Best Note-Taking Apps: Notion vs Obsidian vs Apple Notes vs Bear
The best note-taking app is the one that matches your actual habits — not the one with the most features. Here's what we found after using all four seriously.
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Notion | Obsidian | Apple Notes | Bear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Freemium (~£8/mo) | Free (sync £8/mo) | Free | Freemium (~£1.50/mo) |
| Setup effort | Medium | High | None | Low |
| Writing experience | Good | Good (Markdown) | Basic | Excellent |
| Databases/structure | Excellent | Plugins only | None | Tags only |
| Note linking | Good | Excellent | Basic | Good |
| Mobile experience | Good | Requires sync setup | Excellent | Excellent |
| Data ownership | Cloud only | Local files | iCloud | Cloud + export |
| Best for | Structured work | Knowledge building | Quick capture | Clean writing |
Best for each type of user
Best for project management and databases
Notion
If your notes need structure — tables, property fields, linked databases, views — Notion is the only option in this list that handles it. Best for running a business, tracking projects, or managing anything with lots of records.
Best for building a knowledge base
Obsidian
For writers, researchers, and anyone who wants notes that connect to each other across time. The link graph becomes genuinely valuable after a few months. Requires setup investment upfront.
Best for Apple users who want zero friction
Apple Notes
Underrated. It's free, fast, syncs perfectly across Apple devices, supports basic formatting and attachments, and never gets in the way. If you don't need databases or linking, Apple Notes is probably enough.
Best for beautiful, focused writing
Bear
Apple platforms only, but the writing experience is the best in this comparison. Clean Markdown editor, excellent mobile app, very affordable Pro subscription. Good for journaling, drafting, and anyone who takes notes primarily as prose.
Our recommendation
Start with Apple Notes if you're on Apple devices and just want somewhere to put things. It's genuinely underrated and most people who use it never feel the need to switch.
Move to Notion if you have structured work — projects with tasks, databases, team collaboration, or anything that benefits from a table or a view. Notion's flexibility is real, though its blank-canvas setup can be frustrating at first.
Choose Obsidian if you take a lot of notes, want them to connect and build into something over time, and care about owning your data. There's setup overhead but the long-term return is there. See our full review: Obsidian for Note-Taking.
Bear is the pick for Apple users who write a lot and want a clean, focused experience without Obsidian's complexity. The Pro subscription is cheap enough that cost isn't a real objection.