8 Best Markdown Note Taking Apps for 2024

Markdown note-taking apps help you to better take notes for more markdown rich note-takers. Here's our best markdown note-taking apps and why they are special for those who have learnt or embraced markdown.

Are you hunting for markdown note-taking apps?

Maybe you worry about your note-taking app shutting down.

Or perhaps you've recently learned markdown and want to show off your writing speed?

Whatever your goal, markdown notes can help be more portable, easy to replicate, and perfect for those who want to be more raw with their note-taking.

While learning syntax and basics might take some time, it can open up more note-taking apps you can switch between and customize to your liking.

You might also have been recommended to try Markdown for your note-taking and do some research into the options out there; if that's you, let's start with some of the basics of Markdown to help you get caught up.

What is markdown note-taking?

Markdown note-taking refers to the use of a lightweight markup language.

Markdown allows you to format text using plain text syntax, which is simpler and more intuitive than more complex HTML or rich-text formatting. This note-taking method is particularly popular among those who prefer a clean, distraction-free environment for writing and organizing thoughts. Many apps adapt to this style.

Why do people use markdown note-taking?

Many millions use and learn markdown as we speak; here's why:

Our Picks: Markdown Note-Taking Apps

Here are our best recommendations for getting your notes into markdown:

Recommendation

Bear Notes

Bear Notes

Bear Notes is a minimal, markdown note-taking application perfect for iOS and Mac.

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What is Bear Notes?

Bear Notes is a note-taking application that uses markdown. It is available on iOS and macOS and is built natively for easy use. Users store ideas, capture quick notes, and organize them using Bear's unique hashtag folders.

Students commonly use Bear to organize their notes, and those who like simple, minimal note-taking apps use markdown. Apple has praised Bear Notes for their build quality.

Is Bear Notes a good markdown notes app?

Bear Notes is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

It's a popular markdown note-taking application on iOS devices, loved by many for its combination of features, including checkboxes, tables, images, and sketching.

People appreciate Bear Notes's minimalistic nature and lightweight experience, making it feel less like a typical markdown editing experience. You can switch between modes and still use the core language inside the editor.

It also offers great features such as backlinks and a table of contents and supports multiple languages within its more prevalent pricing. Export options include PDF, HTML, DOC, JPEG, and more, along with OCR, adding extra power to your markdown notes.

What can you do with markdown in Bear Notes?

Bear Notes provides good basic abilities for markdown that allow you to do the following:

• Basic formatting with headings, format, and lists
• Code blocks for code snippets
• Connects with links and footnotes

Bear Notes lacks abilities with Math Support.

Video Tutorial: Bear Notes Review

Bear Notes Pros

• Comes with a markdown editor
• Really reasonable pricing per year
• Easy to use for all types of note-takers
• Well-developer and respected developer
• Bunch of themes and app icons to customize

Bear Notes Cons

• It might be too basic for some
• Limited to iOS and macOS devices

Recommendation

NotePlan

NotePlan

NotePlan is a unique note-taking app with a focus on calendar and tasks in one.

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What is NotePlan?

NotePlan is a note-taking application with tasks and a calendar.

Designed to be an all-in-one productivity hub, it connects with Apple Calendar and Reminders to help organize tasks, notes, and calendar events in one space.

Tutorial - How to Create Your NotePlan Account

This video tutorial goes into detail on opening an account and getting the ball rolling with NotePlan and how to get started:

Is NotePlan a good markdown notes app?

NotePlan is a popular option for those who want to combine tasks, notes, and calendars, going further than apps like Agenda. It recently added a new version.

It allows you to add markdown tasks, which are popular with the bullet journaling community, as it combines their concepts with notes and calendars in one location. People like it for daily note-taking and managing yearly, weekly, and monthly notes.

Features include PKM and filtering, which improve task management and time blocking. The markdown feature is handy for on-the-go use, ensuring notes are safe, secure, and quickly accessible.

