Best note-taking apps for Mac in 2023
While Apple Notes checks off most boxes, it may not fit everyone’s needs. So, you might need one of these note-taking apps for Mac in your arsenal. No matter which format you like, text, audio, or video, this list has a suitable Note app alternative to match your need. Just keep strolling.
1. Boost Note – Editor’s choice
Boost Note is a versatile, feature-packed markdown editor mainly designed for developers and their teams. Thanks to real-time co-authoring, teams can create and edit documents together.
Plus, you can completely customize and automate your workflow with 3,000 external tools and apps integration. An IDE-like UX enables rich searchability options complete with smart folder and document property features.
Remarkably, the software automatically stores all changes in a document, and you can roll back anytime to review version history or revert changes. And most importantly, it offers multi-platform compatibility from macOS, web to mobile apps.
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Price : Free (Subscription starts at $3*)
2. Evernote – Notes organizer and planner
Despite the cut-throat competition, “Evernote” remains one of the most appreciable note-taking apps both for macOS and iOS. The highlight of this app is the wide range of tools that provide more flexibility.
The option to make notes in several formats like video, audio, web clippings, sketch ensure you are able to give your thoughts the right shape. With an easy-to-format word processor at your disposal, you can write your thoughts elegantly.
You can create an agenda to be discussed in a meeting, write a quick memo and transfer your Evernote notes to Apple Notes .
Often forget to do some important tasks? Make a checklist of all the things you have to do. Besides, you will also create presentations to express your thoughts with the desired impact.
Price: Free
3. Microsoft OneNote – Capture notes, ideas, and memos
“OneNote” is a complete package. The app lets you capture your ideas in a variety of formats and offer you the needed freedom to keep everything in perfect sync.
You can tag your notes to find them quickly. Make a list of to-dos and keep track of them so that you are able to do your tasks in time.
The collaboration features works immaculately, allowing you to work with your colleagues. For more security, you will also add an extra shield to your projects to keep them private.
Better still, OneNote for Mac is compatible with a ton of international languages including French, German, Greek, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish and more. So, a language should never become a roadblock to your note-taking.
4. NotePlan – Calendar, To-do list, and gestures
NotePlan’s UI may remind some other apps you may have come across. When we get past those UI similarities, NotePlan is an app that can be considered a replacement for a calendar and a task manager app since this app has built into it.
If you enter a note that mentions a deadline, NotePlan will auto-detect it and add that to the calendar. That’s not all; you can sync these events with the Apple calendar or Google calendar.
Other than syncing your calendar data, there’s also the option to backup the information you have stored into NotePlan to the iCloud server. Yes, the data won’t be shared with any third-party servers. A great relief for those privacy-concerned people.
Since there is the option to store data in the cloud, users can access their data seamlessly across devices.
Price : $9.99/per month with Setapp subscription or Free (Personal Monthly subscription at $14.99 )
5. Notebook – Take notes and sync
Zoho Corporation is well-known for producing powerful apps. And Notebook does have all the qualities to be highly efficient.
While there is a lot to like in this app, I find “Smart Cards” very adorable. What it basically does is automatically format the contents into specific cards like the recipe, video, and link.
The app provides several predefined note covers to let you design your stories elegantly. If you don’t like the readymade options, you can create a custom cover. Moreover, there is also an option to make public notes using shareable links so that anyone can view them.
With the dark-themed night mode, you will enjoy working till late at night. Plus, the reminders won’t let any of your tasks go out of your notice.
6. Bear – Markdown notes
Should you want to have a top-notch writing-cum note-taking app for your Mac, give a close look to Bear. I’ve used this app for a long and always found it pretty neat.
The best thing about it is the simple interface coupled with the easy-to-use tools. Therefore, you can write amazing stories and give your wildest thoughts the ideal shape.
Bear has a good library of more than a dozen themes that make it a lot easier to design stories. Features like tagging, archiving, and adding tasks to notes enable to take control of your stuff. Furthermore, you can export your projects in multiple formats such as HTML, PDF, DOCX, MD, JPG, and EPUB.
Lastly, after a free trial of one week, you will have to upgrade to Bear premium’s $1.49 monthly or $14.99 annually plan.
7. SideNote – Task manager and share notes to anyone
SideNote, as its name suggests, SideNote will always be on your side, and that too, without making any distractions for you. The app will only appear when you want to, without affecting what you currently view on your Mac, like an overlay.
You can change how and where the app should appear according to your preference. You can even assign keyboard shortcuts to call Side Notes. There are multiple options on how the notes are supposed to look, and the one I liked on them was the code-like UI.
Besides the code-like UI, you also get plain text and standard (markdown) options for UI. You can also use specific colors for them. Alongside the rich customization options, you also get a task manager within the app where you can add or make changes to your tasks.
You may have liked the sharing feature in Apple Notes . Well, guess what? SideNotes also gives you the option to share notes with anyone you want.
Price : 9.99 with Setapp monthly subscription / $19.99 on App Store
8. Agenda – Date-focused note-taking app
If you want to streamline all of your projects and get them ready before the deadline, pick out “Agenda.” One of the notable features of this app is the advanced text editor.
Depending on the specific theme, you can give a befitting look to your notes. It allows you to convert your text into multiple formats like Markdown and HTML. Segregate your files into different categories so that will access them instantly.
The app lets you connect your sticky notes to the events in your personal calendar. As a result, you can plan your meeting perfectly.
Better still, you don’t have to pay any bucks to use all the features of Agenda.
9. Notion – The all-in-one workspace
Notion is a comprehensive notes and productivity app for Mac that can help you get things done. It boasts 200 app integrations to streamline multiple aspects of your life, whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, student, etc.
I especially love it for the clean and intuitive user interface that works like a charm across multiple devices. You can also add its extensions to Chrome and Firefox to sync your work in real-time. Use it not just for notes but to organize almost anything you can think of!
