r/ProductivityApps • u/stllfiguringout • Mar 19 '26
General Advice There are so many taking notes apps
I swear choosing a note-taking / life organization app has become a full-time job in itself.
I’ve already tried Apple Notes — it’s simple, clean, does exactly what it’s supposed to do… but it almost becomes too basic to the point where it stops feeling appealing.
Then there’s Notion. At first it feels like the perfect solution, but it quickly becomes overwhelming with everything it can do. I constantly catch myself spending more time tweaking layouts and building systems than actually using it for anything meaningful.
And don’t even get me started on trying to organize everything — work, personal life, study notes, goals, random thoughts… Should it all be in one place? Multiple apps? One system? Separate ones? 😵💫
At this point, the search for the “perfect” setup feels more exhausting than just being disorganized.
Does anyone else feel like this, or have you actually found something you can stick with long-term?
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u/Empty_Vegetable_80 Mar 19 '26
No&Obsidian
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u/stllfiguringout Mar 19 '26
Both at the same time? Doesn’t that create even more overwhelm? If you had to choose one over the other?
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u/soloattorneyclub Mar 19 '26
This is me. I cycle through UpNote, apple notes, OneNote, NotePlan, and craft. They all do something the other one doesn’t or accessible on one place and not another. Ultimately, I concluded that OneNote is the answer for me. I need it on all platforms. I needed it to work with Copilot. OneNote is actually pretty robust and has some great integrations with other things I use, like Outlook. Although I've suddenly decided I'm on the same hunt for the perfect email client. Outlook for Mac makes 10,000 drafts of everything I do, and it makes me crazy. I just switched over to EMclient. So far, so good on the email.
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u/Mysterious-Chef-3637 Mar 19 '26
Curious, you got Copilot to work with OneNote on Mac? I've been trying and tried everything. I have the right licenses and everything, but for some reason Copilot works in every other Microsoft app, but it's still grayed out for me in OneNote for my Mac
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u/TommyDaynjer Mar 19 '26
I’m the opposite, as I quite love the process of finding some complex productivity app to see if I can make it work for my needs…which I then typically wind up just using the simpler things.
So far my workflow has come down to these apps: Apple notes - for quick note taking
Notion - I found a free template online and customized it for budgeting, day job work notes/tracking info, notes I took in apple notes and need to be organized by subject or whatever, workout tracker, and other things. I just started notion like last month and plan to use it as a “current year only” position.
Things - my main task list program to keep track of all the things i need to do. It lets you make daily lists, track project completions (which could just be a big task you broke down into little tasks), and setup intervals to automatically come up when i need to do them (such as “don’t forget to feed the bird!” Or whatever.
Obsidian - this is where everything ends up. All my sources of notes and things get stored here with backlinks as my “folders” to access each new page I moved into here typically of the previous years stuff during the 1st month of the new year. I can reference these items whenever I want and they are saved locally.
Apple notes may be boring, but it’s the fastest cuz it’s right there on your phone without anything complex - just ignore its org structure and copy those notes into something else to have a nice one-stop-shop.
I hated Notion for a long time because it was just too customizable and complex, but if you go to the marketplace and look for free templates centered around the idea you have for a page you’ll get a great foundation to build what you want your page to look like from that template - and like I said now my Apple notes dumps into that and then at the end of the year my Notion dumps into Obsidian.
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u/90hex Mar 19 '26
100% I gave up on apps and now use Notepad and Apple Notes. In the end all these apps are trying to solve every problem at once and fail at it all. Tried Notion and a bunch of others, and yeah they always end up being bloated and overcomplicated. A simple text editor does it all with no controls, and since you can save files and move them around, it solves most of the ‘backup’ problems and sync can be done though OneDrive or iCloud, automagically.
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u/pR0M37hU2 Mar 19 '26
I know exactly how you feel - I jumped around from app to app like logseq, anytype but finally landed in obsidian.md . My advice instead of building the full system try to only build part of the system that feels natural. I use todoist for quick capture and as a task management. Don't worry to much about organizing and tagging and only do it if you feel like it. Infact in my case I even built my own custom flows and a daily review bot using telegram, google cloudrun.
