the same Apple account and access your notes anytime, anywhere. 

The search feature is another smart addition that Zoho Notebook did right. Its search feature speeds up the process of looking for specific notes. You can type words from notes, and the app UI will automatically list down notes with the word you used for the search.

This saves you from the headache of having to add tags or categories. Your search gets faster if you have an idea of any unique word included in the notes you are looking for.

Zoho supports adding images, sketches, and even audio files. This gives you a perfect platform for creating amazing presentations without going into complicated procedures.

The next deserving name of the title of the best note-taking app for iPad is Notability. It is designed to offer a buttery smooth experience so you can write and draw as if you are using real paper. 

The app has impressed professionals, artists, students, and even casual users of note apps thanks to its performance and feature-rich interface.

For artists, Notability has a set of drawing-friendly features. These features cover different types of pages, several color options, varieties of pens and brushes, and more.

There is a presentation mode in the app as well. This mode lets you create presentations and share them with viewers easily. You can even write notes on the same screen of the presentation to keep important points memorized.

Notability is useful for creating documents, reviewing and highlighting already drafted documents, making quick notes, writing entire drafts, and more. 

The app supports importing several formats of documents, including PDFs, DOCs, PPTs, images, and GIFs. Additionally, there is a Document Scan feature that helps you create searchable documents more easily and quickly.

You can download Notability and use it for free. However, a premium subscription to the app can unlock further features of the app. The premium subscription also provides audio transcriptions and auto-backups, making it easier for you to save documents in preferred formats.

Another name that stands tall as a free notes app for iPad is Nebo, which combines some amazing features. For starters, the dark mode. Note-taking is something that one can do anytime. Sometimes, you might want to make notes while traveling; other times, ideas pop up at night before sleeping. Nebo’s dark mode saves you from straining your eyes in such cases.

The best thing is its color management ability, even when activating the dark mode. Apart from that, this best notebook app for iPad supports 66 languages. You can write in these languages and search documents easily using the language you have written your docs in.

Nebo supports entering data using digital handwriting or typed texts. You can enter mathematical data, sentences, images, and other such data formats on Nebo without any hassle.

This best notes app on iPad has received several nominations for its quality. For example, Perfect with Apple Pencil by App Store, For note-takers with needs that go beyond the basic by TechRadar, and the Best App 2017 by CES Mobile Apps Showdown.

Exporting documents using Nebo is easy. You can export docs in formats like PDF and easily share them with anybody you like. In short, the app is perfect for collaborative and professional tasks.

Evernote has been a dominating name on Android and iOS devices both. The app is well equipped with features to make work and documents accessible from anywhere, anytime. You can simply take notes on the app, make task lists, search for documents quickly, and do more than simply log in to journals. 

Evernote is also a task management solution. Whether you need to pay bills, set reminders, note down something important, or record minutes of meetings, Evernote is the ideal solution on smartphones.

This is one of the top free apps for taking notes on iPad. It supports scanning documents using the device camera as well. You can import these documents by scanning and organizing them within the app. These documents also get synced on cloud servers, so you can access them from anywhere using the same Evernote account.

Evernote also has two premium subscriptions- Evernote Personal and Evernote Professional. Evernote Personal supports 10 GB of new uploads every month and supports an unlimited number of devices. Evernote Professional, however, is designed to support an increased number of features.  The feature supports 20 GB of uploads every month and unlimited devices.

Next, we have Noteful, a powerful and visually appealing note-taking app. The app offers great control over your documents. You can import and play with each document separately or combine them to prepare PDFs, books, journals, etc. 

The highlight feature is a great option as well. It has three separate brushes, including a fountain pen, a highlighter, and a ballpoint pen. The native Apple Pencil support provided by this best note-taking application for iPad ensures a smooth writing experience. 

You can write as if you are writing on paper, making it possible to make highly accurate signatures, write with your handwriting, and draw whatever you want. Noteful is a product of Noteful Technologies Ltd. The app requires iPadOS 14.3 to run and can be downloaded even on Mac systems.

As for its interface, Noteful supports English, French, Italian, German, Simplified Chinese, Thai, Spanish, and several other languages. The size of the app is also limited to 75 MB, making it an easy-to-load option even on slow networks.

Now, as for its usability, Noteful UI is intuitive. You can start making notes when you open the app and easily follow instructions to save them.

