Note-taking and organisation apps

Start from the device you actually use. Check that the platforms you need appear in the app's entry, as the maker declares them. A platform missing here doesn't mean the app ignores it. It means I have no verified declaration to show you. I haven't run hands-on tests, so every platform and plan below comes from the manufacturer.

For each app I list the declared platforms and whether a free plan is confirmed. Where the evidence doesn't confirm one, I say so instead of guessing. That keeps the comparison honest, even when it leaves a gap.

Start with where you write and where you read. Is it the computer, the phone, or both? That single answer cuts the list fast.

If you're replacing an app, check its documentation on exporting existing notes before you compare prices. Getting your notes out matters more than saving a little.

And be careful: availability on two devices doesn't prove that synchronisation between them is free. Treat those as separate questions.

Evernote declares iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. The maker also declares a free plan.

That statement doesn't tell you which features the free plan includes. Open the source and check the requirements for your device before you commit.

Joplin declares iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. A free plan is not confirmed by the available evidence.

So don't assume one. Open the source and check the requirements of the version for your device.

Notion declares iOS, Android, Windows and macOS. The maker declares a free plan.

Which features that plan includes isn't established here. Check the source and the requirements for your device before choosing.

Obsidian declares iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. The maker declares a free plan.

The features inside that plan aren't established by this statement. Open the source and check the requirements for your device.

Simplenote declares iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and Web. The maker declares a free plan.

What the free plan includes isn't established here. Check the source and the requirements for your device before you decide.

Standard Notes declares iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and Web. The maker declares a free plan.

Which features come with it isn't established by this statement. Open the source and check the requirements for your device.

A free plan, a time-limited trial and a subscription are three different things. Don't treat them as the same.

Check the official price list for the limits of the plan you want. And check whether you pay monthly, yearly, or once.

A missing price stays unverified. It doesn't become zero. Listed prices apply to the selected market and don't prove every version costs the same.

Before you move important data, read the official documentation on export, synchronisation and offline access. If those features aren't among the verified facts, I don't attribute them to the app.

Also check the interface language and your country's store terms. The right pick depends on your task and your devices, not on the lowest price alone. When you're ready, download from the official site or your platform's store.