Free picks · Mac
Best free note-taking apps for Mac (2026)
Every pick is listed under Note-Taking in our directory, runs on a Mac 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 Mac.
Short answer
The best free note-taking apps for Mac are Obsidian, Logseq and Notion, the top three of 22 matches in our directory. 4 of the 10 picks are completely free and the other 6 have a free plan; 4 are open source.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 22
- Completely free
- 4
- Open source
- 4
- Work offline
- 6
- Native apps
- 7
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 | Obsidian | Free plan | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | Local-first markdown notes with a powerful link graph. |
| 2 | Logseq | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Open source | A privacy-first, open-source knowledge base that works on local files. |
| 3 | Notion | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | — | One workspace for notes, docs, projects and wikis. |
| 4 | 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. |
| 5 | MindNode | Free plan | macOS, iOS | — | Visualizing your ideas has never been easier. |
| 6 | AppFlowy | Free plan | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Open source | The open-source alternative to Notion, with docs, databases and AI you control. |
| 7 | Anytype | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | The local-first, privacy-focused alternative to Notion. |
| 8 | Mem.ai | Free plan | Web, iOS, macOS | — | Your mind, amplified. |
| 9 | Supernotes | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | — | The notetaking app for connected thoughts. |
| 10 | Glyph | Free | macOS | Open source | A private desktop workspace for notes, documents and ideas, with Markdown and built-in AI. |
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 Mac pick, rated 4.8/5, the highest here. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. Its listing says it works offline, syncs through the cloud and is privacy-focused. On our Windows list it is number 1.
Watch out for: Sync costs extra
Number 2 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline and is privacy-focused. On our Windows list it is number 2.
Watch out for: Steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with graph databases or block-based note-taking
Number 3 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.7/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, iOS, Android and Windows. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and has AI features. On our Windows list it is number 3.
Watch out for: Can get slow with large databases
Number 4 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. Its listing says it works offline, syncs through the cloud and is privacy-focused. On our Windows list it is number 4.
Watch out for: Interface is plainer than Evernote's
Number 5 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.7/5. Listed mainly under Brainstorming, it also covers note-taking. A Mac app that runs on a Mac, and also on iOS. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and is easy to pick up. It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows).
Watch out for: Exclusive to the Apple ecosystem, excluding Windows and Android users
Number 6 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux, iOS, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline, is privacy-focused and has AI features. On our Windows list it is number 5.
Watch out for: Free cloud plan has 100 MB of storage
Number 7 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.4/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. Its listing says it works offline and is privacy-focused. On our Windows list it is number 6.
Watch out for: Steeper learning curve due to its unique data model and flexibility
Number 8 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web and iOS. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and has AI features. It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows).
Watch out for: AI features can sometimes be a black box; less control over explicit organization.
Number 9 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.5/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Mac, and also on Web, iOS, Android, Windows and 1 more platform. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and is easy to pick up. On our Windows list it is number 7.
Watch out for: May require adjustment for users accustomed to hierarchical note structures.
Number 10 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.3/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Mac and nowhere else. Its listing says it works offline, is privacy-focused and has AI features. It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows).
Watch out for: AGPL-3.0 licence has strict terms for modified versions
Running these on Mac
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Mac picks are 6 desktop apps (Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy and 2 others), 2 web apps (Notion and Supernotes), 1 AI tool (Mem.ai) and 1 Mac app (MindNode).
- 7 of 10 are apps you install on a Mac, and MindNode is made specifically for Mac; the other 3 are web or cloud tools listed for Mac.
- Glyph is listed for Mac and nothing else. AppFlowy reaches furthest, on 5 other platforms besides Mac.
- 9 of 10 also run on iPhone and iPad, so the same tool can follow you between Mac and iPhone; Glyph does not.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms, and the other price filter. Only the differences are named.
- Free note-taking apps for Windows
7 of these 10 Mac picks also make the Windows top 10. 3 are on this list only: MindNode (not listed for Windows), Mem.ai (not listed for Windows) and Glyph (not listed for Windows). In their place the Windows list has Simplenote, Granola and hypernovum.
- Free note-taking apps for iPhone
8 of these 10 Mac picks also make the iPhone top 10; the 2 that do not are Anytype and Glyph.
- Free note-taking apps for Android
7 of these 10 Mac picks also make the Android top 10; the 3 that do not are MindNode, Mem.ai and Glyph.
- Free open-source note-taking apps for Mac
Want code you can inspect? 4 picks of 10 here are tagged open source; the open-source Mac list ranks 8 such tools, led by Logseq, Joplin and AppFlowy.
More matches
12 more free note-taking apps for Mac in our directory, in ranked order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free note-taking app for Mac?
- Obsidian is our first pick. Local-first markdown notes with a powerful link graph. Obsidian 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, Anytype and Glyph are completely free. Obsidian, Notion, MindNode, AppFlowy and 2 others have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these note-taking apps are open source?
- Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy and Glyph 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 a Mac?
- Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy, Anytype and 1 other are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- MindNode, Supernotes and Glyph are rated beginner-friendly. 7 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free note-taking apps for Mac are in the directory?
- 22 match: listed under Note-Taking, available on a Mac 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 open-source note-taking apps for Mac
- Free note-taking apps for Windows
- Free to-do list apps for Mac
- Free note-taking apps for iPhone
- Free project management apps for Mac
- Free note-taking apps for Android
- Free time management apps for Mac
- Free writing apps for Mac
- Free AI productivity tools for Mac
- Free automation tools for Mac
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