Best Note Taking Apps for Visual Learners in 2026

What are Visual Note-Taking Apps?

Visual note-taking applications haven't been around that long. But they've begun to dominate the market to care for those who love seeing their ideas, notes, and visuals expressed in front of them.

Amazingly, we found a massive influx of new visual note-taking applications that have become a joint replacement for more common, traditional note-taking apps, and they are a hit amongst visual thinkers.

Visual thinkers love these types of note-taking applications because they are easy to use, provide relationship connections between notes, and, most importantly, allow them to see what notes, ideas, and thoughts they've had in front of them against a stream or list of notes that have to be opened up to provide context.

Note-taking apps that are designed for visual learners and thinkers. They help visual thinkers create notes, visualize ideas, express thoughts, and project all of these into a whiteboard or canvas-like notes layout.

How We Chose These Visual Note-Taking Apps

We tested dozens of visual note-taking apps to build this list, evaluating how they handle canvas-based thinking, note connections, and visual organization. Here's what mattered most in our evaluation:

Canvas flexibility

Can you freely arrange notes, images, and links in a visual space? Apps that force rigid structures or limit how you position elements don't work for true visual thinking.

Note linking capabilities

Visual apps should let you connect ideas with lines, arrows, or bi-directional links. We prioritized apps where relationships between notes are visible, not just metadata.

Media support

Images, PDFs, videos, and sketches matter for visual thinkers. Apps that only handle text got dinged. The best tools let you embed and annotate diverse content types.

Solo vs. collaborative use

Some visual apps are built for personal knowledge management (Obsidian, Heptabase). Others emphasize team collaboration (Miro, Milanote). We tested both use cases.

Learning curve vs. power

Visual apps range from dead simple (Google Keep) to complex (Logseq). We looked for tools that balance capability with approachability.

Offline access and data ownership

For personal knowledge systems, local-first storage matters. We favored apps like Obsidian and Logseq that give you full control of your data.

Obsidian

Best for PKM: Obsidian

Obsidian has a whiteboard-like feature for notes and visuals called Canvas. Obsidian Canvas, a visual whiteboard-like feature that allows you to add notes, bring them together, and connect them in one place, has transformed what we think Obsidian is capable of.

Canvas by Obsidian helps you get images, links, files, and notes from your ever-growing Obsidian library into a place to connect and visualize them.

Strangely enough, with Obsidian being free, it has become one of the best visual note apps. With local and offline support and a mindful approach to note security, many people have bought into Obsidian.

Best for

Personal knowledge management enthusiasts who want canvas views alongside traditional notes. Writers and researchers who need to visualize connections between ideas. Privacy-conscious users who want local-first storage with full data ownership. Anyone building a long-term knowledge base who needs both structure and visual flexibility.

Not ideal if

You need team collaboration features or real-time co-editing. Your primary use case is whiteboarding with teammates. You want a simple app without any learning curve. You prefer cloud-first sync over local files.

Real-world example

A research student uses Obsidian Canvas to map out their thesis. Literature review notes live in traditional Obsidian files with bi-directional links. On the canvas, they arrange key concepts spatially, draw connections between theories, and embed images from papers. When writing, they reference both the canvas overview and detailed notes.

Team fit

Best for solo users and individual knowledge workers. Not designed for team collaboration, though some workarounds exist through shared Obsidian vaults. Works across all experience levels once you invest time learning the system.

Onboarding reality

Moderate learning curve. The basic canvas features are intuitive (drag, connect, embed), but mastering Obsidian's full ecosystem (plugins, linking syntax, workflows) takes 2-3 weeks of active use. Canvas itself is easier to learn than the core app.

Pricing friction

Core app is completely free. Sync ($10/month) and Publish ($20/month) are optional paid features. For most visual note-taking use, the free version is sufficient. This is probably the best value in the category.

Integrations that matter

Local file system (your notes are markdown files you fully own), community plugins extend functionality massively, YouTube embeds work in canvas, PDF annotation through plugins, image and media embedding from local files.

Heptabase

Best for Students: Heptabase

Heptabase allows you to connect notes and whiteboard management of all your ideas. Maybe the movie The Arrival constantly makes us think about a giant squid when we look at this visual notes app, but Heptabase is new to the scene as a place to bring your notes and ideas into one location.

