Free picks · iPhone
Best free note-taking apps for iPhone (2026)
Every pick is listed under Note-Taking in our directory, runs on iPhone and iPad and is completely free or has a free plan. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for note-taking and apps built for iPhone.
Short answer
The best free note-taking apps for iPhone are Notion, Obsidian and Bear, the top three of 23 matches in our directory. 3 of the 10 picks are completely free and the other 7 have a free plan; 3 are open source.
Updated
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At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 23
- Completely free
- 3
- Open source
- 3
- Work offline
- 5
- Native apps
- 2
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notion | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | — | One workspace for notes, docs, projects and wikis. |
| 2 | Obsidian | Free plan | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | Local-first markdown notes with a powerful link graph. |
| 3 | Bear | Free plan | iOS, macOS | — | Fast, elegant markdown notes for Apple devices. |
| 4 | Logseq | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Open source | A privacy-first, open-source knowledge base that works on local files. |
| 5 | Mem.ai | Free plan | Web, iOS, macOS | — | Your mind, amplified. |
| 6 | Joplin | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Open source | Free, open-source notes and to-dos with end-to-end encrypted sync and Evernote import. |
| 7 | Matter | Free | iOS, Android, Web | — | A powerful read-it-later app for curious minds. |
| 8 | MindNode | Free plan | macOS, iOS | — | Visualizing your ideas has never been easier. |
| 9 | Supernotes | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | — | The notetaking app for connected thoughts. |
| 10 | AppFlowy | Free plan | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Open source | The open-source alternative to Notion, with docs, databases and AI you control. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top iPhone pick, rated 4.7/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web, Android, macOS and Windows. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and has AI features. On our Android list it is number 1.
Watch out for: Can get slow with large databases
Number 2 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.8/5, the highest here. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on macOS, Windows, Linux and Android. Its listing says it works offline, syncs through the cloud and is privacy-focused. On our Android list it is number 2.
Watch out for: Sync costs extra
Number 3 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.6/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. An iOS app that runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on macOS. Its listing says it works offline, syncs through the cloud and is privacy-focused. It is not in the Android top 10 (not listed for Android).
Watch out for: Apple only
Number 4 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.6/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline and is privacy-focused. On our Android list it is number 3.
Watch out for: Steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with graph databases or block-based note-taking
Number 5 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.6/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web and macOS. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and has AI features. It is not in the Android top 10 (not listed for Android).
Watch out for: AI features can sometimes be a black box; less control over explicit organization.
Number 6 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.5/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. Its listing says it works offline, syncs through the cloud and is privacy-focused. On our Android list it is number 4.
Watch out for: Interface is plainer than Evernote's
Number 7 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.7/5. Listed mainly under Reading, it also covers note-taking. A mobile app that runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Android and Web. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud, has AI features and is easy to pick up. On our Android list it is number 5.
Watch out for: Discovery features can sometimes be overwhelming.
Number 8 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.7/5. Listed mainly under Brainstorming, it also covers note-taking. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on macOS. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and is easy to pick up. It is not in the Android top 10 (not listed for Android).
Watch out for: Exclusive to the Apple ecosystem, excluding Windows and Android users
Number 9 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.5/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web, Android, macOS, Windows and 1 more platform. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and is easy to pick up. On our Android list it is number 6.
Watch out for: May require adjustment for users accustomed to hierarchical note structures.
Number 10 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.4/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline, is privacy-focused and has AI features. On our Android list it is number 7.
Watch out for: Free cloud plan has 100 MB of storage
Running these on iPhone
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 iPhone picks are 4 desktop apps (Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin and AppFlowy), 2 web apps (Notion and Supernotes), 1 AI tool (Mem.ai), 1 iOS app (Bear), 1 Mac app (MindNode) and 1 mobile app (Matter).
- 2 of 10 are apps you install on iPhone and iPad, and Bear is made specifically for iPhone; the other 8 are web or cloud tools listed for iPhone.
- Every iPhone pick here also runs somewhere else. AppFlowy reaches furthest, on 5 other platforms besides iPhone.
- 9 of 10 also run on a Mac, so the same tool can follow you between iPhone and Mac; Matter does not.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms. Only the differences are named.
- Free note-taking apps for Android
7 of these 10 iPhone picks also make the Android top 10. 3 are on this list only: Bear (not listed for Android), Mem.ai (not listed for Android) and MindNode (not listed for Android). In their place the Android list has Anytype, Simplenote and Google Keep.
- Free note-taking apps for Mac
8 of these 10 iPhone picks also make the Mac top 10; the 2 that do not are Bear and Matter.
- Free note-taking apps for Windows
6 of these 10 iPhone picks also make the Windows top 10; the 4 that do not are Bear, Mem.ai, Matter and MindNode.
More matches
13 more free note-taking apps for iPhone in our directory, in ranked order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free note-taking app for iPhone?
- Notion is our first pick. One workspace for notes, docs, projects and wikis. Notion has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features or usage.
- Are these note-taking apps really free?
- Yes, every pick is free to start. Logseq, Joplin and Matter are completely free. Notion, Obsidian, Bear, Mem.ai and 3 others have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these note-taking apps are open source?
- Logseq, Joplin and AppFlowy are tagged open source in our directory, so you can read the code of each and, depending on the licence, self-host or modify it.
- Which ones work offline on iPhone and iPad?
- Obsidian, Bear, Logseq, Joplin and AppFlowy are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- Bear, Matter and MindNode are rated beginner-friendly, along with 1 other pick. 6 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free note-taking apps for iPhone are in the directory?
- 23 match: listed under Note-Taking, available on iPhone and iPad and free to start. This page ranks the top 10 and names up to 20 more under More matches. The Note-Taking category page has every listing, paid ones included.
Keep exploring
Wider lists
Related free lists
- Free note-taking apps for Mac
- Free to-do list apps for iPhone
- Free note-taking apps for Windows
- Free project management apps for iPhone
- Free note-taking apps for Android
- Free calendar apps for iPhone
- Free open-source note-taking apps for Mac
- Free habit-building apps for iPhone
- Free time management apps for iPhone
- Free writing apps for iPhone
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