Whether you have the latest iPad model or a Pro or Mini, the Apple device is certainly fantastic for taking notes at school or work.
The beautiful Retina display with the support for Apple Pencil allows you to record handwritten notes and even sketch out things with ease. But serious notetakers would agree that you need more than just the Pencil and iPad; the application you use for notetaking largely impacts your experience.
While there are hundreds of note-taking apps designed for iPad, not all of them work the same. Today, let us talk about a few of the best apps you should try in 2023 on your iPad.
1. Post-it
Designed to take notetaking on iPad to another level, Post-it is inspired by the popular sticky notes we all have been loving. This app revolves around the idea of creating small sticky notes placed across a large whiteboard. You can store up to 200 notes at a time and move them across the board for simple editing.
Post-it is an ideal app for professionals and students who like bullet point-style note-taking and require quick note-making on their iPad. With this app, you can also create to-do and shopping lists and tick them off as required. Though you won’t find the same convenience as some other apps, it is a unique concept you can try on your Apple device.
2. GoodNotes 5
A powerful app for serious note-takers, GoodNotes 5 boasts everything you need to make notes as well as write music and work with PDFs. The most significant difference between GoodNotes and other apps is the number of organizational tools it offers. It lets you create Notebooks where you can store everything neatly. Other tools restrict your ability to organize to some extent.
Apart from this, GoodNotes has a powerful search function, handwriting recognition, and many more features. You can use its tools to annotate and mark up your documents in various formats. Moreover, the app syncs with third-party storage services and iCloud to allow you to have your notes handy all the time. It also offers nested, unlimited storage whereby you can store folders inside folders to organize things in a way that suits you.
GoodNotes also has a Favorites tab that allows locating a page, document, or note from a location in seconds. The app boasts powerful notebook creation tools that facilitate the complete customization of notes and notebooks.
3. Noteshelf
One of the best note-taking apps available for iPad with all the features and options you would need, Noteshelf works for any type of user looking to use their Apple device and Pencil creatively. This application has several amazing features including the option to multitask with split-screen and annotate PDFs. With this app, your notes can contain handwriting as well as recorded audio, making it perfect for recapping a lecture or meeting.
An impressive feature of Noteshelf is its ability to recognize handwriting in about 65 languages. This is particularly useful for those who are learning a new language and those who speak/write multiple languages. You can even get your handwritten notes converted so that you can search through them even when you have written them with hand. For those who don’t like plain digital paper, Noteshelf has a large number of templates and paper styles to choose from.
The note-taking experience on the app is as smooth as writing on a notepad. You can find several pen styles to work with, such as a fountain pen that gives you an elegant experience. Finally, Noteshelf allows exporting your notes to Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, iCloud, OneDrive, etc. which many other apps don’t facilitate. The ability to record voice notes through a dedicated app on the Apple Watch would further impress watch users.
4. Notability
Notability is a top-notch note-taking app for iPad that works much like others but a little differently. For beginners, the app’s design has a practical approach where all your folders are displayed on the left pane and the notes on the right. It also offers convenient document management allowing you to create a subject and group the relevant notes under them.
Notability also excels in terms of customization as you find a lot of options from notebook designs to covers to give your notes the look you prefer. The overall writing experience on the app is quite smooth. You also find handwriting-to-text conversion as well as PDF marking and sharing. The most impressive feature is, however, the audio recording facility that allows you to record audio while making notes.
5. Microsoft OneNote
This is one of the most commonly used note-taking apps for iPad. OneNote from Microsoft offers a mix of notetaking and collaboration and allows users to share notes across devices and collaborate across platforms. With OneNote, you get a fully featured application that boasts a plethora of sketching and handwriting tools designed to work with Apple Pencil.
You can write important notes, sketch ideas and diagrams and annotate documents you already have. You can also find a custom drawing mode where you can draw with a finger in case your Pencil is not available. Some other features include support for audio, photos, rich text, a calendar, and more. To share notes, you can quickly create and send a link to your notebook for collaboration.
6. Evernote
Evernote is one of the oldest and the most robust note-taking apps that not only caters to individuals but also offers custom pricing plans to large-scale enterprises. An outstanding feature of this app is its support for iOS as well as Android platforms so users can easily sync their stuff between devices. Writing and typing on the iPad app feels quite professional with its simplistic interface.
On the home screen, users can find different options available along with recent files and notes they have created with the app. You can draw, type or write in Evernote and also add custom code blocks. Though the iPad app has an approach focused on more than just simple handwriting, users looking for a complete experience would find it appealing.
Final Thoughts
With so many paid and free note-taking apps on the market, there are lots of options for those who want to take notes with their iPad. These apps make it easy to enjoy the benefits of writing on paper without compromising on the features offered by digital programs. The right app is, however, the one that suits your needs and preferences the best.