Curated Set

The Best Note-Taking Apps for Mac

Note-taking on the Mac splits into two real needs: somewhere to think for years, and somewhere to jot something down before it is gone. Obsidian builds a lifelong knowledge base from plain Markdown files you own outright, Bear pairs elegant Markdown notes with the finest tag system on the platform, and Craft turns documents into something beautiful enough to send as they are. Tot and Antinote handle the smaller, faster capture, seven dots and one hotkey, while iA Writer brings the same considered plain text approach to longer writing.

Obsidian preview
Obsidian Your lifelong knowledge base, in plain Markdown files. Free
Bear preview
Bear Markdown notes with the finest tag system on the Mac. Free
Craft preview
Craft Documents beautiful enough to send as they are. Free
Tot preview
Tot Seven dots for the text you juggle every day. Free
Antinote preview
Antinote Quick notes and maths, one hotkey away. $5 One-Time
iA Writer preview
iA Writer Plain text writing at its most considered. $49.99 One-Time

Frequently asked

What is the best note-taking app for Mac?

Obsidian and Bear are the two standouts: Obsidian for a lifelong knowledge base built from plain Markdown files you own outright, Bear for elegant Markdown notes with the finest tag system on the Mac. Craft, Tot, Antinote and iA Writer round out the shelf for documents, quick capture and long-form writing.

Is there a free note-taking app for Mac?

Yes, Obsidian, Bear and Craft all offer free tiers, and Tot can be tried free before its one-time $19.99 unlock.

Which app is best for a lifelong knowledge base?

Obsidian, built on plain Markdown files stored on your own machine, with a graph view that maps how notes connect and thousands of community plugins. It is free, with optional Sync from $4 a month.

Which app is best for quick, throwaway notes?

Antinote and Tot are both built for that job. Antinote summons a scratchpad with one global hotkey and auto-deletes notes on a schedule you set, for a one-time $5. Tot holds exactly seven colour-coded dots synced over iCloud, for a one-time $19.99.

Is iA Writer a note-taking app or a writing app?

iA Writer is built for longer writing rather than quick notes, with Focus Mode and Style Check aimed at considered plain text, though its files stay as portable Markdown that fits alongside a notes system like Obsidian or Bear.