Note-taking apps for iPad
iPad is one of the best products that Apple made and it’s easily the best tablet on the market. Apple focusing more on iPad to bridge the gap between a tablet and a laptop. With the massive screen, the iPad is best suited for taking notes on the go. While Apple’s official notes app provides a handful of useful features, there are other alternatives that tend to work better. Furthermore, you can also check out the best video editor for iPad and iPhone
1. Evernote
Evernote has been in the field for several years and each update improves the app in all the aspects. It is available on major platforms such as iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. The user can take notes, edit them as they want, attach documents, files, and PDFs.
All these features are included in the free version and If you’re looking for more advanced features such as team collaboration, uploading the documents to the cloud storage, connect with email providers, and a lot more, you have to opt-in for the paid plan. However, if you just want the simple and best app to take notes on the iPad, then Evernote free version is more than enough.

To note:
- Free to download
- Available on iOS, iPad OS, Mac OS, Andriod, and Windows
- Supports apple watch, reminders
- Allows encrypting notes with passcode
2. GoodNotes
GoodNotes, an advanced and the best note-taking app for iPad built to make notes using the Apple pencil. Just like others, the Good Notes allow the users to write, scribble, and sketch but with a more fluent and natural experience. Good Notes developed an engine called pioneering vector ink engine(that’s what they call it as) to make the writing as natural as possible.
Other important features worth mentioning are a variety of templates, the option to convert the handwritten words into text, syncing with cloud services, importing PDFs, word, photos and other formats. Besides these, the app offers a ton of useful features.

To note:
- Fluent and natural writing with the apple pencil
- Tons of templates
- Cloud sync
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3. Notepad+ Pro
Notepad+ Pro is the one best note-taking app for the iPad to have a feeling that you are actually writing with a pencil on a paper. The app works more with the Apple pencil such as drawing, sketching, and writing with the pencil. The app comes with a premade 8 templates and also offers a handful of editing tools such as blurring the sensitive content which comes handy in the most situation. It allows editing files in other formats such as PDF, Numbers, Excel, Keynote and a lot more.

To note:
- 8 templates to choose from
- Blur tool to hide sensitive information
- Supports encrypting notes with password
4. Notability
Notability is another great note-talking app for iPad that works best with the apple pencil. Just like other apps, the Notability lets users write, type, sketch and provides essential writing and editing tools. It also supports embedding audio files to the notes so that you can add a recorded audio file to your note. The added notes can be secured by Touch ID or Face ID and support syncing via iCloud to backup or access the notes anywhere.

To note:
- Auto-backup
- encrypt notes with Face ID or Touch ID
- Supports adding GIFS and audio files
5. Bear
Bear has a beautiful design and user interface with a variety of themes available to choose from including dark mode. Bear takes advantage of the iPad OS and makes the use of split-screen to use two notes side by side. Supports Apple pencil to take notes using the stylus and offers some common features like writing, sketching, and more.
Beer also supports hashtags which comes in handy to find the required content, Siri support to take notes using your voice, Apple Watch support to take audio notes. You can export your notes in a variety of formats such as HTML, PDF, JPG and more. The app is free of cost to download but some features such as locking notes with face ID or touch ID, additional themes, note syncing and more falls under paid version.

To note:
- Free to download
- Many themes to choose
- Supports Apple Watch and dark mode
- Supports hashtags
- Lock notes with Face ID or Touch ID
7. Nebo
MyScript Nebo is the closest that can recognize the handwriting of the words, math, and shapes accurately written with the Apple Pencil. Still not the perfect but better than any other note-taking apps in terms of handwriting recognization. It can recognize text written in 70 different languages. You can easily switch between input methods such as pencil, keyboard, and voice. The app is free to download, however, some features like cloud syncing, file exporting in different formats, require a paid subscription to use.

To note:
- Free to download
- Accurate handwriting recognition in 70 different language
- Cloud sync
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7. Noteshelf
Another great note-taking app for iPad with a simple and easy user interface. Noteshelf supports Apple Watch which helps to take notes with your voice on the go. If you prefer languages other than English, then this app is a go-to option for you since the Noteshelf can recognize the handwriting written in 65 languages.
Other notable features are Auto-backup to various cloud services, lock notes using Touch ID or FaceID, differentiate between personal and business notes, dark mode and more. Surprisingly the Noteshelf supports auto exporting the file to the EverNote.

To note:
- Apple Watch and Siri support
- Handwriting recognition in 65 different language
- Auto-backup and cloud sync
- Export to Evernote
- Supports face ID, Touch ID, and dark mode
8. Microsoft OneNote
If you’re in the Microsoft ecosystem with an office 360 subscription, you have to try the Onenote for sure. As we all know, Microsoft is well known for its apps in terms of education or business and OneNote is not an exception. It offers some basic to intermediate features such as create, capture, edit, sync, share and support for Apple Pencil. Besides these basic tools, OneNote offers a ton of advanced tools to create a note and dedicated tools for Apple Pencil.

To note:
- Free to download
- Cloud sync
- Support Touch ID and Passcode
Final Verdict:
That’s it, these are the best note-taking apps for iPad. Apple’s default notes app itself is the best one if you prefer simple and an app that comes under the apple ecosystem. Remember that, any new feature that comes on the iPad OS will first be utilized by the Apple apps. If you find any other app that the list is missing, be sure to comment it down below and I will try to add that.