NotePlan Pros

• Combines tasks, notes & calendars in one
• Fast and robust app for Apple focused devices

NotePlan Cons

• Pricier yearly option with no free

Recommendation

Agenda Notes

Agenda Notes

A notes app with calendar functions for connecting dates with your daily notes.

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What is Agenda Notes?

Agenda Notes is a note-taking app for managing notes and calendars in one. It helps you organize notes and assign them a date, allowing you to plan event-based notes ahead of time. This app is perfect for meeting agendas and trip planning.

It won the Apple Design Award and is popular for macOS.

Is Agenda Notes a good markdown notes app?

Agenda is a markdown application integrated with a calendar, allowing you to manage your next meeting, plan a holiday, or coordinate an upcoming date.

People like this concept, especially when it syncs with their calendar within the note-taking application at one location. This setup is perfect for journaling, planning team meetings, or even delivering a speech at a wedding. It's the combination of features that allows the use of markdown across all notes linked to dates.

Users typically love Agenda for its ability to plan ahead, making it ideal for coordinating their calendars and integrating them with their accounts.

Agenda Notes Pros

• Great for those with calendar-focused notes
• Perfect for iOS and macOS users
• It comes with a good free with option to upgrade
• Attractive to use and look at for notes
• Works with markdown

Agenda Notes Cons

• Can be pricier if you go with premium

Recommendation

Notesnook

Notesnook

Notesnook is an E2E note taking application with a focus of privacy and security.

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What is Notesnook?

Notesnook wants to be your simple, lightweight note-taking application and a place to store and manage your notes securely without the stress of prying eyes. They do this with E2E encryption and features that help you better manage your notes.

Is Notesnook a good markdown notes app?

Notesnook is a secure, focused note-taking application that focuses on notes that are privacy-first in nature. This allows notes to be secured under E2E that makes for safer notes, this can be enhanced by the Notesnook premium pricing which extends that even further much like software like Standard Notes.

Notesnook has good markdown abilities, which extend to the reminders feature, which can be activated in premium. It allows for markdown shortcuts like "slash date," "slash time," and "slash now," which connect to that feature.

Notesnook makes for a secure markdown option in this list.

Notesnook Pros

• Focus on security and note-taking
• Can be a perfect hub for note-taking
• Range of formats for notes

Notesnook Cons

• Not the most attractive design & look
• Comes with slow releases of features

Recommendation

Supernotes

Supernotes

A beautifully-designed note-taking tool that was originally developed for students.

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What is Supernotes App?

Supernotes is a note-taking app that allows you to easily create, share, and manage notes with your team. It is popular with students and the PKM note-taking community and has recently been featured in free AI note-taking apps.

Supernotes wants to be your base for notes by providing a new approach to note-taking with notecards, no more folders, and a better way to collaborate on notes on the go.

Supernotes Pros

• Security-focused
• Offline and fast-loading notes
• Comes with all apps (including Linux)
• Independently developed tool
• Premium pricing isn't crazy

Supernotes Cons

• The free plan limits you to 100 notes.
• Can be overly complicated for some people

Is Supernotes a good markdown notes app?

Supernotes uses markdown language to make notes.

What makes Supernotes appealing is its clean, intuitive interface. As you type using Markdown, the app instantly transforms your plain text into an organized structure. This is particularly handy for those who prefer a minimalist approach but still want the power of Markdown at their fingertips. The app's focus on collaboration is a big plus, making it easy to share and work on notes with others.

It's a solid choice for those who need a straightforward, no-frills markdown editor that supports teamwork and sharing. Ideal for students, small teams taking notes, or anyone looking for an efficient way to manage notes and ideas, Supernotes offers a blend of simplicity and collaboration that’s quite appealing in the markdown notes app space.

Recommendation

Obsidian Notes

Obsidian

Obsidian is a locally stored note-taking application with millions of PKM fans.

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What is Obsidian?

Obsidian is a note-taking application designed to help you connect and organize your ideas effectively. It’s a local-first, markdown note-taking app, meaning your notes are stored securely on your device, prioritizing privacy.

