Best Note-Taking Apps for Mac (2026)
The best note-taking app for most Mac users is Obsidian — a free, local-first Markdown knowledge base with linking and plugins. Notion wins for teams and databases, and Bear is the most polished native option. Each installs free via Homebrew.
How we pick: every app here installs via Homebrew, runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel, and is ranked on real-world use, value, and maintenance. Our methodology.
- 1
Obsidian
FreeA local-first Markdown knowledge base with bidirectional links, a huge plugin ecosystem, and graph view.
Best for: Building a linked personal knowledge base
brew install --cask obsidian - 2
Notion
FreeAn all-in-one workspace combining notes, databases, and wikis with real-time collaboration.
Best for: Teams and structured databases
brew install --cask notion - 3
Bear
PaidA beautiful native Markdown notes app with tags and fast capture across Apple devices.
Best for: Apple-ecosystem users who want polish
brew install --cask bear - 4
Logseq
FreeAn open-source outliner for networked thought with daily notes and block references; local-first.
Best for: Outliners and privacy-focused note-takers
brew install --cask logseq - 5
Anytype
FreeAn open-source, local-first, end-to-end-encrypted Notion alternative built around objects and relations.
Best for: Privacy with Notion-style structure
brew install --cask anytype