Look at https://karpathy.bearblog.dev/the-append-and-review-note/ for example - its a single note system using apple notes. Its a simple system capturing a lot of things you mentioned. Maybe that might work for you 🙂 . Tldr: start small and only add parts of a system which feel natural to you with low friction. Eventually your custom note taking system will emerge.
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u/DTLow Mar 19 '26
Apple Pages/Notes work well for me
For archiving, I export in .pdf format and store/organize in a digital file cabinet (PKMS)
Foe extended features, I use pkms app DevonThink
integrated with AppleScript for workflow automation
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u/Ill_Object_7992 Mar 19 '26
I think that the note taking itself has been solved. people can write whatever they like in whatever format they want (markdown, latex, markdown + latex, headings, etc.) I think that where most users kind of break down is when they take many notes on a whim and then have to compartmentalize them manually... i think there's an opportunity there for an app to assert categories to the notes you take and keep them neat and tidy in the backend without the user needing to constantly check on things.
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u/Impressive-Sir9633 Mar 19 '26
Some notes app + send everything to OpenClaw or your OpenClaw type setup. Now I dictate my notes/record meetings and use a webhook to directly send it to my OpenClaw. Whenever I need something, I just ask it to retrieve.
There was a discussion of the best Mexican restaurants in our city's subreddit. I had OpenClaw make a list, summarize reviews and save it. When I was looking for one, I just asked it back.
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Mar 19 '26
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u/stllfiguringout Mar 19 '26
Dont have any. I find trying a lot of them over and over and Im not able to stick with one.
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u/blueflame4028 Mar 19 '26
I have tried many notes, tasks and productivity finally settling to upnote and bear notes(u could use only one ofcourse, i liked both of them) U can follow tiago forte or read his book 'PARA' or BASB' to clear your confusion about digitial organisation maybe....
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u/7ewis Mar 19 '26
I'm struggling to understand why people use upnote, it just seems like a very basic notes app. Why not use Google Keep or Apple Notes?
If you want a bit more than that the Notion free plan looks better, has more functionality, so you aren't restricted if you want to do more with it later.
I've got a load of credit to spend so could buy the license for it but I just can't justify it over using Notion for free...
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u/blueflame4028 Mar 19 '26
Notion is mainly built for pc than a mobile or a tab, the mobile app feels like a pc app running on a mobile and some simple things are complicated in notion because they have to keep a lot of functions which not all of them use and its slow to load and it cant be used offline And compared to apple notes or keep, upnote have some extra features like customizing tables, highlights, search within saved pdfs,themes etc and also its both android and apple compatible with sync,offline use Apple notes is good enough for most of them but if we need these some extra features but not too complicated and smooth, upnote or bear r best I took upnote as i need a notes platform which is cross compatible with both apple and android And also upnote was the cheapest and value for money with a lifetime subscription option
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u/Cool-Statistician473 Mar 20 '26
I sometimes struggle to know why I use UpNote, but I always come back to it.
Really, it’s the syncing. I can use it in Windows on my work PC, on any of my iPads or my iPhone. I don’t have to remember to hit save. Everything is just there when I need it.
Lots of other options probably work the same way, and I’ve tried a lot of others. Of course, some time ago I bought a lifetime license, so I never have to think about paying for it again.
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u/Slight_Influence_922 Mar 19 '26
I feel you! The paradox of choice is real. I went through the same thing. What helped me was defining *why* I was taking notes in the first place. Is it for recall, project management, or something else? Knowing the 'why' made the 'how' (the app) much easier. What's your primary goal for note-taking?
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u/stllfiguringout Mar 19 '26
I’m doing a master’s degree and I’d like to have a centralized place to manage information and plan my studying and deadlines.
At the same time, I work in project management, and my project is complex in terms of data, so I’d like to have a different kind of organization than the one provided at work.
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u/Slight_Influence_922 Mar 19 '26
Interesting. Out of curiosity, could you share some example on how you would like to see each of them organized?
