Best note-taking apps for Mac in 2026
The best note-taking apps for Mac in 2026, compared on file ownership, offline use, price and AI agents: Loam, Obsidian, Apple Notes, Bear and more.
The best note-taking app for Mac depends on one choice: do you want your notes as files you own, or inside an app's database? For plain Markdown files, Loam and Obsidian are the strongest picks on a Mac, and for quick capture, Apple Notes is already installed. Loam is our app, so we list it first, and we say where each of the other seven apps is the better choice.
The best Mac note apps at a glance
| App | Notes stored as | Price model | Works offline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loam | Markdown files in a folder you choose | Free, open source | Always, no server | Files, plugins and AI agents on a Mac |
| Obsidian | Markdown files in a vault folder | App free; Sync and Publish paid | Yes | A large plugin catalog on every platform |
| Apple Notes | Apple's Notes database, synced with iCloud | Free with Apple devices | Yes, on your devices | Quick capture on iPhone and Mac |
| Bear | Bear's own database | Free tier; Pro subscription adds iCloud sync | Yes | Calm writing with tags |
| Notion | Notion's cloud, as blocks | Free plan; paid plans | Limited: pages you download | Teams and relational databases |
| Craft | Craft's block format, synced through its cloud | Free plan; paid plans | Yes | Polished documents you share |
| Logseq | Local Markdown or Org files, as outlines | Free, open source | Yes, files on disk | Outlines and a daily journal |
| Evernote | Evernote's cloud, in its own format | Free plan with limits; paid plans | Check your plan | Web clipping and email-in |
Facts checked on official sites, November 2026. A + marks apps that keep notes as plain files.
How do I choose a note-taking app?
Start with where the notes live, then check platforms and price. Five questions settle most choices:
- Do you need a phone app? Loam is macOS only. Every other app on this list has one.
- Do you work with a team? Notion and Craft share pages and documents. Loam is for one person.
- Do you want to keep your notes if the app disappears? Choose an app that stores plain files: Loam, Obsidian or Logseq.
- Do you want AI agents to work on your notes? Look for a command line, an API or an MCP server before you commit.
- Do you only need quick capture? Apple Notes is free and already on your Mac.
If Obsidian is your starting point, the best Obsidian alternatives for Mac covers the same ground from that side.
1. Loam: Markdown files, plugins and agents
Loam keeps every note as a Markdown file in a folder you choose, called a vault. It has no account and no server of its own, and it works offline. Every feature is a plugin, including tasks, daily notes, collections and boards, and the loam command line runs every action of the app.
- Best for
- Mac users who want files, plugins and AI agents
- Notes stored as
- Plain Markdown files in a folder you choose
- Platforms
- macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon
- Price model
- Free and open source
A search from the terminal looks like this, and an agent runs the same command:
loam --vault ~/Notes search.content q=roadmapLoam syncs through Git, with an optional encrypted remote, and it imports Obsidian, Notion, Bear and Apple Notes with a dry run first. The limits are real. Loam runs on macOS 26 or later and has no iPhone or Android app. It is built for one person, its plugin catalog is younger and smaller than Obsidian's, and it has no web clipper.
2. Obsidian: the largest plugin catalog
Obsidian is the closest match to Loam: a vault of Markdown files, with a very large community plugin catalog and apps for Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android. Pick it if you need a phone app or a specific community plugin. Its Canvas boards and Loam's boards use the same JSON Canvas format, so both apps read them.
- Best for
- A very large plugin catalog on every platform
- Notes stored as
- Plain Markdown files in a vault folder
- Platforms
- Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android
- Price model
- App free, no sign-up; Sync and Publish are paid
Obsidian is a closed source app, and it writes links as wikilinks, while Loam reads standard Markdown links. You can open a copy of your vault in Loam to try it. See Loam vs Obsidian.
3. Apple Notes: already on your Mac
Apple Notes is the fastest way to capture a thought. It takes scans, sketches and checklists, it syncs through iCloud, and it needs no setup. The notes are rich text, not Markdown, and there is no plugin system and no backlink graph.
- Best for
- Quick capture on iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Notes stored as
- Apple's Notes database, synced with iCloud
- Platforms
- Mac, iPhone, iPad and the web
- Price model
- Free, included with Apple devices
A common split is Apple Notes for capture and a Markdown vault for the notes you keep. Loam can import Apple Notes into plain files. See Loam vs Apple Notes.
4. Bear: a calm writing app
Bear is a quiet, carefully designed Markdown writing app for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Tags organize your notes with little setup. If writing is most of what you do, Bear is hard to beat on a Mac. It has no plugin system, and automation goes through Shortcuts and x-callback-url.