Price: Free ($4.00 per month for Personal Pro plan)
10. Simplenote – Easiest way to keep notes
There are very few note-taking apps for Mac that look as familiar as Simplenote. Its user interface is pretty clean, and you hardly have to spend any time to master the tools.
One of my favorite feature of this app is focus mode. Times when you want to write with maximum concentration, this feature comes into play really well.
You can use pins and tags to organize your notes. And with Markdown, you will ideally format your projects. To ensure your eyes don’t burn while working in the night, the app comes with the dark mode.
11. GoodNotes – Write outside the lines
I have picked out GoodNotes for a couple of main reasons. First, it makes annotating docs really fun. And if you are fond of giving your docs a creative look, this one can be your thing.
You can highlight or strikeout the text in your PDF documents. Easily move, scale and ideally customize the object color. There is also an option to add the bookmarks to your docs.
Courtesy of the fast iCloud sync, you will find your notes on all of your devices. You can share your notes with others and also print them. The compatibility with a number of languages like English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and more make it an evergreen tool.
Price: $7.99
12. Quip – Chat, docs, slides, and spreadsheets in one app
“Quip” is a lot more than just a simple note app for macOS. To be more precise, this is what you should use to collaborate with your teammates. Thanks to the chat and messaging integration, it helps you work with your colleagues in a fun way.
You can use the app to note down your thoughts faster, create to-do lists, and edit your docs. It also lets you make comprehensive spreadsheets.
Another notable feature of this app is that it allows you to import your address book from several services like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Microsoft Outlook, Google, and iCloud.
You will create insightful charts by using the data from spreadsheets and Salesforce records. The smart slides would not just make your presentation more impressive but also save your time.
13. Unclutter – Instant access to your data
“Unclutter” is really smart! It’s designed to be a multitasker and lets you organize your clipboard data, files, and notes. If you aren’t able to take control of them, give it a chance to sort out the mess.
You can keep an eye on your clipboard history and manage it with ease. Store all of your files at once place and access them quickly. And yes, make sticky notes to never forget to do essential things.
The easy editing tools allow you to make changes conveniently. Due mainly to the quick search feature, you will instantly find a list. Besides, the app can be set up with Dropbox to sync data across the devices.
Price: $13.99
That’s pretty much it! So, this sums up our roundup of the best note apps for Mac.
What’s your favorite?
Now that you have known our favorite note apps, tell us about the ones that can walk into your personal roundup. We’d really appreciate your collection and the valuable feedback.
Take a glance at the following posts as well:
- Task management apps for Mac
- Best Calendar apps for Mac
- Best iTunes Alternatives for Mac
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GoodNotes 5 for Mac is now available on the Mac App Store
Important update: This article has been updated in April 2020 to reflect that GoodNotes is now a universal purchase for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS .
We’re happy to announce the release of GoodNotes 5 for Mac. It allows you to view, edit, and organize your GoodNotes documents right on the Mac. All of your changes are synchronized between iPhone, iPad, and Mac using iCloud.
The Mac app is the perfect tool for anyone who wants to have a seamless and continuous GoodNotes experience across their devices. Now you have access to your important information, notebooks, and documents on whatever device you’re currently working on. With similar features to the iPad app, users can get started right away without having to relearn anything.
Here are a few highlights that we think you’ll love:
Add documents from your Mac to existing GoodNotes notebooks
It is now easier than ever to add documents from your Mac to existing notebooks in GoodNotes. Open the thumbnail view in a GoodNotes notebook and simply drag and drop a PDF, GoodNotes document, or image from your desktop or Finder into it.
Bulk import many different documents from your Mac to prepare them
The Mac makes it easy to collect multiple documents from various different locations and bring them up on the same screen. Now easily bulk import a large number of documents into your GoodNotes library. If you’re a student, for example, and want to prepare materials for the next semester, you can simply add all the documents you need to your GoodNotes library. They will sync to your iPad via iCloud and are always available when you’re in a lecture.
Export documents or single pages as a PDF simply by dragging them out of your GoodNotes library
When you drag a document or a single page out of GoodNotes to another app or to your desktop or Finder, it will be automatically converted to a PDF, allowing you to quickly share it with others.
Open as many windows of GoodNotes as you want
By using the keyboard shortcut ⌘+N or the menubar item File > New, you’ll be able to open a new GoodNotes window.
Q: I purchased GoodNotes 4 for Mac. Do I get a discount for the new Mac version?
A: We have decided not to offer any discounts for previous customers of the GoodNotes 4 Mac version. You can read more about the reasons for this decision in our official statement .
Q: How do I sync my iPad, iPhone, and Mac with each other?
A: Make sure that you’re signed in to the same iCloud account on all of your devices and enable “iCloud Sync” in GoodNotes > Menu > Settings > iCloud. It may take some time initially for your documents to show up on the other device depending on the size of your library and your internet connection.
Q: Does the Mac app require a separate purchase if I already bought it on my iPhone or iPad?
A: No. If you bought the app once, you can install it for free on other devices. Please read more about that here .
Q: I can’t install macOS 10.15 on my Mac.
A: Unfortunately, we can’t make our new GoodNotes Mac app compatible with older operating systems. You can read more about it here .
Q: What happens with GoodNotes 4 for Mac?
A: GoodNotes 4 for Mac has been removed from sale in early 2019. If you have purchased it before, you will still be able to download it from “My Purchases” in the Mac App Store.
Is the GoodNotes App Worth Using on a Mac?
GoodNotes is a really popular note-taking app among iPad users, but is it a good idea to use it on your Mac too? Let's find out.
GoodNotes 5 is a popular iPad note-taking app. It allows you to write and draw on "digital paper" with your fingers or the Apple Pencil.
The app really focuses on creating handwritten, searchable notes and markups, so it's a little surprising there's a Mac version of it. How does an app seemingly designed for a tablet translate to a computer? And do the iPad and Mac versions work well together?
