Best Free Note Taking App for MacBooks: 12 Top Picks for 2026

Does your team forget key details and action items from meetings? Are your notes scattered across multiple apps with no way to search them? Choosing the right note-taking app for your MacBook can transform how you capture, organize, and act on information.

The best free note taking app for MacBooks depends on what you're capturing. For quick thoughts and lists, native apps like Apple Notes work beautifully. For building knowledge systems, tools like Notion and Obsidian excel. But for meeting notes specifically, general note-taking apps fall short because they still require you to manually type everything while trying to stay engaged in the conversation.

That's where AI meeting notetakers change the game. Tools like Fellow automatically capture, transcribe, and organize everything discussed so you can focus on participating rather than frantically typing. Start a free trial today →

What makes a great note taking app for Mac?

The best note taking apps for MacBooks share several essential qualities that make capturing and organizing information seamless on Apple hardware.

Native macOS integration matters because apps built specifically for Mac leverage features like Spotlight search, iCloud sync across devices, Handoff between Mac and iPhone, and menu bar utilities for quick access. Apps like Bear and Craft feel at home on macOS in ways cross-platform tools simply cannot match.

Offline functionality ensures your notes remain accessible whether you're on a flight, in a coffee shop with spotty WiFi, or simply prefer keeping data on your device. The best Mac note apps store files locally and sync when connected.

Markdown support has become standard for power users who want portable, future-proof notes. Apps like Obsidian store everything as plain text files you own completely, eliminating vendor lock-in concerns.

Collaboration capabilities determine whether a tool works for just you or your entire team. Some apps like Notion and Craft support real-time co-editing, while others focus on individual productivity.

For meeting notes specifically, look for features that general note apps lack: automatic transcription, speaker identification, action item extraction, and the ability to search across all your recorded conversations.

Best note taking apps for Mac

1. Apple Notes

Apple Notes comes pre-installed on every Mac and offers surprisingly powerful features for a free tool. You can create folders, use tags, add tables, scan documents, and collaborate with others through iCloud sharing.

Best for: Mac users who want zero-friction note-taking that syncs automatically across iPhone, iPad, and Mac without installing anything new.

Key features:

• Quick Notes accessible from any app via hot corner or keyboard shortcut

• Document scanning with automatic text recognition

• Collaboration through iCloud sharing

• Smart Folders that auto-organize based on tags and content

Limitations: Notes stay siloed in Apple's ecosystem. If you switch to Windows or Android, migration becomes painful. No advanced features like backlinks or databases.

Price: Free with every Mac

2. Fellow (AI meeting notes)

Fellow is the secure AI meeting assistant that turns every meeting into shared, searchable intelligence. What makes it uniquely powerful for Mac users is its flexibility: you can record with a visible bot for transparency, use botless recording that captures audio directly from your Mac without anyone joining the call, or even record in-person meetings and Slack huddles.

Best for: Teams and professionals who want meeting intelligence that integrates with their existing workflows while maintaining enterprise-grade security.

Key features:

• Record meetings across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, in-person, and Slack huddles

• AI meeting notes with automatic transcription and summaries

• Ask Fellow lets you query across all your meetings with natural language

• Automatic action item extraction with owner assignment

• Native macOS app with menu bar utility for one-click access

• 50+ integrations including Salesforce, HubSpot, Asana, Slack, and Notion

• API and MCP Server for custom workflows

Security: SOC 2 Type II certified, HIPAA and GDPR compliant, with granular privacy controls. Fellow never trains AI models on your data.

Price: Free plan with 5 AI recordings per user; paid plans from $7/user/month

Why Fellow stands out for Mac users: The combination of bot and botless recording options means you can capture any meeting without the awkwardness of a visible recording bot when discretion matters. The native Mac app integrates seamlessly with your workflow, and the recording library makes every conversation searchable months or years later.

Try Fellow for free today →

3. Notion

Notion combines notes, databases, wikis, and project management into a single workspace. Its flexibility makes it popular with students, creators, and teams who want everything in one place.

Best for: Users who want to build custom systems combining notes, tasks, databases, and documentation.

Key features:

• Block-based editor supporting text, tables, kanban boards, calendars, and embeds

• Templates for meeting notes, project trackers, and knowledge bases

• AI features for summarizing, writing, and organizing content

• Real-time collaboration and commenting

Limitations: Can feel overwhelming for simple note-taking. Requires internet connection for full functionality. The learning curve is steeper than simpler alternatives.

Price: Free for personal use with generous limits; paid plans from $10/month

4. Obsidian

Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files on your local device, giving you complete ownership of your data. Its linking and graph features help you build a "second brain" where ideas connect naturally.

Best for: Knowledge workers, researchers, and anyone who wants to own their data without relying on cloud services.

Key features:

• Bidirectional linking between notes creates a connected knowledge graph

• 1,000+ community plugins extend functionality

• Local-first storage means your data never leaves your device

• Powerful search across all your notes

Limitations: No native real-time collaboration. Steeper learning curve than simpler apps. Mobile apps exist but the desktop experience is superior.

Price: Free for personal use; paid sync service ($8/month) optional

5. Bear

Bear offers a beautiful, distraction-free writing experience that feels perfectly at home on Mac. Its tagging system and Markdown support strike a balance between simplicity and power.