Obsidian is accessible on Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android, and no account or sign-up is required unless you want to sync between devices. This makes it easy to use, and Obsidian is becoming a well-known Evernote alternative.

Is Obsidian a good markdown notes app?

Obsidian is built perfectly to take notes in markdown.

Markdown in Obsidian is like a secret weapon for your notes. It's all about using simple symbols to format text - think of it as shorthand to make your notes look good without the fuss. Need to highlight something important? Just wrap it in ** or __ and it becomes bold. It's that straightforward.

While you jot down your notes using markdown syntax, the app shows you a live preview. It's like having a real-time translator turning your plain text into neatly formatted notes. This feature is a game-changer for visual learners who want to see the end result as they type. Obsidian’s linking feature is fantastic for connecting ideas across notes, turning your notes into a personal knowledge base.

What support does Obsidian have for markdown?

Obsidian offers good offerings for those wanting to go harder on markdown with the basic formatting markdown and options for the following:

• Tables
• Code blocks
• Block quotes
• Math & diagrams

Inside each note, you can preview it in or out of Markdown, and there are a range of settings to help you view it, including how HTML is imported to Markdown.

Obsidian Pros

• Comes with PKM abilities
• Powerful graph view for networked notes

Obsidian Cons

• Lacks project management
• Does not have database abilities

Recommendation

Notable

Notable

Notable is a desktop-based note-taking application that uses markdown.

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What is Notable?

Notable is a note-taking app that uses markdown for note-taking. It is available for desktop note-taking on Mac, Linux, and Windows devices. It is a free note-taking application.

Is Notable good for markdown use?

Notable markets itself as a markdown note-taking tool and is free, too.

It comes with a Markdown editor with a cheat sheet built into it, perfect for beginners who want to get used to it. Those not used to Markdown won't be able to switch to an edit-like view without seeing Markdown, so it's perfect for hardcore users.

It has features like multi-cursors, line numbers, a minimap, and scrolling beyond the last line, which make it easier for people to manage their markdown notes. It also works as a local-first note-taking app stored on a device, which is better for security, something many PKM note-taking apps typically do.

Which to Pick?

Narrow down your choices for notes app perfect for markdown.

Best Markdown Notes App for All Round Markdown

Bear Notes

Bear Notes is a minimal, markdown note-taking application perfect for iOS and Mac.

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Agenda Notes

A notes app with calendar functions for connecting dates with your daily notes.

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Best Markdown Notes App for PKM Markdown

Obsidian

Obsidian is a locally stored note-taking application with millions of PKM fans.

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Best Markdown Notes App for Students

Supernotes

A beautifully-designed note-taking tool that was originally developed for students.

View ToolVisit Site

Bear Notes

Bear Notes is a minimal, markdown note-taking application perfect for iOS and Mac.

View ToolVisit Site

Markdown Apps vs Note-Taking Apps

Let's talk about choosing the right note-taking app, focusing on the difference between regular apps and Markdown ones:

• Markdown Note Apps: Much more for hands-on note-takers. If you like getting into the nitty-gritty of your notes, Markdown apps are your go-to. They're all about crafting notes in a raw, straightforward format. It's like being a chef who loves to mix and match ingredients from scratch. Markdown allows you to format your text just how you want it, but it's simple enough so you don't feel overwhelmed. You'll enjoy making your notes look neat and tidy, but without a lot of complex steps.
• Regular Notes Apps: More for the average joe note-taker. Now, if you're someone who prefers a more straightforward approach, regular note-taking apps are your best bet. These apps take care of all the formatting for you. It’s like having a meal cooked and served without worrying about the recipe. You just open the app and start typing. No need to understand any special coding or formatting – it’s all about focusing on your thoughts and ideas directly.

In essence, your choice depends on how you like to work.

Markdown apps are for those who enjoy a bit of control and customization in their note creation, kind of like enjoying a bit of DIY. Regular note apps, on the other hand, are perfect for those who prefer to dive straight into writing, without the extra steps.

Both have their unique charm; it's just about what suits your style best!