Independent · sourced · Updated September 2026
Best Note Taking Apps (2026)
13 note taking apps options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked by entry price. Every figure links to the public page it was captured from — the vendor's own wherever the vendor publishes the number, otherwise the named public source — with the date we captured it; where a vendor publishes no monthly price we name the kind of pricing it uses, never a guess.
The cheapest note taking apps is Amplenote at $0/mo. 11 offer a free tier. All 13 compared below on price, free tier and compliance — every figure sourced and dated, updated September 2026.
As of Sep 10, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below
Cite this comparison
Per The Front Desk Review, the cheapest note taking apps is Amplenote at $0/mo; across 8 with published pricing the median is $10/mo ($2.99–$15/mo), 11 with a free tier, every figure sourced and dated, as of 2026-09-10. https://frontdeskreview.com/best/note-taking-apps/ Key takeaways
- Typical paid price: from $2.99/mo, median $10/mo, up to $15/mo — across 8 with published pricing.
- Free tier: Amplenote, Anytype, Bear, Capacities, Craft, Evernote, Joplin, Notion, Obsidian, Standard Notes, Supernotes.
- HIPAA-ready: Notion.
- Tracked: 13 vendors, data current through 2026-09-10.
Comparison
| # | Note Taking App | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amplenote | $0/mo Personal | Yes | — | — | People who want notes and a real task scheduler in one app | amplenote.com | Visit → |
| 2 | Anytype | $0/mo Free | Yes | — | — | Privacy-first users who want local-first storage with optional sync | anytype.io | Visit → |
| 3 | Bear | $0/mo Free | Yes | — | — | Writers and minimalists on Apple devices | bear.app | Visit → |
| 4 | Capacities | $0/mo Capacities Basic | Yes | — | — | People who want structure (typed objects) without building a database from scratch | capacities.io | Visit → |
| 5 | Craft | $0/mo Starter (Free) | Yes | No | Yes | Apple-ecosystem power users (Mac, iPhone, iPad) | support.craft.do | Visit → |
| 6 | Evernote | $0/mo Free | Yes | — | — | Long-standing Evernote libraries that are too large to migrate | evernote.com | Visit → |
| 7 | Joplin | $0/mo Joplin app (self-managed sync) | Yes | — | — | Open-source purists who want an exit hatch from any vendor | joplinapp.org | Visit → |
| 8 | Notion | $0/mo Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | All-in-one workspace teams | notion.com | Visit → |
| 9 | Obsidian | $0/mo Free | Yes | — | — | Privacy-focused knowledge workers | obsidian.md | Visit → |
| 10 | Standard Notes | $0/mo Standard | Yes | — | — | Privacy-first note takers who want encryption as the default, not an add-on | standardnotes.com | Visit → |
| 11 | Supernotes | $0/mo Starter | Yes | — | — | Students and revisers who want flashcards built into their notes | supernotes.app | Visit → |
| 12 | Roam Research | $15/mo Pro | No | — | — | Networked-thought power users who work in daily notes | roamresearch.com | Visit → |
| 13 | Reflect | not priced monthly | No | — | — | Daily-note users who want one price and no tier decisions | reflect.app | Visit → |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve monthly rate as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
Alternatives
Narrow it down
Popular comparisons
Filter note taking apps by pricing & compliance
More software comparisons
What is the cheapest note taking apps?
Amplenote has the lowest published entry price at $0/mo (Personal), as of 2026-09-10.
How much does note taking apps cost per month?
Across the 8 note taking apps with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $10/mo, ranging from $2.99/mo to $15/mo, as of 2026-09-10. 11 also offer a free tier. 1 are quote-only.
Which note taking apps have a free plan?
Amplenote, Anytype, Bear, Capacities, Craft, Evernote, Joplin, Notion, Obsidian, Standard Notes, Supernotes offer a free tier.
Which note taking apps support HIPAA?
Notion state HIPAA support (a BAA). Always confirm current scope with the vendor.
Embed this comparison — free
Add the live cheapest-note taking apps list to your site. It reflects our latest data, and an attribution link is built in.