Best Note-Taking Apps for Mac

The short answer. Obsidian or Logseq if you want notes as plain files you own and can read without the app. Joplin if you want open source notes with built-in sync. FSNotes if you want plain Markdown files with a fast native Mac app on top. Craft if you want the most polished writing experience and accept a proprietary format and subscription. Affine if you want documents and whiteboards in one workspace. The decision that outlasts all the others is the storage format: everything else can be replaced later, but your notes are the thing you would have to migrate.

This guide covers 12 note-taking apps for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-05.

Quick comparison

What actually decides this

• Storage format. Plain Markdown files can be read by anything, forever. A database or proprietary format means your notes are only as durable as the app. This is the criterion with the longest consequences.
• Sync model. Your own file sync, the vendor’s service, or none. Syncing plain files yourself is cheaper and more fragile; a managed service is the reverse.
• Linking and structure. Whether notes are linked to each other, and whether structure is folders, tags or both. This changes how you write, not just where the notes go.
• Speed on a large collection. Most note apps are pleasant with a hundred notes and unpleasant with ten thousand. If you intend to keep everything in one place, this is the criterion that decides.
• Extensibility and exit. A plugin ecosystem is an advantage and also a dependency. Check what exporting looks like before you have years of notes to move.

Our picks

• Obsidian — Notes are plain files in a folder you choose, and the app adds linking and structure without taking custody of the content. Choose it when you want your notes as files you own, with linking on top.
• Logseq — Its structure is built around blocks and journal entries, which suits some kinds of thinking and actively fights others. Choose it when you think in outlines and daily notes rather than documents.
• Joplin — It is open source and handles synchronisation itself, which removes the step of arranging your own file sync. Choose it when you want open source notes with sync included.
• Craft — It is the most pleasant of these to write in, and the one whose format most ties you to it — a trade worth making deliberately. Choose it when the writing experience matters more than the file format.

The apps

Affine

Affine is a note-taking app for macOS. Affine is the next-generation collaborative knowledge base for professionals. It is released under MIT.

What it does. AFFiNE combines docs, whiteboards, databases, and optional AI in one local-first workspace. MIT-licensed editor; self-host free for up to 10 seats per workspace.

Affine is listed with current version 0.27.4.

Full profile and verified facts for Affine →

Agenda

Agenda is a note-taking app for macOS. Date-focused note taking app for both planning and documenting your projects. Its pricing is not published.

What it does. Organize your days with Agenda, the Apple Design Award winning note taking app. Download for free and start getting things done today!

Agenda is listed with current version 23.3.4.

Full profile and verified facts for Agenda →

Anytype

Anytype is a note-taking app for macOS. Local-first note-taking and knowledge management app. It is free.

What it does. Create notes, tasks, databases, and chats that only you can access. Your data stays on your device — fully owned, secure, and private. Free to start.

Anytype is listed with current version 0.57.4.

Full profile and verified facts for Anytype →

AppFlowy

AppFlowy is a note-taking app for macOS. Open-source alternative to Notion. It is released under AGPL-3.0.

AppFlowy is listed with current version 0.14.6.

Full profile and verified facts for AppFlowy →

Bear Writer

Bear Writer is a note-taking app for macOS. Beautiful, flexible writing app for crafting notes and prose. Its pricing is not published.

Bear Writer is listed with current version 3.0.1.

Full profile and verified facts for Bear Writer →

Boostnote

Boostnote is a note-taking app for macOS. Note-taking app made for programmers. It is open source.

Boostnote is listed with current version 0.8.19.

Full profile and verified facts for Boostnote →

Craft

Craft is a note-taking app for macOS. Document, notes and task app for Mac with block-based pages, structured collections and built-in AI, from a free tier up to a Plus subscription. It is freemium.

Strengths. According to the developer, documents are block-based, so notes can contain checkboxes, images and embeds rather than text alone. Tasks, a calendar and reminders sit inside the same workspace as documents. Content can be organised either as folders and tags or as structured collections.

Trade-offs. The app is closed source and account-based, so notes are not stored as plain files the user controls. Heavier use requires the paid Plus subscription; the free tier is aimed at occasional use. Pricing is shown as regional amounts, so the cost depends on the storefront. Craft is closed source, so the storage and sync implementation cannot be inspected. The app is account-based, and cross-device sync depends on that account.

Not for. Anyone who needs their notes stored in plain files they fully control — Craft is closed source and account-based. Users who need real-time co-editing of one document the way a shared canvas works.

What it does. Block-based documents that mix text, checkboxes, images and embeds. Tasks embedded directly in documents, alongside a calendar and reminders. Organisation through spaces, folders and tags, or through collections. Daily notes, whiteboards and templates.

Craft is listed with current version 3.6.8.

Full profile and verified facts for Craft →

Dnote

Dnote is a note-taking app for macOS. A simple command line notebook with multi-device sync and a web interface. It is released under Apache-2.0.

What it does. Terminal-based notes with full-text search and a self-hosted server with APIs.

Dnote is listed with current version 0.16.0.

Full profile and verified facts for Dnote →

FSNotes

FSNotes is a note-taking app for macOS. Native, open-source Markdown notes app for Mac and iPhone that keeps notes as plain files in folders you own, syncs through iCloud and can back them up with Git. It is released under MIT. It is freemium.

Strengths. According to the developer, notes are plain Markdown files on disk, so the library works in any editor and does not depend on the app surviving. Open source under MIT, and free to download from GitHub; the App Store build is a one-time $8.99 rather than a subscription. According to the developer, built for scale: instant search and smooth performance across collections of 10,000+ files.

