Color code your items for easier management. Create notes, manage to-do lists, and add images and files to your notes. SideNotes is a convenient Mac note-taker that can be swiped into life from the right side of your screen. We tried to find a balance between brief and concise while also giving you just enough to make the right decision. We discuss each on the list in detail, outline the key features and highlight some pros and cons to help you get a balanced view on each of the tools. Best note-taking apps for Macīelow, we take a look at seven excellent Mac note-taking applications - SideNotes, MarginNote, Unclutter, NotePlan, MarsEdit, and MindNode. Now that we’ve gotten this out of the way, let’s look at the note-taking apps to possibly meet your requirements. Tip: With Setapp, all the note-taking apps we review below are part of one subscription, so you can simply try them all and decide later. And remember, you don’t have to spend hours to set up your note-taking space - it should be a quick and intuitive process. Go for tools that are easy to navigate, whether you’re a beginner or pro. It might sound like a cliche but the way your app is designed will have a direct impact on your productivity. Not every app can cover this use case, but after a quick research, you’ll figure out there are great solutions such as NotePlan. For example, you’re someone who takes notes during meetings and needs good templates for meeting notes.

Accommodates your specific note-taking habits.

The rule of thumb is if it takes longer than five seconds to open an app and start typing your notes, it’s not going to be efficient. If an app is permanently sipping a big chunk of system resources, it will slow down your Mac and eventually hamper your productivity.

Since a note-taking app is something you’ll probably keep at your hand at all times, pay attention to how much RAM and CPU it consumes. But before we start, here’s a quick primer on what to look for in a note-taking app:

To choose the best Macintosh notes solution, browse our curated selection below and install the one you love most. ✕ How to choose the best note-taking app for Mac

Sticky notes on mac screen