Updated Nov 7, 2026, from what MacPip lists today.
MacPip lists 9 note taking and writing apps for Mac, and a person has checked 4 of them.6 of them have a free version.6 of them sell a one-time license.3 of them are paid by subscription.There is no single best note taking app for everyone, so MacPip does not rank them.If you want it free, start with Seedlore.
Apps a person checked come first, newest check first. Never ordered by payment.
The best note taking app for Mac is the one you still trust in five years. That has less to do with features than with one plain question: where do your notes live, and can you take them with you?
MacPip lists 9 note taking and writing apps. They range from a free Markdown editor that opens your own folder of files to an AI note taker for recorded lectures. 2 of them are open source, and 6 have a free version.
Below, each one is described from its own listing: what it does, what it costs and who it suits.
| App | What it does | Price | Free or paid | Apple silicon | Open source | Made by | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedlore | Watch your love grow into a living tree | Free, Premium monthly, yearly or once | Free versionOne-timeSubscription | Yes, and Intel, its maker says | No | ixl21s | Nov 3 |
| Oh My Notes | A floating Today layer for Mac | Free · Pro from $7.99 | Free versionOne-time | Not stated | No | Not stated | Nov 3 |
| Folio | Writing and notes app for Mac | 5 EUR | Free versionOne-time | Not stated | No | Folio Hecho con cari | Nov 3 |
| LocalEditor | LocalEditor is a local Mac workspace for notes, sketches and coding projects. | $20 | One-time | Universal | No | Nikhil Yadav | Oct 30 |
| DraftKey | Tab autocomplete and draft rewriting in any Mac app | $4.99 once | One-time | Yes, Apple silicon only, its maker says | No | Aura Technologies | Pending |
| LensNote | AI lecture note taker that keeps every slide | $30/mo; 14-day free trial | Subscription | Not stated | No | Bob Jones | Pending |
| LocArk | Local-first notes, password records and personal workspace | Free; Pro $4.90/yr or $24.90 lifetime | Free versionOne-timeSubscription | Yes, and Intel, its maker says | No | SELFARK LTD | Pending |
| LokalBot | Your personal context engine. | Free and open source | Free version | Yes, Apple silicon only, its maker says | Yes | Not stated | Pending |
| Sonder | Sonder is a free, open-source markdown editor for Mac. | Free and open source | Free version | Yes, and Intel, its maker says | Yes | Not stated | Pending |
Watch your love grow into a living tree
From its maker: Your relationship as a living tree. Journal, shared calendar, pinboard and bucket list for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
A floating Today layer for Mac
Oh My Notes is a floating Today layer: notes, to-dos and reminders that sit above every app, even in fullscreen. Notes are plain Markdown files you own, and Pro can keep them in your own folder or Obsidian vault. Free to try, with Pro from $7.99. No account.
Writing and notes app for Mac
Made by Folio Hecho con cariWebsiteOn XFolio is a native study app: notebooks on a shelf, rich text pages, PDFs you can annotate, AI flashcards scheduled with FSRS spaced repetition, quizzes and exams, and a study assistant that talks about your notes. Its listing is written in Spanish. It costs 5 euros.
LocalEditor is a local Mac workspace for notes, sketches and coding projects.
Made by Nikhil YadavWebsiteOn XLocalEditor is a local workspace for notes, sketches and coding projects. You work in your own folders, alongside your AI agents, and every file stays yours. It is $20, and its maker names Obsidian and Zed as the apps it replaces.
Tab autocomplete and draft rewriting in any Mac app
DraftKey adds Tab autocomplete and draft rewriting to any Mac app. Start typing an email, a note or a commit message, accept suggested words with Tab, and keep going. It is $4.99 once, for Apple silicon with macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
AI lecture note taker that keeps every slide
LensNote is an AI note taker for recorded lectures, meetings and long videos. It captures each distinct slide once, pairs it with what was said, and writes a key message per slide, plus a transcript, summary and action items. No bot joins your calls. It is a subscription at $30 a month, with a 14-day trial.
Local-first notes, password records and personal workspace
Made by SELFARK LTDWebsiteOn XLocArk is a local-first workspace for Markdown notes, password records and an inbox, stored in a folder you choose and encrypted with a master password. Core features work offline, and there is no hosted cloud sync. Notes are free; Pro adds kanban boards and mind maps for $4.90 a year or $24.90 lifetime. It runs on macOS 12 Monterey or later, Intel and Apple silicon.
Your personal context engine.
LokalBot records meetings without a bot joining the call, then transcribes and summarizes them on your Mac. It can also search your meetings and, if you turn it on, what you saw on screen. Processing runs locally by default. It is free and open source, for Apple silicon with macOS 15 Sequoia or later.
Sonder is a free, open-source markdown editor for Mac.
Sonder is a free, open-source Markdown editor. It opens your own folder of .md files, so there is nothing to import or export, and adds a Focus Mode plus the AI tools you already have. It works offline and needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Apple Notes is free, syncs through iCloud and is good enough for most people. Look elsewhere when you want plain files you own, Markdown, notes that float over other apps, study tools such as flashcards, or notes made for you from a recording.
For text you paste and reuse, see clipboard and text apps. For speech to text, see dictation and transcription apps. For the wider shelf, see the best productivity apps for Mac.
There is no single best one for everyone. MacPip lists 9: Seedlore, Oh My Notes, Folio, LocalEditor, DraftKey, LensNote, LocArk, LokalBot, Sonder. If you want it free, look at Seedlore. If you would rather pay once than subscribe, look at Oh My Notes. If you want it to run natively on Apple silicon, look at Seedlore. If you need it to work offline, as its maker says it does, look at Seedlore.
Yes. With a free version on MacPip: Seedlore, Oh My Notes, Folio, LocArk, LokalBot, Sonder.
With a one-time option, so you can avoid a subscription: Seedlore, Oh My Notes, Folio, LocalEditor, DraftKey, LocArk.
By their makers' word or by our check: Seedlore, DraftKey, LocArk, LokalBot, Sonder.
Each has a dated report on its page: Seedlore, Oh My Notes, Folio, LocalEditor.
Apps a person has checked come first, newest check first, then the rest by when they were added. Payment never changes the order, and sponsored rows are labeled and kept apart.