Noteshelf 3 exists among the best note-taking apps as well. The app allows importing and annotating PDFs on the go. Its fully customizable toolbar lets you access tools that you want to use so you can create documents faster than ever. These tools can include options like handwriting, visuals, erasers, voicenotes, images, etc. There is an AI-assisted note-taking feature as well. 

There are hundreds of free templates available on the app. You can use these templates to record information in specific formats, or you can customize them to match your requirements. 

There is a focus mode as well that hides any kind of distractions with just a single tap or simple gesture. You can use this mode to create notes but without any interruptions or notifications in between.

Now, as Noteshelf 3 can sync your data on servers, you can log in on multiple devices and access your data from anywhere. The best app for writing notes on iPad also supports automatic syncing on Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and WebDav, among other cloud-based storage.

There is a presentation mode that supports projecting recorded notes and journals on an external screen. You can use it to organize seminars directly from your iPad and control slides however you like.

MarginNote 3 is well-designed to make it friendly for several purposes including academics, research, documentation, quick journals, and more. The tool supports visual and textual entries as well. Using this one of the best drawing apps for iPad gives you exceptional control over your creativity.

Using Apple Pencil, you can draft journal entries in your actual handwriting, make accurate signatures, and even draw smoothly. The app offers improved performance and also supports Auto OCR.

Additionally, the MindMap mode and Document mode come with flashcards that help you memorize stuff faster. These flashcards can greatly assist during presentations, seminars, etc. when you just need small reminders of the information you need to speak.

The app also supports iCloud sync, so you can access your virtual notes from any device that supports logging in with iCloud. MarginNote has existed for a long time.  This 3rd edition of the series comes with enhanced visuals and features.

You can start using this best note app for iPad with a 14-day free trial. This trial gives you access to the premium features of the app, and you can cancel it before your subscription renews.

The latest version of the GoodNotes series, GoodNotes 6 by Time Base Technology Limited, is among the top options on the Apple App Store. The tool is known for effectively multiplying the productivity of individuals, making it one of the most preferred note-taking apps on iPads. 

Its achievements have also helped the app score awards like Apple iPad App of the Year 2022, Editors’ Choice 2023, etc. Now, to focus on its features, GoodNotes 6 offers a range of smart options to ease down the writing process. For instance, it has an automated spell checker and a corrector. This feature can recognize errors in spelling and help you automatically correct them so your important documents remain error-free and easy to read.

The app also has an autosuggestion that completes the words for you or provides suggestions for possible words. This feature can help speed up the writing process by eliminating the requirement to type each alphabet letter.

Another top feature is AI-assisted study sessions. Here, you solve numerical problems, complex algebraic equations, and more using AI’s assistance. AI can also help you improve your literacy skills by assisting you through conversations, scripts, articles, essays, tones, and more.

If you need the best free note-taking app for iPads that offers amazing features and takes care of visual aesthetics, Penbook is the name you want to explore. The app is a collection of beautiful covers you can add before writing journals. It also supports handwriting and drawing using Apple Pencil and comes with hundreds of types of papers and layouts to save journals on.

There are also stylish tapes to help you make more aesthetically pleasing collages of journals. Additionally, you can change the ink color, background, font style, size, and other such settings to customize your notes as much as possible.

This is one of the top iPad note-taking apps that lets you import PDFs that you can use to scribble on. You can highlight parts of imported PDFs and add journals and additional information very conveniently using Penbook. 

Now, what we liked the most about Penbook is that it eliminates the need for separate reminder apps. It lets you add reminders so you can keep track of important moments. These reminders are helpful in building habits as well. You can customize the time and date of these reminders and stay on track.

ZoomNotes has several amazing features that can upscale the note-taking experience. It can do everything from allowing you to save audio snippets to create handwritten notes and sketches. 

The best thing about the app is that it is accessible on Mac systems as well. In short, you can sync your notes on the drive and access them on any system that uses Apple accounts. 

Another feature that makes it a perfect note-taking app for iPad for college students and professionals is its zooming ability. The whiteboard has a great zoom range, which lets you dive into tiny details. If you are drawing something and need precision, ZoomNotes can be the perfect tool.

