Pick by how you work
- Quick notes and lists: Simplenote, OneNote and Standard Notes keep it simple. Simplenote says apps, backups, syncing and sharing are all free.
- A knowledge base: Obsidian lets you create connections between notes, Logseq calls itself an open-source knowledge base, and Capacities organizes notes as objects with custom types.
- An all-in-one workspace: Notion mixes pages, databases, forms and simple sites.
- Tasks and projects: Todoist, TickTick, Trello and Workflowy focus on to-dos, boards and outlines.
Try two apps with a week of real notes before you move everything. Moving a large collection later is more work than picking carefully now.
Free plan limits to check
Free plans are limited in different ways. The limits that matter most, from the vendors' pricing pages:
| Limit | Examples from the table |
|---|---|
| Number of notes or lists | Evernote: 50 notes and 1 notebook; TickTick: 9 lists with 99 tasks each; Todoist: 5 personal projects |
| Devices | Evernote: sync on 1 device; AFFiNE: up to 3 login devices; Standard Notes and Notesnook: unlimited |
| Uploads | Notion: 5 MB per file; Trello and AFFiNE: 10 MB per file; Notesnook: 50 MB a month |
| History | Notion: 7 days of page history; Todoist: 1 week of activity history |
| Monthly caps | Workflowy: 100 nodes a month |
Local files or the cloud
Some apps keep your notes as files on your device, others keep them on the vendor's servers. Obsidian's pricing page says the app is free without limits and needs no sign-up; syncing between devices through Obsidian Sync is a paid add-on. AFFiNE's free plan includes unlimited local workspaces, Logseq describes itself as privacy-first and open source, and Joplin syncs through services like Dropbox, OneDrive or Joplin Cloud.
Local files are easy to back up and to open in another app later. Cloud apps sync without setup but tie your notes to the vendor. Whichever you pick, export a copy now and then.
Privacy and encryption
If your notes hold private details, look for end-to-end encryption, where only your devices can read the notes. Standard Notes includes it on the free plan, Notesnook says notes are end-to-end encrypted by default and its client and server are open source under GPLv3, and Joplin offers end-to-end encryption too.
For a quick note that never leaves your computer, the online notepad on this site saves only on your device, and only if you turn that on.
Free writing tools on this site
- Online notepad: a quick scratchpad with word count and download.
- Markdown editor: write Markdown with a live preview, handy for Obsidian, Logseq and Joplin notes.
- Word counter: words, characters and reading time.
- Speech to text: dictate a note and copy it into any app.
- Focus timer: work in focused blocks with breaks.
We opened each app's official pricing page, website or repository on the date in the table and wrote down only what it says. "Not stated" means the page does not say it.
Frequently asked questions
Which note-taking app is completely free?
Simplenote says apps, backups, syncing and sharing are all completely free. Obsidian says it is free without limits, with Sync and Publish as paid extras. Notesnook's free plan allows unlimited notes on unlimited devices, with caps on uploads, notebooks and a few other features.
Can I use Obsidian for work for free?
Yes. Obsidian's pricing page says you are not required to pay for commercial use, but it encourages organizations to buy an optional commercial license for $50 per user per year to support development.
What is the catch with the free Evernote plan?
The limits are tight: Evernote's comparison page lists 50 notes, 1 notebook, sync on 1 device and 1 GB of storage for the Free plan. It works for a small collection, but not as a home for years of notes.
Which apps work offline?
Obsidian says it stores notes on your device so you can reach them even offline, and AFFiNE's free plan includes unlimited local workspaces. Standard Notes lists offline access on its free plan, Capacities lists offline support, and Notion lets free users choose pages to download for offline use.
Do students get more for free?
Notion says its Plus Plan with a one-member limit is free for students and educators with a school email. Our list of free software for students has more education programs.