Free picks · Windows
Best free note-taking apps for Windows (2026)
Every pick is listed under Note-Taking in our directory, runs on a Windows PC 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 Windows.
Short answer
The best free note-taking apps for Windows are Obsidian, Logseq and Notion, the top three of 18 matches in our directory. 5 of the 10 picks are completely free and the other 5 have a free plan; 5 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
- 18
- Completely free
- 5
- Open source
- 5
- 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 | AppFlowy | Free plan | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Open source | The open-source alternative to Notion, with docs, databases and AI you control. |
| 6 | Anytype | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | The local-first, privacy-focused alternative to Notion. |
| 7 | Supernotes | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | — | The notetaking app for connected thoughts. |
| 8 | Simplenote | Free | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Completely free, fast notes that sync everywhere, from the makers of WordPress.com. |
| 9 | Granola | Free plan | macOS, iOS, Windows | — | AI meeting notes that build on what you already typed. |
| 10 | hypernovum | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Agent Ops for your second brain — a 3D IDE for Obsidian built on Three.js. |
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 Windows pick, rated 4.8/5, the highest here. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Its listing says it works offline, syncs through the cloud and is privacy-focused. On our Mac list it is number 1.
Watch out for: Sync costs extra
Number 2 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline and is privacy-focused. On our Mac 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 Windows, rated 4.7/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Windows PC, and also on Web, iOS, Android and macOS. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and has AI features. On our Mac list it is number 3.
Watch out for: Can get slow with large databases
Number 4 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.5/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Its listing says it works offline, syncs through the cloud and is privacy-focused. On our Mac list it is number 4.
Watch out for: Interface is plainer than Evernote's
Number 5 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.4/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline, is privacy-focused and has AI features. On our Mac list it is number 6.
Watch out for: Free cloud plan has 100 MB of storage
Number 6 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.4/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Its listing says it works offline and is privacy-focused. On our Mac list it is number 7.
Watch out for: Steeper learning curve due to its unique data model and flexibility
Number 7 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.5/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Windows PC, and also on Web, iOS, Android, macOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and is easy to pick up. On our Mac list it is number 9.
Watch out for: May require adjustment for users accustomed to hierarchical note structures.
Number 8 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.4/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. Runs on a Windows PC, and also on Web, iOS, Android, macOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud and is easy to pick up. It is not in the Mac top 10 (11th for Mac).
Watch out for: Plain text only, no rich attachments or web clipper
Number 9 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.7/5. Listed mainly under Meetings, it also covers note-taking. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and iOS. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud, has AI features and is easy to pick up. It is not in the Mac top 10 (13th for Mac).
Watch out for: Desktop-first experience
Number 10 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.3/5. Note-Taking is its main purpose in our directory. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and Linux. Its listing says it works offline. It is not in the Mac top 10 (14th for Mac).
Watch out for: Experimental and early
Running these on Windows
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Windows picks are 7 desktop apps (Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy and 3 others) and 3 web apps (Notion, Supernotes and Simplenote).
- 7 of 10 are apps you install on a Windows PC; the other 3 are web or cloud tools listed for Windows.
- Every Windows pick here also runs somewhere else. AppFlowy reaches furthest, on 5 other platforms besides Windows.
- 8 of 10 also run on Android, so the same tool can follow you between Windows and Android; Granola and hypernovum do not.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms. Only the differences are named.
- Free note-taking apps for Mac
7 of these 10 Windows picks also make the Mac top 10. 3 are on this list only: Simplenote (11th for Mac), Granola (13th for Mac) and hypernovum (14th for Mac). In their place the Mac list has MindNode, Mem.ai and Glyph; none of them is listed for Windows.
- Free note-taking apps for Android
8 of these 10 Windows picks also make the Android top 10; the 2 that do not are Granola and hypernovum.
- Free note-taking apps for iPhone
6 of these 10 Windows picks also make the iPhone top 10; the 4 that do not are Anytype, Simplenote, Granola and hypernovum.
More matches
8 more free note-taking apps for Windows in our directory, in ranked order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free note-taking app for Windows?
- 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, Simplenote and 1 other are completely free. Obsidian, Notion, AppFlowy, Supernotes and 1 other have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these note-taking apps are open source?
- Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy, Simplenote and hypernovum 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 Windows PC?
- 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?
- Supernotes, Simplenote and Granola are rated beginner-friendly. 7 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free note-taking apps for Windows are in the directory?
- 18 match: listed under Note-Taking, available on a Windows PC 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.
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