The app lets you select, rotate, scale, shift, and flip objects, allowing you to get creative with your notes and drawings. Additionally, it has a configurable library of objects to choose from. The split-screen feature will enable you to manage and modify two documents on a single screen. You can choose to work docs side by side or above each other.

As for the importing feature, this is one of the top iPad note-taking apps that lets you import PDFs, images, Microsoft Office documents, etc.

CollaNote has 25+ pens and brushes. You can use these options to have full control over your writing style and creativity. The dark and light modes of the app also help you enhance your journaling strategy without having to strain your eyes. CollaNote also supports the presentation of documents and journals. You can leverage this ability to give presentations or teach classes. 

Its translation tool supports several languages out there, including German, Korean, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and more. CollaNote also has a widget for faster access to its features. This Widget lets you land on the note-making page with just a single tap on your home screen.

Another reason why CollaNote deserves a place among the top iPad apps for note taking is that it lets you create media-rich journals. You can add images, stickers, web designs, screenshots, and other such visual elements to create stunning notes. CollaNote uses AI as well. The AI technology can precisely detect shapes to help you draw perfectly. Additionally, it has an online storage system that supports syncing and accessing documents from anywhere. 

You can also use CollaNote to calm your mind. Its ASMR writing sounds offer a soothing experience and a serene environment for a calmer experience.

The second version of Noteshelf is designed to offer a fluid handwriting experience. It lets you annotate documents by either creating them or importing them to the app. Additionally, there are templates that you can use to create diary pages or customize them as per your requirements. 

Additionally, Noteshelf 2 is also counted among the best drawing apps for iPad due to its ability to offer a drawing-friendly interface. You can use Apple Pencil to draw smoothly on the app as if you are drawing on real paper. 

The only difference is that you get to access more tools and paper options without having to spend money on buying everything separately or carrying everything separately. 

Apart from being able to access Noteshelf 2 on iPhones and iPads, this supports Apple Watches too. So, you can access quick notes through seminars, speeches, or anywhere else directly on your watch.

On top of that, the dark mode adds an extra charm to using this one of the best note-taking apps for iPad. The app also includes an organizer. This organizer lets you manage your notes properly and find them easier anytime you want.

"If you want to experience the power of going beyond paper, you can download LiquidText" - Cult of Mac

This compliment given to LiquidText by Cult of Mac made perfect sense upon trying the app. LiquidText is enriched with features that make you feel as if you are writing on real paper. The smoothness and responsiveness of the app make it easy for its users to write and sketch.

Another fact that makes LiquidText one of the best note-taking apps for iPad is its ability to support multiple doc formats like PDF, Word, and PowerPoint. Once you import PDFs to the app, you can run a full OCR. Additionally, there is a reference manager as well. It lets you integrate and manage references of the information in your documents.

There is a cross-platform document syncing support as well. It lets you create cloud backups of documents and access them from any device you want. Additionally, the multi-device display of documents supports syncing changes made to documents in real-time.

The annotate feature lets you freely draw on documents to highlight specific parts, draw whatever you want, and more. You can also use the Search option to find specific words on a document.

Whink is a freemium app designed to optimize your note-taking experience. The app lets you draw on the app to make notes, or you can enter the data by typing it on a digital keyboard. 

This free notes app for iPad supports images as well. It is simple to integrate images into your notes without much hassle. Additionally, the support for audio recordings makes it easy to record lectures so you can keep them safe and replay them at any point in time.

Whink Notes is perfect for quickly arranging documents so you can easily find them whenever needed. We also liked its zoom feature. It lets you dive into the precise details of your documents, whether you want to read tiny texts or zoom into a drawing. 

As for the formatting of documents, this is one of the top free note-taking apps for iPad that supports adding headings, subheadings, and even bullet points. Its collection of shapes and figures is great for making interesting charts or geometric figures as well. The auto-sync feature enables syncing your documents across cloud-based drives so you can access them from anywhere, anytime.

Kilonotes comes with stunning features like split screen and card-based learning. The card-based feature is good for faster learning, while the split screen lets you manage and modify two documents simultaneously. Additionally, there is a recording function in the app as well. This functionality lets you keep your lectures safe in the audio format.

Kilonotes has several options for brush colors that you can choose from, along with several brush sizes. These adjustable brushes are available with several further customization options to give you entire control over what you are writing or drawing.