We decided to answer these questions ourselves and had some ultimately disappointing results. How bad was it? Read on to find out!
A Solid Start With GoodNotes 5 for Mac
We easily downloaded GoodNotes 5 for Mac from the App Store, and it opened without issues. We were off to a good start.
Learning that the free version of the app only came with three notebooks wasn't an immediate turn-off. The notebooks seem to have infinite pages, so being restricted to three of them impacts the organization between the notebooks but not the number of notes you can take.
Seeing the page templates available in the notebooks was also kind of exciting. There are many different line types and formats to choose from, and you can even control the paper color.
The user interface is pretty intuitive here too, and easy to figure out without a tutorial.
Download: GoodNotes 5 for Mac (Free, premium version available)
Where GoodNotes for Mac Started to Go Wrong
The problems began once we had a GoodNotes notebook open and were ready to use it. The default note-taking tool was set as the pen tool—a tool designed for writing notes out by hand.
How do you write out notes by hand on a MacBook? Your main options are to click and drag on the page with an external mouse or to click and drag on the page with the MacBook's trackpad. Neither of which went very well for us.
Pulling out a graphics tablet helped us utilize the pen tool better; the other writing/drawing features, like the eraser and the highlighter, worked better too. But writing on a graphics tablet is less intuitive than writing directly on an iPad's screen.
It's also a potentially cumbersome accessory to carry around if you want to take notes during a meeting or in a class while using the Mac app.
The GoodNotes Mac app does have a text box tool that lets you type in a notebook instead of attempting to write things out by hand. But the text boxes don't have any preset margins to fit onto a GoodNotes page, and it has some odd quirks we found ourselves correcting a lot rather than focusing on note-taking.
An example quirk is if you place a text box and accidentally adjust its size while trying to move it around, the text box will not expand from the size you set while you type—this can be one-word long, but GoodNotes doesn't care.
Meanwhile, if you don't set the text box size, GoodNotes will let you type right off the page, where it becomes difficult to readjust the size.
These issues with typing notes drove home that GoodNotes really wants to be a handwritten notes app, not a typed notes one. And honestly, if we're typing out notes, we'd rather do it in Microsoft Word or the arguably superior word processor Apple Pages . Even Notes or Text Edit offer better typing options!
The main function of GoodNotes 5—being a digital notebook you can write in and more easily edit than paper—just doesn't make sense on Mac's interface. So as a Mac-only note-taking app, it's a hard pass for us.
What About Editing PDFs in GoodNotes for Mac?
Annotating PDFs went fairly well in GoodNotes for Mac. It was easy to upload a file, and highlighting text with a mouse or trackpad was as easy to do here as in Preview and while using the Markup feature on Mac .
Writing notes by hand onto the PDFs came with the same issues as trying to handwrite full notes, but at least the text box options were pretty easy to implement here.
The main downside to annotating a PDF was that the PDF file we uploaded took up space as a notebook in the app. Since we were using the free version of GoodNotes, we only had room for three notebooks, which meant we didn't have much room for annotating more PDFs or for note-taking.
The full version of GoodNotes is a one-time purchase of $11.99, and it comes with unlimited notebooks plus lots of folder options for organizing PDFs you highlight in the future.
But with free PDF editing options like Preview and Markup already built into Macs, it doesn't seem worth paying for GoodNotes just for that. Granted, paying for GoodNotes gets you the full app on your iPad, iPhone, and Mac. But we wouldn't recommend paying if you plan to only use the app on your Mac.
Using GoodNotes' Mac and iPad Apps Together
By now, we've reached the firm conclusion that GoodNotes isn't really an app designed for the Mac. It made a lot of sense for the iPad, though—would the Mac version of GoodNotes do better if used in tandem with the iPad version? Let's find out.
GoodNotes connected our MacBook and iPad via iCloud, meaning both devices were logged into the same Apple ID and on the same Wi-Fi network.
Within these conditions, we found that we could make a mark in a GoodNotes notebook on one device and see that pop up on the other in 10 to 30 seconds. The more writing or drawing, the longer the synchronization took.
This was pretty fast in our book, and it was nice to keep the same notebook open on both devices simultaneously without any issues. The notebook pages also keep the same formatting on both devices, so there aren't any surprises when you go between.
Despite this synchronicity, though, we found using the two apps at once wasn't particularly useful. In the end, it was easier just to use the iPad version for everything.
Since GoodNotes boasts that its software can read handwriting and make it searchable, something we thought could be useful was writing out notes on the iPad and then using the Mac GoodNotes app to find where in the notebook we'd written something.
This ended up not being possible. The Mac version could search typed text, but not handwritten text, whether the writing originated on the iPad or the MacBook.
GoodNotes does list on their site that handwriting recognition comes with the full version of the app, but we found the iPad version was able to do the handwriting search. So perhaps only the Mac app is limited.
We also found typing notes in the Mac app and then drawing figures with the iPad was easy enough to do, but it was also possible to type notes on the iPad and leave the Mac out entirely.
Certainly, we could imagine scenarios where we'd type a bunch of text boxes, and arrange them and make drawings and corrections later on the iPad. But for a lot of note-taking, it'd just be easier to use one device.
It also wasn't easy to rearrange drawn elements once they were on a page, no matter which device we used. Use of the selection tool moved drawn and written text alongside the typed text, so it wouldn't be easy to correct or reorganize any notes made on the iPad in the Mac version either.
GoodNotes 5: A Great iPad App That Doesn't Belong on Mac
Though we can definitely say that GoodNotes 5 is a great iPad app (particularly if you have an Apple Pencil), it is not an app that was in any way designed for use on a Mac. The Mac version of GoodNotes is just the iPad app slapped onto a computer. And it just doesn't work.