Heptabase has been gaining lots of attention from those who want to research notes and connect them with many users from apps like Milanote, who wish to connect notes, organize topics in boards (folders), and collate them visually.

So, many learning and research users, as well as project planning types, are coming to use Heptabase, as it does have a way to express notes in a Kanban-like view with boards.

Best for

Students managing complex research projects with interconnected concepts. Academics synthesizing information from multiple sources. Visual learners who need to see topic relationships spatially. Anyone doing deep learning that requires mapping knowledge domains.

Not ideal if

You need simple, lightweight note-taking without structure. Team collaboration is your primary use case. You're looking for a free option (Heptabase is paid-only). You prefer list-based notes over spatial canvases.

Real-world example

A graduate student studying political theory creates a whiteboard for each major thinker. Individual notes capture key arguments, which they arrange on whiteboards to show influence and disagreement between philosophers. Cards can appear on multiple whiteboards, so Kant's ideas appear in both the Enlightenment and Ethics boards.

Team fit

Built for individual researchers and students. Some light sharing features exist but collaboration isn't the focus. Best for solo knowledge workers who need to think through complex topics visually.

Onboarding reality

Moderate. The whiteboard concept is intuitive if you've used tools like Miro. Learning how cards, whiteboards, and tags interconnect takes about a week. The journal feature and task views add complexity but you can ignore them initially.

Pricing friction

$8.99/month (billed monthly) or $89.99/year. No free tier, just a 7-day trial. For students on tight budgets, this is a barrier. The value is there for serious research work, but it's not cheap for note-taking software.

Integrations that matter

Web clipper for research capture, PDF annotation and highlighting, Readwise integration for syncing highlights from books and articles, basic import/export for portability, embed capabilities for multimedia content.

Napkin

Best for Idea Capture: Napkin

Napkin wants to capture ideas, bring them back to life, and connect with others. Many people find this great for idea generation. An exciting concept is that Napkin wants you to bring your ideas, connect them, and clip good ideas from Chrome or iOS.

Then, Napkin will curate a list of ideas for you. Many people enjoy this new process and system because it allows you to bring perspective to older ideas or even ideas at the forefront of your mind. It works for many as a curator, versus a fully fledged note-taking app that you'd replace your Evernote, or Obsidian use with.

Best for

Writers and creators who capture ideas throughout the day. People who collect quotes, thoughts, and inspiration but struggle to revisit them. Visual thinkers who want AI to surface connections between old and new ideas. Anyone building a personal idea library that actually gets used.

Not ideal if

You need comprehensive note-taking with rich formatting. Your work requires detailed project notes or documentation. You want extensive customization and manual control over organization. Android is your primary platform (iOS and web only).

Real-world example

A content creator clips interesting quotes from articles, jots down video ideas on their phone, and saves snippets from conversations. Napkin's daily digest surfaces 3-4 related ideas each morning, sparking connections between a quote from last month and yesterday's observation, which becomes a new article.

Team fit

Purely individual use. No collaboration features at all. Perfect for solo creators, writers, and thinkers who want a personal idea companion, not a team knowledge base.

Onboarding reality

Easy. The app is intentionally simple. Capture ideas via iOS app, web clipper, or web app. Review daily suggestions. Tag and connect manually if desired. Most people are productive within 30 minutes of first use.

Pricing friction

Free tier exists with limitations. Pro plan around $8-10/month unlocks unlimited ideas and advanced features. The iOS app has mediocre ratings (3.4/5) which suggests some users hit friction points despite the simple concept.

Integrations that matter

Chrome web clipper for capturing from browser, iOS share sheet integration, Readwise import for book highlights, basic export for portability, minimal integrations otherwise since it's focused on solo use.

Logseq

Best for Flashcards: Logseq

Logseq has whiteboards, a new feature to their line-up. Whiteboards help you express and bring to life your Logseq notes. Logseq whiteboards add to Logseq's traditional PKM experience with notes, flashcards, calendar, and graph view - this expands the range of optionality. It wants to be your visual canvas for managing and bringing notes into one location.

