Best Note-Taking Apps For Students

Now and again I omit pupil lifestyles–lengthy hours of lectures, unending pages of studying, the occasional all-nighter fueled by means of caffeine and adrenaline… and naturally, so much of note-taking.

Fortunately, on this trendy age, note-taking has gotten an entire lot more straightforward. With regards to taking pictures the ones an important bits of data that may make or damage your examination, having the appropriate note-taking app might be the variation between an “A” and a “did I even cross to this elegance?” 

On this curated listing of the most efficient note-taking apps for college kids, we’re going to wreck down the professionals and cons of a few extra fashionable note-taking apps. That method, you’ll be capable of to find one that fits your distinctive finding out genre.

Let’s dive in and take the ones elusive grades by means of hurricane!

Evernote is the self-proclaimed “highest notetaking app”, and is indisputably able to dwelling as much as its popularity. It is a note-taking app that I have been the usage of for years, each as a pupil and as an grownup.

With over a decade to reinforce its person interface and optimize its revel in, Evernote has tough options that may enchantment to scholars of any stage.

Worth: $7.99 a month, or $69.99 a 12 months (top class non-public plan).

Professionals

Extraordinary group

Each and every pocket book you create can area any selection of notes inside of it, additional ready to be arranged via tags and hyperlinks between notes. You’ll be able to even nest notes or notebooks inside of one any other, organizing similar subject material into stacks for simple get entry to.

Hyperlinks, PDFs, footage, audio 

Evernote helps virtually any layout–ideally suited for college kids that need to come with plenty of media and internet hyperlinks of their notes. It will probably even enhance and create audio recordings, even supposing best to a slightly small dimension (even with the Top class plan.)

Reminders and calendar syncing

Integration into your calendar and the facility to create reminders make Evernote a super organizational instrument usually. It will probably additionally sync with Google Force, Slack, Outlook, MS Groups, Zapier, and Gmail.

High quality of lifestyles options

Uninterested in filling up your telephone’s picture album with footage and screenshots out of your textbooks? Evernote means that you can scan paperwork and add them instantly into your notes, or take snippets from on-line articles with the Internet Clipper instrument for simple saving.

Cons

Top class subscription

Whilst Evernote is indisputably a formidable instrument, being locked at the back of a habitual subscription is a little bit of a turn-off. The loose model gives a pleasant style of what Evernote has to provide, however since it is so restricted, you’ll have to shop for or bail sooner or later.

Process-managing AND Notetaking

The overpowering quantity of options Evernote has will also be moderately complicated. Even for longtime customers, the ensuing clunky interface can now and again be extra of a distraction when all you wish to have to do is write.

Every other tough instrument courtesy of the Microsoft Place of work Suite, OneNote is a strong note-taking possibility. With a number of equipment to be had without spending a dime, OneNote is a smart Evernote choice for budget-conscious scholars.

This was once if truth be told the primary instrument I began with in faculty to take notes, earlier than switching to Evernote.

Worth: Loose with some characteristic boundaries. Customers be able to pay for added options, akin to native onerous force garage, video and audio recording, and model historical past. Top class options too can include a Microsoft 365 subscription, beginning at $70 a 12 months.

Professionals

Arranged, blank interface

Even if providing equivalent ranges of intensity and group as Evernote, we discovered the beautiful color-marked tabs and listings to be extra intuitive and clear-cut, each on PC and cellular units.

Simple media integration

OneNote essentially will depend on particular person “packing containers” for textual content and media. This makes it simple to resize, transfer, and even overlap footage, spreadsheets, and handwritten drawings with textual content notes.

Cloud sync throughout any tool

Get started running from one tool and select up on any other by means of logging in in your Microsoft account. Because it’s available from a internet browser as neatly, all units can use OneNote. 

OneDrive sharing

Collaborate simply with shared notebooks and areas.

Loose

All you want is a Microsoft account.

Cons

Overwhelming

With such a lot of choices, it could actually take a while to be informed the nuances of OneNote. 

Slower syncing

Some customers document that OneDrive could have hassle syncing between units every now and then, maximum frequently with the cellular/pill and browser variations.

No sorting choices

Whilst there’s a seek characteristic, the lack to type notes by means of ultimate created or changed approach it’s important to depend solely by yourself organizational prowess.

Notes began as a clear-cut, sticky-note-style note-taking app at the iPhone and has since developed right into a crisp, cross-platform revel in. If you happen to’re an iPhone or iPad person, you would possibly not have to appear a lot additional than this.

Worth: Loose

Professionals

Simplicity

At its core, Apple Notes is streamlined and clear-cut. The power to easily create new notes as wanted, after which order them later, makes it nice for college kids that don’t need to be slowed down by means of all of the bells and whistles. 

Arranged, and no longer overwhelming

The power to make folders and subfolders is a characteristic that, strangely, numerous in a similar fashion minimalist note-taking apps are lacking. Apple Notes’ tiered group gadget is straightforward to make use of and organize, whilst no longer being so overt as to break your go with the flow when developing new notes. 

Fast and simple syncing

Seize an concept in your telephone, then log in in your computer to flesh it out later. Having the ability to see all your notes throughout a couple of units is nearly anticipated of maximum apps in this day and age, however Apple’s iCloud-based syncing is particularly clean. Home windows PCs can get entry to Notes as neatly by means of logging into an iCloud account on a internet browser.

Protected

Passwords or confidential notes chances are you’ll take are secured by means of Apple’s end-to-end encryption.

Cons

Media attachment is difficult

Seeking to add footage right into a Notes web page will also be tricky on cellular, and just about unimaginable on PC. Easy formattings like tables and bullet issues provide no drawback, however should you like to connect footage and media in your notes, you might need to discover different choices.