We're disappointed in this finding, as it's always great to find apps that work well on several devices and that can be used in tandem on those devices. But we'll comfort ourselves knowing better apps exist and continue using GoodNotes as it was intended to be—on a tablet!
Note-Taking & PDF Markup.
GoodNotes overview
With GoodNotes you can transform your Mac into smart digital paper and a powerful document management system. Use the same features from GoodNotes' iPad version on your Mac and work with your documents where you want and when you want.
Create, import, and edit documents on your mac:
- Create digital notebooks and type text with your keyboard or write and draw with the mouse/trackpad or the Apple Pencil using Sidecar on your iPad
- Import PDF and images to annotate them in GoodNotes
- Add documents from your Mac to existing GoodNotes notebooks via drag and drop
Paperless document management
- Organize your documents in folders and create unlimited subfolders
- Mark your most important documents, pages, and folders as Favorites to access them quickly
- Create custom outlines for easier navigation through your documents
- Instant export of documents or pages as PDF via drag and drop
All your notes always with you
- Sync your latest changes to your iPad, iPhone, and other Macs using iCloud
- Prepare documents on your Mac and pick them up on another device to continuously work on them
Escape the limits of analog paper
- Move, resize, and rotate your handwriting or change colors
- Draw perfect shapes and lines with the Shapes Tool
- Powerful & smart eraser tool: Choose to erase the entire stroke or only parts of it. Set it to "Erase Highlighter Only" to leave the ink intact
- Navigate through imported PDFs with existing hyperlinks
What’s new in version 5.9.62
Updated on Nov 30 2022
- In this version, we have polished the toolbar design and fixed some visual glitches.
- In addition, we have also applied some changes to improve app performance and stability.
- Last but not least, we have modernized part of the tech stack to offer cutting-edge products to customers.
Information
Developer’s website, app requirements.
- Apple Silicon
- Mac OS X macOS 11.3 or later
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Goodnotes for macOS 10.13
My mac cannot upgrade for macOS 10.15 so, I'd like to have goodnotes app version that is suitable for me to update my notes across between my iPad and my mac.
We’ll send you updates on this idea
Sadly, the technology we’re using to develop the Mac app, called “Mac Catalyst”, is not compatible with macOS versions below 10.15. We currently don’t have any plans of changing that.
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Either do I. It's too sad.
I agree and need the same, please.
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GoodNotes 5.9.8
Transform your Mac into smart digital paper and a powerful document management system. Use the same features from GoodNotes' iPad version on your Mac and work with your documents where you want and when you want. CREATE, IMPORT, AND EDIT DOCUMENTS ON YOUR MAC
- Create digital notebooks and type text with your keyboard or write and draw with the mouse/trackpad or the Apple Pencil using Sidecar on your iPad
- Import PDF and images to annotate them in GoodNotes
- Add documents from your Mac to existing GoodNotes notebooks via drag and drop
PAPERLESS DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
- Organize your documents in folders and create unlimited subfolders
- Mark your most important documents, pages, and folders as Favorites to access them quickly
- Create custom outlines for easier navigation through your documents
- Instant export of documents or pages as PDF via drag and drop
ALL YOUR NOTES ALWAYS WITH YOU
- Sync your latest changes to your iPad, iPhone, and other Macs using iCloud
- Prepare documents on your Mac and pick them up on another device to continuously work on them
ESCAPE THE LIMITS OF ANALOG PAPER
- Move, resize, and rotate your handwriting or change colors
- Draw perfect shapes and lines with the Shapes Tool
- powerful & smart eraser tool: Choose to erase the entire stroke or only parts of it. Set it to "Erase Highlighter Only" to leave the ink intact
- Navigate through imported PDFs with existing hyperlinks
What's New:
Version 5.9.8
- Bug fixes and stability improvements
Version 5.9.0 Download GoodNotes 5 for free on iPad, Mac, and iPhone and create your first 3 notebooks for free.
Get the full GoodNotes experience with a One-Time Unlock In-App Purchase (IAP):
- Create unlimited notebooks
- Unlock handwriting recognition to search handwritten notes
- Import documents via e-mail
- Prioritized email support
Screenshots:
- Title: GoodNotes 5.9.8
- Developer: Time Base Technology Limited
- Compatibility: macOS 10.15 or later, 64-bit processor
- Language: Multilingual
- Includes: K'ed by TNT
- Size: 433.33 MB
- View in Mac App Store
NitroFlare:
GoodNotes 5.7.5
GoodNotes 5.6.2
GoodNotes 5.5.5
- 25-04-2022, 14:20
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Top 7 note-taking apps for Mac in 2023
What’s the best way to take notes on Mac? The way that fits your workflow and content best, of course! That’s right, picking the most suitable note-taking app for Mac is the key to your productivity and satisfaction with the app’s functionality.
But worry not, you don’t have to do it alone. In this post, we will be looking at seven excellent note-taking apps, exploring their features, and discussing how they can improve into your daily routine.
Let’s dive in!
How to choose the best note-taking app for Mac
To choose the best Macintosh notes solution, browse our curated selection below and install the one you love most. But before we start, here’s a quick primer on what to look for in a note-taking app:
- Lightweight . Since a note-taking app is something you’ll probably keep at your hand at all times, pay attention to how much RAM and CPU it consumes. If an app is permanently sipping a big chunk of system resources, it will slow down your Mac and eventually hamper your productivity. So lightweight is the way to go.
- Fast to add notes and easy to access . You can use a timer to test your app. The rule of thumb is if it takes longer than five seconds to open an app and start typing your notes, it’s not going to be efficient.
- Accommodates your specific note-taking habits . For example, you’re someone who takes notes during meetings and needs good templates for meeting notes. Not every app can cover this use case, but after a quick research, you’ll figure out there are great solutions such as NotePlan .