- Best for
- Writing, with tags, on Apple devices
- Notes stored as
- Bear's own database
- Platforms
- Mac, iPhone and iPad
- Price model
- Free tier; Pro subscription adds iCloud sync
Bear can export notes, but the app is the way in. Details: Loam vs Bear.
5. Notion: a workspace for teams
Notion is an online workspace with shared pages, comments, permissions and full relational databases. Pick it when you collaborate with other people in one place, or when you need rollups and formulas. Loam does not replace that.
- Best for
- Teams and relational databases
- Notes stored as
- Notion's cloud, as blocks
- Platforms
- Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android
- Price model
- Free plan, and paid plans
An account is required, and on the Free plan you choose which pages to download for offline use. Notion exports to Markdown and CSV. See Loam vs Notion and the best Notion alternatives.
6. Craft: beautiful shared documents
Craft is a block-based document app that is at home on Apple devices, and it works offline. You share a document by link, and teams can collaborate. Pick it when how a document looks matters, or when you share your notes.
- Best for
- Polished documents you share
- Notes stored as
- Craft's block format, synced through its cloud
- Platforms
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Android and the web
- Price model
- Free plan, and paid plans
Craft exports to Markdown, TextBundle, PDF and Word, and it offers an API and an MCP server for AI tools. See Loam vs Craft.
7. Logseq: an outliner with a journal
Logseq is open source and keeps notes as local Markdown or Org files, written as outlines. Every line is a block you can nest, reference and embed, and the journal comes first. Pick it if you think in bullets rather than documents.
- Best for
- Outlines and a daily journal
- Notes stored as
- Local Markdown or Org files
- Platforms
- Mac, Windows, Linux and mobile
- Price model
- Free and open source
It has a plugin and theme marketplace and built-in whiteboards. See Loam vs Logseq.
8. Evernote: web clipping and capture
Evernote is built for capture. Its web clipper and email-in are the main reason to use it, and Loam does not copy them. Notes live in Evernote's cloud, in its own format, and you export them as ENEX or HTML.
- Best for
- Web clipping and email-in
- Notes stored as
- Evernote's cloud, in its own format
- Platforms
- Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android and the web
- Price model
- Free plan with limits, and paid plans
An account is required. If you plan to leave, read how to export Evernote to Markdown and the best Evernote alternatives.
Sources: Obsidian ↗ · Obsidian pricing ↗ · Apple iCloud Notes guide ↗ · Bear ↗ · Notion pricing ↗ · Craft ↗ · Logseq ↗ · Evernote plans ↗
Markdown files or a database: does it matter?
A Markdown file is a text file that any app can open. A database belongs to the app that made it. The format decides whether you can leave a notes app without a conversion step, and that matters more the longer you keep your notes.
| Markdown files in a folder | App database or cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Open the notes in another app | Any app that reads Markdown | Export first, then convert |
| Back up and track changes | Time Machine, any backup tool or Git | Through the app or its export |
| If the app shuts down | You keep every note | Depends on the export you made |
| Sync and sharing | You choose the sync: Git, or a folder tool | Built in for most apps |
| Scans and web clips | Attachments only; Loam has no web clipper | Scans in Apple Notes, clips in Evernote |
Loam, Obsidian and Logseq store files. Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Notion and Evernote store a database or a cloud copy.
Every app here can export, but an export is a snapshot you convert after the fact. For the longer argument, read why Markdown is still the right format and where local-first notes live.
Which note apps work with AI agents?
An AI agent needs a way into your notes: a command line, an API, an MCP server or plain files. The apps differ a lot here. In Loam, the app, the loam command line and an agent all work on the same folder, so a note an agent writes appears in the open window at once.
- Loam: the
loamcommand runs every action of the app, so Claude Code, Codex and other agents work on the vault like a person does. - Obsidian: an official command line interface, and community plugins.
- Notion and Craft: an API and an MCP server for AI tools, over the network.
- Evernote: an MCP server for AI assistants, and no command line.
- Apple Notes: Shortcuts only. Bear: Shortcuts and x-callback-url.
- Logseq: community tools.
Loam's agent rules are short. An agent reads loam guide first, reads a note right before it writes it, and never deletes a note on its own: to remove one it asks you, then runs files.trash, which moves the note to .trash/. loam skill install writes the skill for Claude Code, Codex and other agents. For hands-on examples, see using Claude Code with your notes and note-taking apps with MCP servers.
Try Loam on a copy of your notes
Install Loam with one command from the install page, open a copy of your notes as a vault, and see whether files, plugins and a command line fit how you work. If you come from Obsidian, Loam vs Obsidian lists what carries over, and every comparison shows where the other app is the better pick.