Another top feature that should inspire other good note-taking apps for iPads is the ability to undo something. The erase feature lets you go erase the error without having to restart from scratch.

Kilonotes also makes it easier to search for the PDF you want to review. You can search for the PDF in the global database. Additionally, the translation and quick jump functions make texts in the PDF more convenient and let you navigate through pages quickly. 

There is a range of covers available in this digital note-taking app. You can customize the aesthetics of your notes using these covers and write notes more creatively.

If you need a note app that runs on several devices, including a smartwatch, smartphone, Mac systems, and more, Note Taking - Email Me is the app you need. Among the top note-taking Apps for Android and iOS, Note Taking - Email Me takes pride in serving iPad users. 

The app also cares about user privacy. To maintain the same, it keeps your notes encrypted. Additionally, you can customize the feel and experience of the app using several variations of themes. On top of that, if you want, you can save and share audio files along with their transcriptions, making it one of the top note-taking apps for iPads.

It also has a range of custom app icons for you to choose from, along with themes that are useful in modifying the look of your app. It is easier to use your own SMTP configuration as well, thanks to the app's amazing UI.

It also offers a standalone Watch App for Apple Watch users, a macOS app with menu bar integration, and accessibility features like VoiceOver labels and dynamic text sizing.  Additionally, for those seeking enhanced functionality, a premium subscription is available, offering unlimited emails and additional features. 

Next, we have another free app that can make note-taking super convenient for you. The app comes with a zoom feature that lets you dive into precise details. The app lets you write handwritten notes and draw stuff as if you are drawing on an actual paper. Using the Apple Pencil enhances this experience effectively as it delivers a pen and paper-like experience.

There are several colors of inks available on this best note-taking application for iPad. Now, the best thing about the app is its ability to sync on multiple devices. You can sync the app on multiple devices using the same account, so all your notes remain accessible on all devices you are using it on.

Additionally, organizing notes is easier on the app as well. You can separate your notes by topic, project, and category. Regardless of how you are organizing your notes, finding them on Penultimate is easier than ever. 

The premium plan of the app costs $7.99 per month and $69.99 per year. Evernote Plus, however, costs $3.99 per month and $34.99 annually. Lastly, pairing up this app with a stylus named Jot Script Evernote Edition unlocks perfect precision and control over your writing. 

The feature-rich notes app delivers some of the smartest features out there. It supports 52 languages to convert handwritten notes into typed texts. So you can write as if you were writing on a paper and still get your notes saved in the digital format. This way, you make your notes easier to read without having to type everything in your preferred language.

The app was released in 2010, and since its inception, it has received 30 version upgrades. That tells the story of the efforts developers put into keeping the app’s experience fresher than ever. At the time of writing this report, you can install one of the great note-taking apps for iPads for $12.99. 

Some other great abilities of Notes Plus justify its cost perfectly. For instance, automatic shape detection. This feature lets you scan and import entire texts to the database of the app. Additionally, the background audio recording feature lets you create transcriptions with enhanced accuracy.

This one of the iPad apps for note taking offers a great level of encryption. This app comes with open-source and customizable themes along with editors. Additionally, the app allows you to create an account to sync documents so you can access them on any device. Additionally, end-to-end encryption lets you keep your documents safe for enhanced security and privacy. 

Some abilities that have boosted the popularity of Standard Notes include Personal Notes, Passwords and keys, Private Journals, Health and Fitness Logs, Cross-platform Scratchpad, Tasks and todos, and more.

Another great feature that makes the best note-taking app for iPad is Passcode Lock Protection. You can lock your passwords with Touch ID and Face ID to ensure your passwords remain accessible to you only.

Now, as for the organizing ability, there are tags to categorize the content saved on Standard Notes. These tags help you easily categorize your notes so you can look for them and read them instantly. Some examples of tags are #passwords, #ideas, #crypto, #work, etc.

Additionally, by subscribing to a paid plan, you unlock additional abilities like spreadsheets, a code editor, and Markdown among many others. You also unlock additional themes for this one of the top productivity apps, including Midnight, Focus, and Solarized Dark.

This next name to our list comes with a handwriting detector. It lets you scan your handwritten notes to your Post-it account, making it easier for you to keep your data safe. You can use its camera to capture over 200 notes for faster safekeeping of your data.