- User-friendly . It might sound like a cliche but the way your app is designed will have a direct impact on your productivity. Go for tools that are easy to navigate, whether you’re a beginner or pro. And remember, you don’t have to spend hours to set up your note-taking space — it should be a quick and intuitive process.
Tip : With Setapp, all the note-taking apps we review below are part of one subscription, so you can simply try them all and decide later. Sign up for a 7-day free trial.
Now that we’ve gotten this out of the way, let’s look at the note-taking apps to possibly meet your requirements. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Best note-taking apps for Mac
Below, we take a look at seven excellent Mac note-taking applications — SideNotes, MarginNote, Unclutter, NotePlan, MarsEdit, and MindNode. We discuss each on the list in detail, outline the key features and highlight some pros and cons to help you get a balanced view on each of the tools.
We tried to find a balance between brief and concise while also giving you just enough to make the right decision. Scroll down for our overview.
SideNotes is a convenient Mac note-taker that can be swiped into life from the right side of your screen. Create notes, manage to-do lists, and add images and files to your notes. Color code your items for easier management. What’s more, the app supports markdown formatting and has built-in sharing.
We love SideNotes because it’s always just a swipe away, it’s discreet but accessible, has all the right tools for note-taking and management, and is integrated seamlessly into your Mac workflow.
- Easily accessible
- Built-in to-do list functionality
- Code-friendly
- Available on Setapp
No note tagging
MarginNote brings highlighting and margin note-taking from the physical world and into the digital one. Highlight bits of your text documents, add comprehensive notes — both handwritten and typed, and much more.
This app is perfect for really getting into the nitty-gritty of your project or study materials. Actively working with text helps you digest and remember the information better, and MarginNote is just the tool to do that, without all the paper waste.
- Functionality to draw on top of documents
- Perfect for complex, multilevel notes
- Flashcard functionality
Takes some time to figure out
Systemize your files and take notes? This Mac notes app does it all. Try Unclutter if you want to take notes, but also add files and use clipboard history to keep better track of your work and items.
We have to admit, we are fans of Unclutter not just for its note-taking capabilities but for file management. Dragging and dropping a file or folder onto the Files tile of the app and then moving the item directly where you need it when you need it? This simple solution frees up a lot of mental space spent on remembering which files go where. Just relax and let Unclutter take care of all the stuff on your plate!
- Built-in file management
- Clipboard history
- Sections can be used as desktop sticky notes
Limited ability to structure notes
One of the best notes solutions for Mac is NotePlan , and we are not just saying that because it looks so good. The app has a handy built-in calendar and a bunch of note editing and structuring functionality, enabling you to really get your thoughts and ideas in order.
Ever find yourself in a meeting and someone says “as we’ve discussed last time” and you have no idea what they are talking about? NotePlan is perfect for people who are drowning in meeting invites and struggling to keep track of it all. The app allows you to create brief meeting notes, agenda, and action points, keep track of past events, and show up prepared every time!
- Perfect for detailed, highly structured notes
- Markdown functionality
- Built-in calendar
No image embedding
If your primary use for note-taking software on Mac is creating content for your blog, MarsEdit is just what you need. The app is designed to help you make full-fledged blog posts and publish them to integrated blog services.
Now, you don’t have to be an influencer or a full-time blogger to need MarsEdit. This amazing tool can make it easy for you to post to multiple platforms, plan content, create and backup drafts and posts for any purpose, whether professional or hobby, — all without getting distracted from what you really have to say.
- Ideal for anyone running a blog
- Smart previews
- Built-in publishing
Geared strictly towards blogging
Perfect for organization, planning, structuring, and refining ideas, MindNode is yet another option for your note-taking needs.
This mind-mapping and note-taking tool is as flexible and comprehensive as you want it to be. Need to take down just a few key points and understand your main flow? Easy. Want to create a detailed plan with numerous simultaneous steps and additional info? No problem! MindNode can handle your most eclectic ideas and seamlessly fit anything you throw at it while keeping it neat, structured, and truly glanceable (just zoom out of your map to view all of its elements).
- Mind-mapping capability
- Comprehensive idea structuring tools
Each map is stored as an individual file
Try every note-taking app for free
Selecting the best note-taking software for your Mac can make or break your productivity. Whether you are working on a project, developing a piece of software, planning a trip, designing a marketing campaign, studying, or running your blog, picking the note app tailored to your needs is one of the best things you can do for your productivity and inspiration.
Get inspired by our selection of seven amazing note-taking apps that can turn your workflow around and become invaluable helpers in creating content, producing ideas, and getting results without leaving anything out. Produce amazing plans with NotePlan, jot down ideas without breaking your flow with SideNotes, create mind maps with MindNode, work on your blog posts with MarsEdit, track ideas and items with Unclutter, get your hands dirty with highlighting and handwritten notes in MarginNote.
And the best news? You can try all of the note-taking apps we’ve mentioned today with your Setapp subscription! That’s right, all the apps — SideNotes, MarginNote, Unclutter, NotePlan, MarsEdit, and MindNode — are on Setapp . Get them all, several, or just the one you like most and become a true note-taking aficionado.
Not on Setapp? Try our app suite for free with the 7-day trial and find these and many more apps to help you save time, improve productivity, and solve tasks you face on the daily!
What is the best note-taking app for Mac?
The best note-taking app is the one that accommodates your note-taking habits, is easy to navigate, and can be accessed fast when you need it. Depending on your workflow, there will always be pros and cons you will determine individually, but here’s our general recommendation:
use MarginNote to take notes while studying
MindNode is great for visualizing notes and ideas
NotePlan is your perfect choice if you like to take notes during meetings, want to link your notes with calendar events, and generally rely on note-taking at work
Unclutter and SideNotes are great unsophisticated options for jotting down notes as quickly as possible
MarsEdit works best for blogging purposes.
All these apps are part of Setapp, so you don’t have to buy them.
How to take handwritten notes on Mac?
