For the purposes of this article, though, we only considered apps built with note-taking in mind. You can take notes using just about any app, or a piece of paper for that matter. What makes a great note-taking app for Mac? Obsidian for the most powerful note-taking app Microsoft OneNote for a traditional solution I considered 20 Mac note-taking apps, and after extensive testing, this article includes the best of the best. I've been writing about macOS for over a decade, and I'm passionate about finding the best Mac apps.
Keyboard shortcuts, notifications, and user interfaces that don't fit in can be distracting, which is the last thing you want to be thinking about when it's time to take notes. Productivity applications that don't fit your workflow can trip you up, which is why finding an actual macOS app matters. There are plenty of great note-taking apps, but not all of them run well on a Mac.
