Best lists
Best note-taking apps for personal knowledge
Two very different answers to the same question, plus the task app that doubles as a notebook for many people.
- By
- LaunchFaro editorial
- Review
- Not yet reviewed by a named editor
- Next review
Selection criteria and method
Judged on offline reliability, data portability, linking features and mobile capture.
Our assessment The order is our editorial judgement. It is not a measured benchmark and not a paid placement.
Source basis
- App data provided by Apple (iTunes Search API).
- Repository data from GitHub.
- Operator-checked against the store listing on 2026-10-12 (listing title only); not independently reviewed.
- Store data checked: Oct 17, 2026
At a glance
Store-reported facts. Unavailable means the source did not provide the value.
The picks
Pick 1: Obsidian
Local-first Markdown notes with backlinks and a large plugin ecosystem.
PlatformsiOS appsOpen-source releases
Why it was selected Our assessment
Obsidian stores every note as a plain Markdown file in a folder you control, which is the whole point: no lock-in, works offline, and any sync or backup tool will do. Backlinks and the graph view make it a personal knowledge base rather than a notebook, and the community plugin catalogue covers almost any workflow. The cost is setup effort; it does nothing for you until you decide how you want it to work.
Strengths
- Local Markdown vault with no account required
- Backlinks, graph view and canvas for connected notes
- Community plugins and themes
- Optional paid Obsidian Sync (end-to-end encrypted) and Publish (for sharing notes on the web)
- Mobile apps that read the same vault
Check before choosing Store data
- Store price label
- Free
- Pricing:
- Obsidian does not require a commercial licence: its pricing page says paying is optional. A commercial licence is offered at $50 per user per year as a way to support development. Sync and Publish are separate paid services.
- Privacy:
- Notes never leave your device unless you enable Sync or a third-party sync folder. Community plugins run with full access to the vault, so review what you install.
Pricing checked Oct 12, 2026
Pick 2: Notion
Docs, wikis and databases in one workspace, with an AI layer on top.
PlatformsiOS appsChrome extensions
Why it was selected Our assessment
Notion is less a notes app than a workspace builder: pages, databases and wikis compose into whatever structure a team needs, and the AI features sit on top of that structure rather than beside it. It rewards people who like to design their own system and frustrates people who want a fast, offline-first notebook. Mobile capture has improved but still lags native note apps.
Strengths
- Block-based pages that embed databases, boards and calendars
- Team wikis with permissions and page history
- Templates and relational databases for lightweight project tracking
- Notion AI for summaries, Q&A across the workspace and drafting
- Web clipper extension to save pages into a database
Check before choosing Store data
- Store price label
- Free
- Pricing:
- On its pricing page on 12 October 2026, Notion listed Free at $0, Plus at $10 and Business at $20 per member per month. The page offers monthly and yearly billing and does not make clear which the listed figures assume. Check the page for the billing basis and enterprise terms.
- Privacy:
- Content is stored on Notion's servers and is not end-to-end encrypted; workspace admins can access member pages. Pages can be made available offline per device, with some features unavailable offline.
Pricing checked Oct 12, 2026
Pick 3: Todoist
Fast natural-language task capture with projects, labels and a calendar view.
PlatformsiOS appsChrome extensions
Why it was selected Our assessment
Todoist earns its place by being fast: type "call dentist tomorrow 3pm every month" and it files the task correctly on every platform. Projects, labels and filters scale from a grocery list to a small team board, and the calendar view closes the gap with planner apps. It is not a project-management tool, and its free plan has limits that heavier users may outgrow.
Strengths
- Natural-language task entry with recurring dates
- Projects, sections, labels and saved filters
- Calendar layout with drag-to-reschedule
- Shared projects with comments and assignments
- Browser extension to add the current page as a task
Check before choosing Store data
- Store price label
- Free
- Pricing:
- Todoist has a free plan and paid Pro and Business plans. We could not read current prices from its pricing page (they are loaded dynamically), so no amounts are quoted here. Check the official page for the current price in your region.
- Privacy:
- Task data is stored on Todoist servers and is not end-to-end encrypted. The Chrome extension only needs access to the active tab when you add a task.