As for the organizing ability, Post-it is equipped with the ability to categorize your data well. This lets you look for the data faster anytime you need to access it. On top of that, features like draw, erase, type, and modify the color give you proper control over the editing abilities of the app. 

Post-it also has a widget. This widget gives you access to your notes directly from the home screen. You can access documents like PDFs, Excel, PowerPoint, Trello, Miro, and more directly from the widget on your home screen.

You can even share your notes easily with whomever you want. The app supports sharing notes via third-party apps or cloud services like Dropbox. Even the text recognition ability of the app is great. A new enhanced OCR service improves the speed and accuracy of detecting texts from notes.

The next name in this list of good note-taking apps for iPad, Note Take HD, is exclusively designed to make notekeeping easier. It comes with a customizable experience useful for writing notes, filling out forms, and drawing. Additionally, 60+ customizable shapes also make it easier to draw on the app or make diagrams without losing the original quality standard. 

Note Taker HD comes with a touch screen-optimized user interface to make it easier to use the app, even just by hand. However, you can also use a Stylus to draw or write on the app for higher accuracy. The app perfectly mimics handwriting to accurately scan handwritten notes, sketches, doodles, diagrams, etc.

Additionally, The app also offers a sophisticated and flexible experience for writing notes, filling out forms, and drawing. It comes with a customizable toolbar to help you annotate PDFs. Students, professionals, and anyone who makes notes can easily use the app to make notes.

There is a zoom feature as well. It lets you dive into precise details so you can make error-free notes and drawings on the go. Apart from that, using its toolbar helps you find quick fix tools faster, whether you want to erase something or highlight any part of the note.

Notes Plus X is not available for free. However, its prices are worth it due to the amazing suite of features that you get to access using the app. This is one of the best note-taking apps for iPads and provides support for stylus like Apple Pencil for handwritten notes. You can also type texts to enter your data, though. You can use the app to doodle, draw, or write notes. 

We also liked its ability to customize pens and pencils elegantly. This customization lets you draw, write, create calligraphies, and more. Additionally, you can also change text fonts, colors, sizes, and more characteristics of your document. 

Another top reason for using this one of the top iPad note-taking apps is its ability to automatically detect shapes. This ability lets you create shapes and designs faster. You can also import and highlight important data on your PDFs using its highlighter and color abilities. 

In Notes Plus X, An image editor is included, too. It lets you crop, resize, and rotate your images so you can optimize them for your requirements. You can use the app to create a to-do list, task checklists, journal entries, daily planning, and more.

Loose Leaf supports importing images and PDF documents to its interface easily. Once imported, you can explore templates on the app and prepare high-quality documents with ease. Additionally, the app lets you create handwritten diagrams and notes with ease. 

You can write, draw, and edit on the app using your fingers. Or, a stylus like Apple Pencil can enhance the accuracy of your inputs. Another fact that we love about the app is that it does not come with any hidden costs, subscription fees, or in-app purchases. Additionally, the scissors let you create movable scraps to help you enhance your designs. 

If you need some assistance in drawing shapes, you have the option to use a ruler or protractor tool. These tools help you draw flawless shapes, diagrams, and other such content.

On top of that, Loose Leaf also supports exporting documents to major social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more. The app's simplicity is its strength, providing just the right amount of features without overwhelming the user. Whether you're annotating PDFs, sketching out a new design, or just doodling for fun, Loose Leaf offers a seamless experience that syncs well with the dynamic needs of its users.

Beesy is designed to help you through your projects and to-do lists. Additionally, you can use it to add minutes of meetings as well on the go so your important meetings and discussions remain documented. Beesy also lets you visualize all your activities and meeting reports. Additionally, there are Microsoft tools integrated into the platform, making its features additionally useful.

Beesy is great for creating notes, but it is also a good tool if you want to create a collaborative workspace. The tool, as mentioned earlier, lets you integrate Microsoft-based features so you can create and delegate tasks from the app itself. You can use Beesy to add audio recordings and bullets to notes as well along with photos. 

You can even export CSVs of saved data if you want to send the data for an external analysis. The process is easy. 

Lastly, Beesy makes sense for everyone who uses it, whether a student, lawyer, actor or even doctor. The app is equipped with brilliant features to upscale the quality of the overall productivity of its users.