With some languages (Chinese and Cantonese), you can use Trackpad Handwriting (select it as an input source in System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources). If you want to jot down notes using Trackpad in any language, in your note-taking app, consider MarginNote. However, it’s generally not the fastest method, so if you want to take handwritten notes on a regular basis, it’s best to use an iPad and Apple Pencil, and then sync your notes to Mac.
How to take notes on MacBook for college?
MarginNote is hands down unbeatable note-taking software for students, while it lets you interlink notes with study materials, and keep everything organized, in one neat space. You can annotate your books, create notes, and turn notes into mind maps using this single tool.
Sign up to Setapp and try them for free.
- How to access clipboard (copy-paste) history on a Mac
- How to make flashcards on a Mac
- Keep Track of Tasks, Projects, and Notes with Cloud Outliner
- 8 characters minimum.
- At least 1 uppercase letter.
- At least 1 lowercase letter.
GoodNotes 5.4.42 For Mac DMG Download [160 MB]
GoodNotes 5.4.42 for mac dmg free download full version. Complete setup GoodNotes 5.4.23 offline installer for mac OS with direct link.
Description GoodNotes 5 For Mac + Overview
GoodNotes 5 for Mac is a convenient and easy-to-use program for creating, editing and importing the digital documents. This impressive software could be a combination digital notepad and PDF markup tool. there’s no complexity involved in handling this Mac document editor. Its installation process doesn’t take long and doesn’t pose any quite problems, while the interface you stumble upon is kind of minimal and clear-cut. Using GoodNotes 5, users can write and sketch with finger or a stylus on digital paper & imported documents.
To make documents clearer and interesting , it allows to feature images, typed text and excellent shapes to the page and reorder and resize them. Finding something within the notes is sort of easy as its OCR technology empowers users to seek out handwritten notes, PDF text, document & folder titles, typed text, and outlines in seconds. On the entire , GoodNotes 5 for Mac may be a single place for all of your handwritten notes and formerly paper-based information. You can also download App Tamer 2.5.2 For Mac DMG .
GoodNotes 5.4.42 Features Full Version for MacOS X
Some interesting features of GoodNotes 5.4.42 listed below that you experienced after download dmg of GoodNotes 5.4.23 for macOS.
- An easy to handle perfect document editor for Mac users
- Quickly import PDF, Word, and PowerPoint files to annotate them
- Comes with straightforward, clean and user-friendly interface
- Import PDF and images to annotate them in GoodNotes
- Add documents from your Mac to existing GoodNotes notebooks via drag and drop
- Enables users to create, edit and import digital documents
- Helps users to draw perfect shapes and lines with the Shapes Tool
- Sync your latest changes to your iPad, iPhone, and other Macs using iCloud
- Prepare documents on your Mac and pick them up on another device to continuously work on them
- Create digital notebooks and type text with your keyboard
GoodNotes 5.4.42 Dmg Setup Details
- Product: GoodNotes-5.4.42_mac.zip
- Size of App: 160 MB
- Dmg Version: 5.4.42
- Setup Extension: zip
- Tools for dmg needed: Zip Extractor
- Developers: goodnotesInc
System Requirements of GoodNotes 5.4.36 for Mac OS X
Must read listed system requirement for your Apple mac book before download this app.
- Operating System: OS X 10.15 or later
- Ram (Memory): 2 GB Minimum required for this dmg.
- Disk Space: 350 MB free space needed for this app.
- System Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo or later (Core i3, Core i5).
Download GoodNotes 5 Mac Dmg Free
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What’s the best note-taking app for the Mac?
Note taking apps for Mac are a fun category to look at because of the variety of options on the market. There are apps like Evernote which aim to be an “everything” bucket and apps like SimpleNote that only handle plain text notes. You then have apps like Bear and Apple Notes which aim to live somewhere in the middle. When I am looking for the best note-taking app for the Mac, I am looking for a few different things: sync to iOS (and web if possible), easy to add new notes, and easy to look up existing notes. I’ve used dozens of apps over the years, and I have opinions on what a note-taking app for Mac should look like for my use cases. Most of the apps offer free trials, so I advise you to check them all out. I’ll run through a few of the apps, and then I’ll help you figure out which will be the best note-taking app for you to try.
When looking at macOS note-taking apps, your needs may look drastically different from what you’ll want on iPhone and iPad. On the iPhone, speed of starting a new note might take priority. On the iPad, handwriting integration with Apple Pencil might take priority.
When looking at the best note-taking app for the Mac, the factors that are important for me are: ability to organize in folders/tags, speed of search, and ease of adding new notes from other apps. Based on the experience I’ve had with note-taking apps for the Mac, I came up with six great options depending on what’s important to you.
Evernote is one of those apps I sort of don’t remember not existing. It originally launched in 2008 as a web service and has added clients to pretty much every platform over the years. It’s a perfect example of the everything bucket. You can load anything you want into Evernote , and it will sync it everywhere else you use Evernote.
I used to hate Evernote, and then I loved Evernote. My problem with Evernote has a lot less to do with Evernote, but more than there are just more polished alternatives. I feel like OneNote is a better everything bucket, and Apple Notes is built into every Mac and iOS device. Evernote isn’t bad, but I just don’t love it. For me, it’s just a service that stayed stagnant while others around it evolved. One aspect of Evernote that’s really well done is its web clipper for saving information from webpages.
Evernote offers a free version, but I would advise the paid upgrade if you plan on using it. It’s $8 per month or $70 per year. Upgrading gets you 10 GB of monthly uploads, offline notebooks, forward emails into Evernote, and automatic OCR scanning of your documents.
Evernote can be downloaded for free on the Mac App Store .