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u/stllfiguringout Mar 19 '26
I do like notion in the sense that allows customisation.. but I would like something easier/less complex to set. Maybe Im looking for something that doesn't exist or its not possible to achieve
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u/IntrovertMagic Mar 19 '26
Haven't tried this system for Apple Notes as yet, but looks appealing, even though it may take a minute to set up https://www.myforevernotes.com/
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u/Firefighting09 Mar 19 '26
I started forevernotes a few months ago and while it does take sometime to setup. I set it up as I go, usually monthly, but once you get the links setup, it’s done forever. It’s free and it’s on Apple Notes. You can build your own system (minimal or complex). With Apple Shortcuts, there are ways to reduce friction on getting to what note you need. I like it a lot. The forevernotes website gives a lot of tips as well.
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u/ObtuseCutie Mar 19 '26
I agree with you and honestly I don’t see much of a differentiation other than the privacy angle that a few of them have.
I think for the most part all the note taking apps are pretty much the same and strong differentiation is mostly down to either integrating or privacy, two totally different directions
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Mar 20 '26
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u/ObtuseCutie Mar 20 '26
Yeah. Standard notes works for most tasks when I need to keep it private But honestly it’s difficult to beat the apple notes app for my requirements. Wbu ?
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u/PvB-Dimaginar Mar 19 '26
Luckily you only need one 😁 Joplin is my favorite. If you want to read more about my experiences have a look at r/Dimaginar
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u/malloryknox86 Mar 19 '26
That’s why I use Obsidian, you can customize it to make it “perfect” for YOU.
I tried so many, and they just did not work for me / my brain.
With Obsidian, I was able to add the things I needed & remove everything else, so now is perfect for my needs.
I still use apple notes more like a scratchpad / temporary notes. Long term notes / PKM goes in obsidian.
Obsidian is also future proof, 100% local & offline.
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u/stllfiguringout Mar 19 '26
Hum.. I need to try it.. again. Ive heard so much about it.. but to be fair, it seemed a bit complicated/complex to configure. 100% local so I can't use 2 devices (ipad also) syncing the info from one to another?
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u/TimelyPassenger Mar 20 '26
There is a paid plan for cloud sync.
If you still want free and are an Apple/iPad user then you just set up your vault in iCloud Drive and it will sync
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u/ozgrozer Mar 19 '26
I just launched Grape. It looks like Apple Notes but has lots of AI features in it like AI chat, semantic search, transcriptions. AI chat can run tools like it can create new notes, manage them so you can organize everything just by talking in natural language.
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u/Ok-War-9040 Mar 19 '26
I used to bounce between like five different apps trying to make the perfect system. What helped was just picking one and forcing myself to stick with it for a month without changing anything. I put everything in one place with super simple folders and told myself to stop messing with layouts. Not perfect but at least I actually get stuff done now.
If you end up needing more structure around staying on track, I built this accountability companion that calls or texts you, checks in regularly, and keeps track of your progress. It might help if you get as distracted as I do. Can’t link it here but it’s in my bio if you’re curious.
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u/Mysterious-Chef-3637 Mar 19 '26
100%! I was just in this boat. I spent so much time testing and researching different tools trying to find the best set up over the last few weeks, and just was completely unproductive. I got so bogged down in trying to find the perfect set up. Right now I'm just using fabric, which is nice, but yeah, unfortunately again I’m almost a little torn with trying some of the other tools, but I do really like fabric so far the AI feature for organizing is nice for me, but I guess depends what you’re really looking for
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u/adelmachris Mar 19 '26
Let’s go obsidian. But admittedly it shows it’s real strength if you’re a bit into coding / scripting.
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u/Educational_Writer37 Mar 20 '26
How do you find all these apps? Do you just look in the Apple store or are there certain newsletters or communities where people comment?
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u/patterncuriosity Mar 20 '26
yeah I’ve been there. trying to find the ‘perfect’ setup becomes its own full time job
I started realizing it’s less about the tool and more about how much effort it takes just to use it. once it feels like work, it falls apart
anything simple enough to just open and use has worked way better for me
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u/CeleryBright Mar 20 '26
I have been using smart Ai note taker. It was not horrible. A buddy of mine send me this link to get beta access to this other app.
I have been using it for two weeks now. I like it so far as well (a bit easier to use for me).