Home windows internet browser now and again crashes

Whilst iCloud syncing is dependable, there are at all times hiccups. We’ve discovered that now and again the internet browser model will crash hastily–one thing that may truly throw a wrench for your rhythm should you’re in the course of taking notes. Whilst we’ve by no means misplaced any paintings, it’s nonetheless one thing to remember should you’re a Home windows computer person.

For the virtual journalist, this app does the activity and does it neatly. 

Having the ability to seamlessly upload PDFs and upload handwritten annotations, in addition to tough presentation options, GoodNotes is a cast selection and a non-public favourite of mine.

Worth: Loose as much as 3 notebooks. $15 one-time cost for complete, lifetime get entry to.

Professionals

Annotate PDFs

Whilst many apps permit you to add PDFs, GoodNote does an implausible activity of creating the method clean and simple. As quickly because it’s uploaded into your observe, you’ll be able to instantly get started including handwritten notes, sketches, and annotations.

Laser pointer for displays

An out of this world possibility for sophistication displays, the handy laser pointer means that you can draw consideration to key spaces with a swipe of your finger or Apple Pencil.

Possibility for audio recording

Whilst no longer as tough or versatile as Famous’s audio recordings, it’s nonetheless great to be able to concurrently file and take notes.

Seek handwritten notes

Discovering a observe I’ve swiftly scribbled and failed to correctly tag will also be tense. Fortunately, GoodNote’s tough seek characteristic encompasses each PDFs and your individual handwritten notes.

Collaborate and sync simply

With DropBox and Google integration, in addition to the facility to ask others in your notes and create feedback, collaborative inexperienced persons don’t seem to be ignored.

A number of backgrounds

Particularly for lecture notes, it’s at all times great so to make a choice what “paper” I’m writing on. Now and again it’s the small issues in lifestyles.

One-time cost for top class

Not like maximum subscription-based apps, GoodNotes will give you lifetime get entry to to its top class options with a unmarried cost.

Cons

Typed notes are clunky

Textual content packing containers will also be finicky to create and position. If you happen to depend solely on typing, it can be a little bit more difficult to acclimate to GoodNotes.

No video or audio embedding

Whilst PDFs are simply supported, video and audio aren’t as simply embedded. Hyperlinks nonetheless paintings, so this is probably not a dealbreaker.

Not able to hyperlink between notes

The ease of linking from one observe to any other is, sadly, no longer to be had on GoodNotes. Then again, given the job of the improvement workforce, I wouldn’t be shocked in the event that they upload this quickly.

Now and again it’s onerous to hear a lecture AND take notes on the similar time. It’s simple to lose observe of the place you’re at, and by the point you end writing your ultimate observe, you’re already in an entire new phase. 

On the similar time, you wish to have to put in writing down the whole lot as a result of, neatly, it’s all necessary!

Famous solves this by means of seamlessly integrating audio recordings along note-taking. 

Worth: Subscription-based cost at $4.49 per 30 days, or $29.99 a 12 months.

Professionals

Timestamped recordings

The power so as to add timestamps in your notes creates a novel “transcript” vibe with out the force to kind out the whole lot that’s mentioned. It additionally makes playback and assessment extremely simple and handy.

Seamless syncing

Get started recording out of your Apple Watch, handwrite some notes along with your Apple Pencil, and assessment all of it out of your iPhone at the bus experience house.

Tough top class options

This is without doubt one of the few apps with top class options that I think are value the cost. Clever Playback routinely trims lifeless house within the recording, Dictation turns voice into textual content, and Time Stroke means that you can edit handwritten notes and drawings right down to the person swipe, amongst many others.

Cons

Apple units best

That is truly the largest drawback. Since Famous is best to be had on Mac and iDevices, this is probably not a viable possibility should you use a computer or Android tool for note-taking.

Extra of keen on sticky notes than thick notebooks? Google Stay could be extra your genre.

We’ve all heard of Google Doctors, the web resolution to Microsoft Phrase. However you would possibly not have heard of Google Stay–the lesser-known little sibling. If you want to take plenty of fast scratch notes, it’s going to simply be the easiest app for you.

Worth: Loose

Professionals

Most simplicity

Much more so than Apple Notes, Google Stay is designed with ultra-simple note-taking in thoughts, with labels being the one submitting gadget.

Visible group 

Designed to emulate the texture of sticky notes within the digital house, Google Stay notes have a tangible really feel to them, and are arranged in an intuitive grid or listing view. Colour coding choices and the facility to simply upload pictures additional reinforces the visible focal point.

Reminders, lists, & collaboration

Nice for maintaining a tally of fast notes, checklists, and developing virtual signals for your self and others.

Google integration

With the at hand technique to reproduction instantly to Google Doctors, you’ll be able to take any of your scratch notes and temporarily make bigger on them.

Cons

Very fundamental

Out of doors of typing out your notes and importing footage, what you’ll be able to enter into Stay is restricted. If you happen to’re searching for a extra customizable revel in, chances are you’ll need to glance somewhere else.

Drawing isn’t at all times to be had

Even if we used a touch-screen computer for our trying out, Stay didn’t allow us to employ its drawing characteristic.

Google has a nasty addiction of killing merchandise

There could also be a possibility that Google kills off the Google Stay app one day. They’ve a addiction of getting rid of merchandise that are not mainstream like their primary Google Suite of equipment.

Which Word-Taking App Is Best possible?

Truly, the selection boils down in your particular person wishes and your individual note-taking genre. 

Do you like an app the place you’ll be able to notate and arrange all of your lifestyles, or do you simply want one thing fast and simple to refresh your reminiscence? Do you like cleanly typed-out notes, or are you extra of a visible and audio learner, who prefer media as your medium for memorization?

Slightly than drive your self to make use of a device that doesn’t fit your genre, it’s highest to seek out an app that may supplement it.