Apple Notes
Apple Notes is built into every new Mac, and your storage is included with your iCloud account (5GB for free). It has some nice integrations built into macOS where you can add Safari items right to Notes. Like Evernote, you can add text, files, images, and more to notes. You can organize notes in folders (and subfolders), but it does lack the ability to create new notes via email like Evernote. That feature alone makes me consider Evernote from time to time.
Is Apple’s Notes perfect? No, but it’s hard to see where it won’t fit the needs of most people. If you have somewhat basic note needs, then Apple Notes will probably work for you. The cost of storage is built into the cost of iCloud, so you can create thousands of notes with images, files, etc. without worrying about running out of space.
Bear is a well-known Note taking app for macOS (and iOS) with a simple design, large feature set, and robust sync. It reminds me of Apple Notes on steroids. Bear looks very similar to Notes.app, but it includes a lot of features Apple decided not to build in. A few of them are Markdown support, note linking (linking to other notes), multiple themes, export to Word, hashtag organization, and more.
If you really want to like Apple Notes, but it just doesn’t do quite enough for you to be considered the best note-taking app for Mac, then I would check out Bear. It’s easy to learn the basics, but it can do a lot once you spend some time with it.
Bear is a free app, but a $15/year subscription unlocks sync between all your devices, over a dozen themes, and export options.
Bear can be downloaded for free on the Mac App Store .
On the Mac, Microsoft Office has gotten a lot better in recent years. The team at Microsoft has spent more time and resources making the apps feel more native to macOS versus just a cheap Windows port.
OneNote is one of those apps that you probably have on your laptop but might have never opened. It’s actually really good, though. It’s a lot more robust than Bear or Apple Notes, and it’s more in line with the type of app Evernote tries to be. It can sync just about anything, and it allows you to organize it in almost any way you want. If you work at an organization that is heavy into the Microsoft ecosystem (and you use a Mac), I would not hesitate to recommend OneNote to you as the best note-taking for the Mac.
OneNote can be downloaded on the Mac App Store.
Simplenote is another one of those apps that I purchased years ago on iPhone before Automattic purchased it. For a long time, there wasn’t a macOS version. Users could use SimpleNote on iOS and then an app like Notational Velocity on macOS.
Comparing Simplenote to something like Evernote or OneNote doesn’t seem right as they are completely different. Simplenote allows you to collaborate with others, supports Markdown, and uses tags to organize. It’s all about plain text, though. If you want something to support images, handwriting, etc, you’ll have to look elsewhere. But if you want a plain text note-taking app for Mac, I would check it out.
SimpleNote is a free app on the Mac App Store .
Notational Velocity
I mentioned Notational Velocity with Simplenote, and it’s another app you should check out. It can sync with Dropbox or the Simplenote API so you can access your notes on iOS. It’s a simpler version of Simplenote, and it feels more native to macOS. Notational Velocity excels at speed and search. If you have hundreds of notes that you want to be able to sort through quickly, then you’ll want to give it a try (it’s open source).
Notational Velocity can be downloaded for free.
When looking for the best note-taking app on the Mac, you really need to decide what kind of note-taking app you want to use. If you want something for just plain text notes, check our Simplenote or Notational Velocity. If you want something for notes, images, PDFs, etc then check out Evernote or OneNote. If you want something in the middle, I would go with Apple Notes.
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Is there a way to get GoodNotes on a Windows computer?
I really want this note taking application on my computer. I already have a drawing tablet and use OneNote. I intend to find a sort of emulator for iOS with the purpose of using GoodNotes.
Nothing of that sort is there; you’ll need a Mac for the same; closest I’ve heard is people installing ‘Hackintosh’ for this
Not really but if you do not want to install a hackintosh I think a pdf editor would work. I have goodnotes storing my notes to google drive and drive is syncing to my pc. I can open the pdf with Acrobat pro on windows and scribble on the notes on my pc once finish save and it gets synced to good notes automatically. Very very far far from ideal maybe it would work for your use case it definitely gets the jobs done for me
how do you store it in gdrive?
GoodNotes is optimised for iPadOS so there’s no windows version (nor likely to be)
Closest I’ve seen is have GoodNotes sync to google drive (in PDF form) that way you can access all your notes using the browser
Late but use virtual box or vmware to run mac os. you can share files b/t host and guest. host being your windows os, guest being mac os running in virtual box or whatever.
we also had macs at my college with dual boot for windows and mac os. you had to restart the whole computer if you wanted to switch to windows from mac or vice versa.
No, it won't happen. It's an ipad app specifically and an ios emulator will reaaalllyyy not be worth it if you could even get files to sync, apps to purchase, or a drawing tablet to work on it. Youd have to find some windows specific program
Drawboard is the best alternative
I would try Nebo. I don't remember what features GoodNotes has, but I think Nebo has most of them. It has good handwriting to text recognition and conversion, and a search function that reads through ur handwriting and pdfs. It can also back up to google drive.
- You cannot import an image on top of a pdf.
- You cannot bookmark individual pages in a pdf (annoying for textbooks)
I think the best solution here is to use Onedrive for Auto-Backup in Goodnotes.
On your Ios device: Open Goodnotes > Setting > Auto-Backup
On your Windows PC: Download Onedrive > Sync Goodnotes folder into your computer
Your notebooks will automatically sync into your local PC as a PDF.
https://medium.goodnotes.com/how-to-view-your-goodnotes-documents-on-a-windows-or-android-device-d81f4c468330
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iOS 16.4 Is Almost Here. You Should Still Download iOS 16.3.1 Now
The iOS 16.3.1 update comes with a number of fixes, including one for an issue that might be used to hack your phone.
Apple has released beta versions of iOS 16.4 to testers , so Apple will likely release that update to the public soon. But you should still download iOS 16.3.1 as soon as possible.
Apple released iOS 16.3.1 on Feb. 13, a few weeks after the release of iOS 16.3 . Though iOS 16.3 included new features like security keys for Apple ID and support for the second-generation HomePod , the latest update fixes some issues that iPhone users might've run into recently, including a bug that Apple said might be actively exploited.