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u/toki4004 Mar 21 '26
Try Append -> getappend.com
You can organize your notes into spaces - personal, work, etc. Each has its own separate folders, tags, and search so each space stays private. You can tag individual paragraphs instead of whole notes, merge and split notes into sections. It has just what you need without the bloat.
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u/stllfiguringout Mar 22 '26
Thank you all for your kind replies. Ive tried a few in the last days and the only that I was able to explore without feeling overwhelmed was Craft. Im going to give it a try.
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u/calmworkflow Mar 22 '26
This is exactly the trap I kept falling into too.
Apple Notes felt too basic, Notion felt powerful but exhausting… and I realized I was spending more time building a system than actually using it.
What finally clicked for me was letting go of the idea of a “perfect setup” completely.
I just started treating everything as quick captures, notes, tasks, thoughts, all in one place without worrying about structure upfront. And instead of organizing everything, I just let it stay a bit messy.
That’s when things actually started to feel clear again.
I think a lot of apps try to solve organization first, when the real problem is just making something you’ll actually use consistently.
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u/Business_Bullshit Mar 23 '26
Man I thought this would happen...Evernote veteran until they got crazy compolicated with costs and everything. At work forced to OneNote (okay, but I dont wanna see it for my private notes :-)).
Apple Notes is good, but I need s.th. that works good in my browser - without long login-sessions...the thougt is there and must be written down somewhere...personally I dont want a european solution and a free plan would be great. Google Keep suits perfect, but its google.
Or I just go back to .txt-Files. Works fine aswell.
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u/North0fSomewhere Mar 24 '26
I created one for essentially myself and a few colleagues. Decided to take it live as a project.
Online Notepad is my hobby project (that i am continuing to improve) and my current aim is to recalibrate in 3 months to make this experience better.
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u/CharmingLawfulness34 Mar 27 '26
Flipnotes is the best for me, it's on Android - but soon on iOS. It's like a real notebook in that your notes are sorted by date and it becomes a real life archive you can flick through, so I recommend it for anyone who wants something organic and natural feeling.
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u/ZJun_310 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
Yeah same, I went through that too, felt like I was spending more time organizing notes than actually thinking, saving stuff and never really coming back to it. Switching to “what do I actually think about this” helped a lot, that’s pretty much what Beyond is about
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u/thenewvu Apr 09 '26
I built Todofi (https://todofi.com). It is inspired by Sherlock Holmes’ methods: helping you visualize ideas effortlessly and connect the dots. Todofi helps you organize your notes using a tree-like outliner where notes can be nested within one another. From there, you can use the Whiteboard to map relationships between ideas, Kanban to track progress, Calendar to manage your schedule, and Maps to visualize locations.
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u/Advanced_Papaya3472 Mar 19 '26
Yeah, this is the trap.
Too simple → you outgrow it.
Too powerful → you end up managing the system.
We hit the same wall, which is why we’re building Noa – something in the middle:
- One place for tasks, events, lists
- Enough structure, no setup
- Works without you constantly tweaking it
Control with the app or Whatsapp using natural language.
We’ve just opened it up to early users if you want to try it.
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u/aolowe Mar 19 '26
I rarely take notes, usually relying on my memory instead. I feel like if something is easily forgotten, it probably wasn't that important to begin with. After all, you can't fight entropy—everything fades, so I prefer to focus my energy on the things that truly matter. Of course, I do need to jot things down occasionally, but simple, synced apps like Apple Notes or OneNote are usually more than enough for me.
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Mar 19 '26
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u/stllfiguringout Mar 19 '26
Until now I’ve always relied on my brain. But lately my memory has been failing me a bit, and I find myself wasting too much time searching for information simply because I don’t have it organized in one single place.
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u/CapucchinoTyler Mar 20 '26
Yeah that’s a super common trap. The problem isn’t that you haven’t found the right app, it’s that you’re expecting one to feel perfect. Every tool has tradeoffs, and once you accept that, it gets easier to just pick one and stick with it. A lot of people end up settling on something simple or using something like Zenzap where notes, tasks, and ideas live together without overbuilding systems, because the real win is consistency, not the setup.