You can sketch, add PDFs, YouTube videos, and more, which makes Logseq's whiteboard great for managing anything visually, with few limitations regarding media.

Best for

Students using spaced repetition for learning. Privacy advocates who want open-source, local-first note-taking. People who journal daily and want networked notes. Anyone building a personal knowledge base with active recall through flashcards.

Not ideal if

You need polished UI and smooth animations (Logseq is functional but not beautiful). Team collaboration is essential. You want simple, beginner-friendly software without configuration. You prefer top-down hierarchies over networked, bidirectional linking.

Real-world example

A medical student takes daily notes on anatomy lectures using Logseq's outliner. They tag concepts they need to memorize, which automatically creates flashcards. On the whiteboard, they arrange anatomical diagrams with embedded YouTube videos and link related notes. During study sessions, the flashcard system surfaces items based on spaced repetition.

Team fit

Solo users only. No real collaboration features. Works best for students, researchers, and individual knowledge workers who want full control over their learning system.

Onboarding reality

Heavy. Logseq is powerful but complex. The outliner-first approach takes getting used to if you're coming from traditional note apps. Whiteboards add another layer. Budget 2-3 weeks to feel comfortable with the full feature set.

Pricing friction

Completely free and open-source. Sync service costs extra (around $5/month) but you can use your own sync solution (Git, Dropbox, etc.) for free. This is incredible value for what you get.

Integrations that matter

Git-based sync for version control, Zotero for academic references, Readwise for highlight import, PDF annotation built-in, YouTube embeds on whiteboards, plugin ecosystem for extending functionality, local file storage you fully control.

Scrintal

Best for Research: Scrintal

Scrintal is a visual notes app focused on collaboration and is popular with researchers. A combination of notes and visual note-taking with media, Scrintal is the perfect cross between PKM apps like Obsidian and tools like Miro that are used for visual collaboration.

Visual note-taking allows you to create notes, link them together, and use the on-canvas experience to connect ideas with linking arrows. Many people credit Scrintal as it isn't just about the canvas for making visual notes. It also has views for bringing ideas into a more traditional layout: for finding documents and more.

Best for

Researchers collaborating on complex projects. Teams doing literature reviews or competitive analysis. Visual thinkers who need both canvas and list views of the same information. Anyone who finds Miro too lightweight and Notion too text-heavy.

Not ideal if

You want a free option (Scrintal is subscription-only). Solo use is your only need and you don't value collaboration. You prefer fully local-first storage over cloud sync. Simple, lightweight note-taking without visual features is sufficient.

Real-world example

A UX research team maps user interview insights on a Scrintal board. Each interview gets a note card with key quotes. Researchers drag related insights together, draw arrows showing causal relationships, and create clusters of themes. The same content can be viewed as a searchable list when writing the research report.

Team fit

Built for small teams (2-10 people) collaborating on research or analysis. Individual researchers use it solo too. Less suited for large teams or organizations needing enterprise controls.

Onboarding reality

Moderate. The canvas metaphor is familiar if you've used any whiteboard tool. Learning how Scrintal's linking, views, and collaboration features work takes about a week of regular use. Easier than Obsidian, more complex than Milanote.

Pricing friction

Starts around $10/month per user. No free tier, though trials are offered. For individual researchers or small teams, this is reasonable. For students or large teams, costs add up quickly.

Integrations that matter

Web clipper for research capture, PDF import and annotation, image and media embedding, Zotero integration for academic citations, export to various formats for portability, collaboration features built-in (shared boards, real-time editing).

mymind

Best for Images: mymind

mymind is a note-taking app like Pinterest. Not really on our original list; mymind has visual capture for notes and a way to see them all inside of their mymind apps, but it does not have the same canvas feel.

It is still considered a visual notes app because it has the hallmarks but not the concept of visual thinking and connection. mymind is 100% still worth the consideration.

If you want a unique, opinionated way to take notes by capturing them, finding them using AI, and a stunning experience, mymind has all that. mymind is the much more structured version of the apps above.

Best for

Creatives collecting visual inspiration (designers, photographers, artists). People who think in images more than text. Anyone tired of manually organizing saved content into folders. Visual researchers who need AI-powered search through images and ideas.

