Note Taking
Independently reviewed
Updated
Finding reliable Note Taking apps for Mac shouldn't require hours of research. AppsInsight ranks leading options using expert evaluations, customer feedback and feature comparisons.
Use filters and side-by-side details to shortlist the strongest options.
Otter.ai leads our Mac rankings for most teams. Consider Granola if you need a strong alternative with a different pricing or workflow fit.
| Feature | Otter.ai | Granola | Timeless Code | Flotnote | LUCI Desktop | TickTick | middle place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editor rating | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 3.4 |
| Pricing | Paid Subscription | Free plan | Free+Paid | One-time | Free plan | Paid Subscription | Free plan |
| Starting price | 16.99 | Free | — | — | Free | 35.99 | Free |
| Free plan | Included | Included | Included | No | Included | Included | Included |
| Platforms | Web app, Browser extension, iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, macOS, Windows | iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, macOS, Windows | Web app, macOS, Windows, API / SDK | macOS | macOS, Windows | Web app, iOS (iPhone & iPad), Android, macOS, Windows | iOS (iPhone & iPad), macOS |
Transparent criteria and editorial standards behind every score in this guide.
We evaluate Note Taking apps for Mac on features, ease of use, value for money, integrations, and real user feedback. Apps are ranked by AppsInsight Score within this guide, with editorial adjustments when hands-on testing reveals a clear winner for this use case or audience.
Quick answers about the best Mac options.
Our editors currently rank Otter.ai #1 among Note Taking apps for Mac based on AppsInsight Score, features, pricing, and user feedback. See the full ranked list on this page for alternatives.
Many Note Taking apps for Mac include free plans or trials. Use the pricing filter on this page to browse free and freemium options.
We evaluate Note Taking apps for Mac on features, ease of use, value for money, integrations, and real user feedback. Apps are ranked by AppsInsight Score within this guide, with editorial adjustments when hands-on testing reveals a clear winner for this use case or audience.
Cross-platform task, note-taking, and planning app with calendar views and habit tracking. TickTick is a task and note-taking app for people who need one place for tasks, habits, and schedules.
AI meeting notes with searchable transcripts and workflow handoff Otter.ai is an AI notetaker for meetings, interviews, and day-to-day conversations.
Local computer memory for every AI agent - it remembers your whole day, fully on your device LUCI’s premise is that AI agents are brilliant in the session and blind to everything around it – so you become the courier…
Your meetings are the prompt - record once, remember forever, and let Claude Code use it. Timeless Code: meetings as memory for Claude Code Timeless (previously timeOS, operated by Supertools, Inc.) pitches a simple idea: your meetings are the prompt.
AI meeting notes without a meeting bot Granola is an AI notepad for back-to-back meetings.
Floating Markdown notes for Mac. Pay once, own your files Flotnote is a floating Markdown notepad for macOS 13 or later.
Local-first Apple journal with AI replies memory and opt-in shared reflections middle place is an Apple-device journal with an AI conversation that remembers context from earlier entries and chats.
Cross-platform task, note-taking, and planning app with calendar views and habit tracking.
Local-first Apple journal with AI replies memory and opt-in shared reflections
Always-on listening app that turns real conversations into a private, searchable memory your AI agents can…
Your meetings are the prompt - record once, remember forever, and let Claude Code use it.