Trade-offs. Requires macOS 12.4, so older Macs are out of support. No graph view and no plugin ecosystem, so it is not a linked knowledge base. According to the developer, sync on the iPhone app is iCloud Drive only — no Dropbox, WebDAV or Google Drive. Git integration is optional and has to be configured; it is not on by default. The App Store purchase is per platform, so the Mac and iPhone apps are bought separately.

Not for. Anyone who wants a graph view or a plugin ecosystem, which is what Obsidian is for. People on macOS 12.3 or earlier, since the current release requires macOS 12.4. Users who need Dropbox, WebDAV or Google Drive sync — the iPhone app supports iCloud Drive only.

What it does. Notes are plain Markdown files in folders you choose, readable in any editor without FSNotes. GitHub Flavored Markdown, with syntax highlighting in code blocks across 30+ languages. Instant search and keyboard-centric navigation built for libraries of 10,000+ files. Multi-folder storage, so several separate libraries can be open at once.

FSNotes is listed with current version 7.3.5.

Full profile and verified facts for FSNotes →

Joplin

Joplin is a note-taking app for macOS. Open-source note-taking app that stores notes in an open format, syncs them through services you choose, and encrypts them end to end. It is open source.

Strengths. According to the developer, notes are stored in an open format, so they can be exported without the app. Sync is end-to-end encrypted, and the storage target is chosen by the user. Supports Markdown and a rich-text editor, plus plugins, themes and an Extension API.

Trade-offs. Sharing and publishing notes to the web require the paid Joplin Cloud subscription. Sync is not enabled by default; it has to be configured against a storage target before notes appear on other devices. There is no real-time co-editing of a single note, unlike Google Docs or Craft. The desktop app is community-maintained and notarised builds come from the project rather than the Mac App Store. Apple Silicon support is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks.

Not for. Anyone who wants real-time collaborative editing — Joplin’s model is per-note sync, not a shared live document. Users who want zero setup — syncing requires connecting a storage target first.

What it does. Notes in Markdown or a rich-text editor, in an open format you can export. End-to-end encryption applied to synced notes. Sync through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox or OneDrive. Multimedia notes: images, video, PDFs and audio.

Joplin is listed with current version 3.7.21.

Full profile and verified facts for Joplin →

Logseq

Logseq is a note-taking app for macOS. Privacy-first, open-source knowledge base. It is released under AGPL-3.0.

Strengths. Released under AGPL-3.0 with the full source on GitHub, so the app can be audited, forked and self-built. According to the developer, notes are stored as plain-text Markdown or Org-mode files in a folder you choose, not in a proprietary database. The official release publishes native arm64 (Apple Silicon) and x64 macOS builds, alongside Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.

Trade-offs. The current 2.0.1 desktop release is labelled ‘Beta Testing’: the database version is still beta and the developers warn that data loss is possible. According to the developer, the project is mid-split — the file-based version is now Logseq OG and receives only security and dependency updates, with no new features. The minimum macOS version is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks.

Not for. Anyone who needs settled storage — the 2.0.1 desktop release is labelled Beta Testing and the developers warn that data loss is possible. Users who want new features while staying on file-based Markdown — Logseq OG receives only security and dependency updates. People who prefer a conventional page-and-folder editor — Logseq is built on blocks and bidirectional links.

What it does. Block-based outliner with bidirectional links and block references. Plain-text Markdown and Org-mode files stored locally. PDF annotation and task management inside the same graph. Flashcards and queries built from your own notes.

Logseq is listed with current version 2.0.1.

Full profile and verified facts for Logseq →

Obsidian

Obsidian is a note-taking app for macOS. A local-first note-taking app that keeps your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder you own, with optional paid sync and publishing. It is freemium.

Strengths. According to the developer, free for personal use with no sign-up and no limit on the number of notes. Notes are plain Markdown files in a local folder, so a vault stays readable without Obsidian. Obsidian Sync encrypts synced data end-to-end with AES-256, so the vendor cannot read it.

Trade-offs. Syncing across devices requires an Obsidian Sync subscription of $4 per user per month, billed annually. Publishing notes to the web is a separate subscription of $8 per site per month. Catalyst and commercial licences and Obsidian Credit are non-refundable; the 7-day refund window covers only Sync and Publish. The build’s CPU architecture is not stated in the sources Nuanyue tracks.

Not for. Users who expect built-in cross-device sync — syncing requires an Obsidian Sync subscription at $4 per user per month. Anyone who wants web publishing included rather than a separate $8 per site per month subscription. Teams that want a hosted workspace rather than files on each person’s disk.

What it does. Vault of plain Markdown files stored on local disk. Wiki-style links between notes plus a graph view. Canvas for arranging notes spatially. Community plugin directory.

Obsidian is listed with current version 1.13.7.

Full profile and verified facts for Obsidian →

How to choose

• Free of charge. Anytype — no payment is required.
• No licence fee, source available. Affine, AppFlowy, Boostnote, Dnote, Joplin and Logseq — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
• Freemium. Craft, FSNotes and Obsidian — free to use, with paid tiers for additional features.
• Pricing not published in our data. Agenda and Bear Writer — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.

Open source: Affine, AppFlowy, Boostnote, Dnote, FSNotes, Joplin and Logseq (7 of 12).

Common mistakes

• Choosing a note app on the editing experience and discovering the export limitations a year later. Check what leaving looks like before you arrive.
• Syncing a plain-file vault through a service that resolves conflicts by duplicating files. You will get conflicted copies, and they are tedious to reconcile.
• Adopting a linking system and a plugin stack at the same time as a new app. If the system does not stick, you will not know whether it was the app or the method.
• Storing the only copy of important notes in an app you have not exported from. A vault is not a backup until it exists somewhere else.

How this guide was put together

Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.

A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.

The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.

Verified 2026-10-05.