Not ideal if

You need canvas-style linking between notes. Text-heavy documentation is your primary use case. Team collaboration or sharing is essential. You want granular manual organization control (mymind deliberately avoids folders).

Real-world example

A graphic designer saves color palettes, typography examples, and design inspiration from across the web. mymind automatically tags everything using AI ("blue", "minimalist", "packaging"). When starting a new project, they search "minimalist packaging blue" and instantly find relevant inspiration from the past six months without ever organizing anything.

Team fit

Strictly individual use. No collaboration, no sharing, no team features. This is intentional; mymind is your personal visual brain, not a shared workspace.

Onboarding reality

Very easy. Save content using browser extension or mobile app. mymind auto-tags everything. Search when you need to find something. The learning curve is basically zero, though trusting AI organization over manual folders takes mental adjustment.

Pricing friction

Subscription required, around $5.99-8.99/month depending on plan. No free tier. The beautiful interface and AI features justify the cost for visual professionals, but it's not cheap for a personal notes app.

Integrations that matter

Browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) for saving content, iOS app with share sheet integration, automatic AI tagging and search, image and article saving, minimal other integrations since it's intentionally simple.

Milanote

Best for Creative Teams: Milanote

Milanote provides tasks, boards, and a way to take notes in one place. Many people like Milanote because it provides a better way to collaborate with others, manage projects, and, most importantly, take very visual notes. Many people find that they use it to manage notes and life.

Creating boards, making lists in columns, and bringing in visuals and files makes it more than just a place for note-taking.

While it is used by many small design teams and even visual thinkers like freelancers to collaborate better and bring ideas and projects to life, many also use it for personal note management.

Best for

Design teams building mood boards and creative briefs. Agencies managing client projects with lots of visual assets. Freelance creatives who need to organize inspiration alongside tasks. Anyone who wants Pinterest-meets-project-management functionality.

Not ideal if

You need advanced project management features (Gantt charts, dependencies). Your work is primarily text-based without visual elements. You want local-first storage and full data ownership. Solo use without any collaboration is your only need.

Real-world example

A small branding agency creates a Milanote board for each client project. They collect logo inspiration, color palettes, and competitor examples in one section. Tasks for deliverables go in a column view. Meeting notes and client feedback live on the same board. Everything related to the rebrand exists in one visual workspace.

Team fit

Best for small creative teams (2-10 people). Freelancers use it solo too. Scales reasonably to mid-sized teams but lacks enterprise features. Works across creative disciplines (design, writing, photography, architecture).

Onboarding reality

Easy. The board and card metaphor is immediately familiar from tools like Pinterest or Trello. Most people are productive within 30 minutes. Learning the full feature set (tasks, comments, templates) takes a few days of active use.

Pricing friction

Free tier allows up to 100 notes/images, which is tight for real work. Pro plan is $9.99/month per user, reasonable for creative professionals. Team features require higher tiers. The free limit feels constraining compared to more generous free tiers elsewhere.

Integrations that matter

Unsplash for stock images, Dropbox for file storage, image uploads and embedding, web clipper for saving inspiration, minimal other integrations (Milanote wants to be your workspace, not connect to 50 other tools).

Google Keep

Best for Quick Capture: Google Keep

Google Keep is like the digital version of Post-it notes on your phone. This makes Google Keep, while not as fully fledged as tools like Heptabase, a great way to capture images, quick reminders, color-coded Post-it notes, and much more. What is more visual than Post-it Notes and Google Keep?

It tucks away best on your phone as a much lighter note-taking application with a visual nature.

Create notes, add colors, tag them, search for them using image-AI search, and capture images and files. Connect with Google Docs and lots more, making Google Keep a fantastic lightweight visual note-taking application.

Best for

Quick idea capture on mobile. People already embedded in Google Workspace. Visual thinkers who want simple, colorful note organization. Anyone who prefers lightweight simplicity over feature-heavy apps.

Not ideal if

You need canvas views or spatial note arrangement. Detailed organization and linking between notes is important. Privacy is a concern (Google Keep is cloud-only). You want advanced features like flashcards or whiteboards.

