Whether you're a student juggling multiple courses, a busy professional managing projects, or a casual user who enjoys capturing ideas and thoughts, a reliable and efficient note-taking tool is more important than ever. However, since there are countless note-taking tools out there, finding a suitable solution can be challenging. This is where my ultimate checklist comes into play.
In this post, I'll walk you through the essential factors you need to consider so you can make an informed decision about which note-taking app best suits your needs, so you can easily up your note-taking game.
9 Cross-platform availability
Cross-platform availability is the first thing you should consider when purchasing a new note-taking tool. In most cases, I recommend using an app that is available on all major desktop and mobile platforms. Ultimately, you want to continue to be able to access all of your notes even if you switch from Windows to Mac or vice versa.
You can also prefer note-taking tools that offer native solutions rather than web- or electronic-based half-assed apps. Native apps always offer a better experience than web apps.
8 Core organization method
Organizing notes is another important factor to consider. After a while, your digital sanctuary will be filled with hundreds of notes. To avoid chaos, effective organization is necessary. For example, Evernote, Apple Notes, Bear, and others support tag-based (#hashtag) organization where you can enter #finance, #idea, #quotes, and more to categorize your notes.
OneNote has a familiar hierarchy in which you can create notebooks, add sections, and create new pages within them. Each note-taking app has a different method for structuring your digital space. You should choose one that best suits your note-taking style.
7 Template support
Notion template library
Do you plan to use your digital solution to jot down meeting notes, daily reflections, or class notes? Instead of repeating the same headings in all relevant notes, you can create a template and reuse it to save time. Only a handful of note-taking apps support templates, and it's important to find one that offers built-in relevant templates that can save you time in the long run.
6 Web extension
If you are a student, researcher, or Power Notes writer, you must choose a solution that offers a web extension for major desktop browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox. Because if you research and read a lot on the Internet, you often come across valuable information that you want to save in your personal digital space.
With a powerful web extension, you can simply go to your favorite app, clip a specific part of the post, and save it to your notebook in no time.
5 OCR (Optical Character Recognition) functions.
Are you planning to store a lot of handwritten notes and files in your digital note app? You need to make sure your digital tool is equipped with OCR capabilities. Essentially, it turns your handwritten notes, sketches, and diagrams into searchable and editable text. If extracting text from images and converting PDFs into editable text is high on your priority list, be sure to shortlist an app that supports OCR.
Source: Microsoft
If you're a student and plan to take a lot of class and lecture notes with your tablet or Windows convertible, choose a note-taking tool with built-in drawing or ink tools. Such freehand tools with OCR capabilities can be a productive combination for your workflow.
3 Sharing and collaboration
Do you often share your meeting notes, brainstorm ideas, and discuss projects with your team members? You need to shortlist a note-taking solution that supports seamless, real-time sharing and collaboration.
2 Privacy and security
If you frequently keep private and confidential notes, consider choosing a note-taking system that offers end-to-end encryption, password protection, and options to store your notes either offline or in a cloud storage service of your choice. Apps like Evernote and Notion are quite limited here, and you should avoid them in favor of Obsidian, Joplin, and Standard Notes.
If this is important to you, you should choose a tool that has a proven track record of keeping user notes and information secure.
1 Track record and history of the company
Before you invest time, money, and a lot of effort into using a note-taking tool, be sure to check the company's history. Several note-taking apps are often acquired, discontinued, or shift focus with the new owner. For example, Notion, which originally added many user-friendly features, has recently shifted its focus to enterprises and enterprise users.
Clover Notes also once seemed to be a promising tool. Unfortunately, Figma acquired it and quickly discontinued it altogether. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a note-taking application that has a solid track record and offers various export options so that you can easily export your notes to another platform if necessary.
Things your notes app needs
Choosing a note-taking app for your workflow isn't rocket science. However, if you end up using the wrong tool, it can lead to chaos as transferring hundreds of notes to another platform never goes smoothly. Remember that the “best” tool is always subjective and it’s ultimately about finding the one that suits your preferences and note-taking style. If you don't like it, you probably won't be motivated to use it. Even if it takes a few tries, it's worth it to find the right one for you.
If you want to learn more about the differences between the two note-taking giants, OneNote and Evernote, check out our comparison guide to find out all the differences between the two.