Here's what's included in Apple's iOS 16.3.1 update.
What's in iOS 16.3.1
The latest iOS update includes bug fixes and security updates that address issues with iCloud, Siri, Find My and crash detection.
Apple's security notes say this latest update patches an iPhone bug that may've been actively exploited. Apple writes that the bug may lead to arbitrary code execution, and the bug affects iPhone 8 models and later. According to Okta , arbitrary code execution could allow hackers to steal your data.
The update could also fix an iCloud issue some users ran into after the release of iOS 16.3. Some users on Reddit and Twitter have said they haven't been able to back up to iCloud since the release of the previous update.
Another issue that iOS 16.3.1 could address has to do with crash detection on iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models. Crash detection has helped alert first responders to some car crashes, but it has also been triggered when some users ride roller coasters with their phones .
Here's what Apple says is fixed with iOS 16.3.1.
- iCloud settings may be unresponsive or incorrectly display if apps are using iCloud.
- Siri requests for Find My may not work.
- Crash detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models.
For more, check out all the features you missed in iOS 16.3 , what iOS 16.4 beta features testers can try now and how you can sign up to test Apple's iOS beta software .
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IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
GoodNotes 5 is a combination digital notepad and PDF markup tool. And it's very good at both. As a notepad, GoodNotes covers all the bases. Create notes with your keyboard or handwrite them with Apple Pencil. The app transforms your hand-drawn shapes into geometrically perfect ones.
Download today and try for free, on iPad, iPhone, and Mac. GoodNotes is Free for Schools Any educational institution using Apple School Manager will have full access to GoodNotes, including handwriting recognition, for free.
Downloading GoodNotes 5 & Getting Started How to use GoodNotes 5 for macOS GoodNotes 5 for macOS supports almost all features from the GoodNotes 5 iOS version. You can refer to Getting started with GoodNotes 5. Some features might be missing because they're currently not relevant on macOS, for example, the Zoom window tool. FAQ
Boost Note is a versatile, feature-packed markdown editor mainly designed for developers and their teams. Thanks to real-time co-authoring, teams can create and edit documents together. Plus, you can completely customize and automate your workflow with 3,000 external tools and apps integration.
Q: I can't install macOS 10.15 on my Mac. A: Unfortunately, we can't make our new GoodNotes Mac app compatible with older operating systems. You can read more about it here. Q: What happens with GoodNotes 4 for Mac? A: GoodNotes 4 for Mac has been removed from sale in early 2019.
Download: GoodNotes 5 for Mac (Free, premium version available) Where GoodNotes for Mac Started to Go Wrong The problems began once we had a GoodNotes notebook open and were ready to use it. The default note-taking tool was set as the pen tool—a tool designed for writing notes out by hand. How do you write out notes by hand on a MacBook?
With GoodNotes you can transform your Mac into smart digital paper and a powerful document management system. Use the same features from GoodNotes' iPad version on your Mac and work with your documents where you want and when you want. Create, import, and edit documents on your mac:
Goodnotes for macOS 10.13 My mac cannot upgrade for macOS 10.15 so, I'd like to have goodnotes app version that is suitable for me to update my notes across between my iPad and my mac. 2 Anonymous shared this idea · Dec 12, 2019 · Report… Not at all You must login first! Important You must login first! Critical You must login first!
Download GoodNotes 5 and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac OS X 11.3 or later. Use GoodNotes on Mac to access your digital notes wherever you work. With iCloud, your digital notes will be synced on all your devices, making the GoodNotes Mac app the perfect partner to access your digital notes on your computer.
582 117K views 2 years ago The GoodNotes 5 app for Mac allows you to access all of your notebooks and documents in GoodNotes right on your Mac computer! In this video, I run through a quick...
Bug fixes and stability improvements. Version 5.9.0. Download GoodNotes 5 for free on iPad, Mac, and iPhone and create your first 3 notebooks for free. Get the full GoodNotes experience with a One-Time Unlock In-App Purchase (IAP): Create unlimited notebooks. Unlock handwriting recognition to search handwritten notes. Import documents via e-mail.
Goodnotes 5 on a Mac | Can you do digital planning on a Mac? Amanda Davis 40K views 2 years ago 9 ways Noteful is better than GoodNotes 5 (2022 comparison) Paperless X 8.5K views 6 months...
Best note-taking apps for Mac Below, we take a look at seven excellent Mac note-taking applications — SideNotes, MarginNote, Unclutter, NotePlan, MarsEdit, and MindNode. We discuss each on the list in detail, outline the key features and highlight some pros and cons to help you get a balanced view on each of the tools.
With the Mac app, options for syncing are slightly different to those on iOS/iPad OS. At times you might notice that the Mac App is not syncing and the ways in which to go about re-enabling the sync are a little different. Firstly, GoodNotes 5 for Mac requires macOS Big Sur (11.3) or later.
Complete setup GoodNotes 5.4.23 offline installer for mac OS with direct link. Description GoodNotes 5 For Mac + Overview. GoodNotes 5 for Mac is a convenient and easy-to-use program for creating, editing and importing the digital documents. This impressive software could be a combination digital notepad and PDF markup tool. there's no ...
Bear. Bear is a well-known Note taking app for macOS (and iOS) with a simple design, large feature set, and robust sync. It reminds me of Apple Notes on steroids. Bear looks very similar to Notes ...
Late but use virtual box or vmware to run mac os. you can share files b/t host and guest. host being your windows os, guest being mac os running in virtual box or whatever. we also had macs at my college with dual boot for windows and mac os. you had to restart the whole computer if you wanted to switch to windows from mac or vice versa.
Security fixes and more land on your iPhone with the latest iOS update. Apple has released beta versions of iOS 16.4 to testers, so Apple will likely release that update to the public soon. But ...