Real-world example

A busy parent uses Google Keep for household management. Shopping lists are yellow notes. Kids' activity schedules are blue. Home repair ideas are green. Photos of receipts and reference info get saved with labels. Everything syncs across phone and computer, accessible from Gmail sidebar.

Team fit

Primarily individual use, though notes can be shared. Best for personal organization, casual collaboration with family or roommates. Not built for team project management.

Onboarding reality

Immediate. If you can use Post-it notes, you can use Google Keep. Zero learning curve. The simplicity is the entire point.

Pricing friction

Completely free with a Google account. No premium tier, no upsells, no limits beyond Google account storage. This is unbeatable value for what it is.

Integrations that matter

Google Docs (convert notes to docs), Gmail (appears in sidebar), Google Calendar (reminders sync), Android home screen widgets, Google Assistant voice commands, Chrome extension for quick capture, cross-device sync through Google account.

Miro

Best for Teams: Miro

Miro is a tremendous visual notes app for teams to collect ideas and express progress. While Miro is much more of a team note-taking application, it can still be used by solo users, much like Milanote can be.

It unlocks a much more collaborative base to create shapes, build ideas and visuals, upload files, and even build entire templates like roadmaps, flowcharts, and much more.

Miro is a tremendous canvas-like layout for solo users that helps them get their thinking down and allows for collaboration if needed. Miro is going to be a super tool for teams to collaborate better.

Best for

Distributed teams doing remote brainstorming. Product teams mapping user journeys and workflows. Workshops and facilitation (retrospectives, design sprints). Anyone who needs real-time collaborative whiteboarding at scale.

Not ideal if

You're a solo user who doesn't need collaboration (too much overhead). Privacy and local storage are critical (Miro is cloud-only). You want structured note-taking more than freeform canvases. Simple visual notes without team features would suffice.

Real-world example

A product team runs sprint planning remotely. They use Miro's infinite canvas to create a customer journey map with sticky notes for pain points. Everyone edits simultaneously during video calls. Templates for retrospectives and roadmaps get reused each sprint. Boards persist between meetings so context isn't lost.

Team fit

Built for teams of 5-500+ people. Scales to enterprise with admin controls and integrations. Solo users can use it but won't get the full value. Works best with distributed or hybrid teams needing async and sync collaboration.

Onboarding reality

Moderate. The infinite canvas is intuitive but overwhelming at first. Learning the full feature set (frames, templates, voting, timers) takes a week or two. Team adoption requires getting everyone comfortable with collaborative editing.

Pricing friction

Free tier allows 3 editable boards, which is tight for real use. Team plan starts around $8/month per user. Business and Enterprise are significantly more expensive. For large teams the cost adds up quickly.

Integrations that matter

Slack (board notifications), Microsoft Teams, Zoom (screen sharing), Google Drive and Dropbox (file storage), Jira (dev handoffs), Asana (project management sync), Azure AD and Okta (enterprise SSO), video conferencing built-in for real-time collaboration.

Final Thoughts on Visual Note-Taking Apps

Choosing a visual note-taking app comes down to how you think and whether you're working solo or with a team. For personal knowledge management with maximum flexibility, Obsidian is hard to beat, especially at free. Students and researchers doing deep learning should look at Heptabase or Logseq.

If you're capturing ideas and inspiration throughout the day, Napkin offers an interesting AI-powered curation approach. Visual creatives will appreciate mymind's automatic organization of images and inspiration.

For team collaboration, the picture changes. Small creative teams do well with Milanote for project-based visual work. Larger distributed teams running workshops and brainstorms need Miro's real-time collaboration features.

The honest truth? Visual note-taking apps serve fundamentally different purposes. Obsidian and Logseq are for building long-term knowledge systems. Heptabase and Scrintal are for research and learning. Miro and Milanote are for team collaboration. Napkin and mymind are for collecting inspiration. Pick based on your actual use case, not which has the most features.

Start with free options first. Try Obsidian if you want local-first PKM, Logseq if you need flashcards, Google Keep if you want dead simple, or Miro's free tier for team collaboration. Use them for real work for 2-3 weeks before committing to paid plans.

The best visual note-taking app is the one you actually open and use consistently. Visual thinking requires regular practice, and the tool needs to match your natural workflow instead of forcing you into someone else's system.