Best for: Writers, bloggers, and Mac users who value elegant design and focused writing.

Key features:

• Gorgeous typography and multiple themes

• Nested tags for flexible organization without rigid folder structures

• Markdown support with inline preview

• Export to PDF, Word, HTML, and other formats

Limitations: Mac and iOS only. Free version lacks sync; Bear Pro ($2.99/month) required for cross-device access.

Price: Free with limited features; Pro subscription $2.99/month

6. Craft

Craft combines the visual appeal of Bear with Notion-like block editing, creating documents that look beautiful and export cleanly to any format.

Best for: Apple ecosystem users who want visually polished documents with easy sharing and collaboration.

Key features:

• Native macOS and iOS apps with iCloud sync

• Block-based editing with drag-and-drop organization

• AI assistant for writing and summarization

• Beautiful export to PDF, Markdown, and web links

Limitations: Primarily designed for Apple devices. Free tier limits the number of documents and blocks.

Price: Free tier available; Pro from $5/month

7. Google Keep

Google Keep provides simple, colorful note-taking that syncs instantly across all your devices through your Google account.

Best for: Quick capture, shopping lists, and reminders for users already in the Google ecosystem.

Key features:

• Color-coded notes and labels for visual organization

• Voice notes with automatic transcription

• Location and time-based reminders

• Collaborative lists and notes

Limitations: Lacks the depth for serious knowledge management. No Markdown support. Limited formatting options.

Price: Free with Google account

8. Microsoft OneNote

OneNote offers freeform note-taking where you can click anywhere on a page to start typing, much like writing on actual paper.

Best for: Microsoft 365 users and anyone who prefers flexible, canvas-style note layouts.

Key features:

• Freeform canvas lets you place text, images, and drawings anywhere

• Unlimited storage with Microsoft account

• Real-time collaboration through OneDrive

• Audio recording with synchronized playback

Limitations: Interface feels dated compared to modern alternatives. Syncing can be slow with large notebooks.

Price: Free with Microsoft account; unlimited storage with Microsoft 365 ($6.99/month)

9. Granola

Granola takes a hybrid approach: you take notes manually while AI captures the full transcript in the background, then enhances your notes with context from the conversation.

Best for: Active note-takers who want to maintain their personal note-taking style while getting AI backup.

Key features:

• Bot-free recording captures audio directly from your Mac

• Your manual notes get enriched with transcript context

• Customizable templates for different meeting types

• Clean, minimal interface

Limitations: Notes live only in Granola's app. Lacks the deep integrations and organizational intelligence features of Fellow. No recording library for long-term searchability.

Price: Free trial (25 meetings); $18/month after

10. Otter.ai

Otter provides real-time transcription with speaker identification, making it useful for interviews and meetings where tracking who said what matters.

Best for: Interviews, podcasts, and meetings where live captioning adds value.

Key features:

• OtterPilot bot auto-joins scheduled meetings

• Real-time transcription visible during calls

• Speaker identification and labeling

• Mobile app for recording in-person conversations

Limitations: Bot-based approach means a visible assistant joins your calls. Free tier limits transcription minutes significantly. Notes stay siloed in Otter's environment.

Price: Free (300 minutes/month); paid from $16.99/user/month

11. Fireflies.ai

Fireflies offers comprehensive meeting analytics alongside transcription, tracking sentiment, talk time, and topic coverage across your conversations.

Best for: Sales teams and managers who want conversation analytics alongside transcription.

Key features:

• Detailed conversation analytics and sentiment tracking

• Bot or Chrome extension recording options

• CRM integrations for sales workflows

• Searchable meeting archive

Limitations: Bot approach can feel intrusive. Notes live in Fireflies' repository rather than your broader workspace.

Price: Free with storage limits; paid from $10/user/month

12. Fathom

Fathom emphasizes speed with instant highlights and a generous free plan, making it popular with individuals and small teams.

Best for: Individuals who want quick, free meeting summaries without complexity.

Key features:

• Instant meeting highlights and summaries

• Generous free plan with unlimited recordings

• Easy clip and share functionality

• Supports Zoom, Meet, and Teams

Limitations: Limited integrations compared to Fellow or Fireflies. Notes stay inside Fathom's app.

Price: Free plan available; paid from $19/month

How to choose the right note taking app for your MacBook

The best note taking app depends on what you're primarily capturing.

• For general notes, ideas, and personal knowledge: Start with Apple Notes if you want simplicity, Obsidian if you want to build a connected knowledge system, or Notion if you need flexibility and collaboration.

• For meeting notes specifically: General note apps force you to choose between participating and documenting. AI meeting assistants like Fellow eliminate this tradeoff by capturing everything automatically, letting you search conversations later, and extracting action items without manual effort.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Do I need to share and collaborate on notes with others?

2. How important is keeping my data local versus cloud-synced?

3. Am I primarily capturing my own thoughts or documenting conversations?

4. Do I need to search across hundreds of past meetings?

5. What apps do my notes need to connect with?

For teams where meetings drive decisions, the intelligence gap between general note apps and purpose-built AI meeting assistants is significant. Every meeting without proper capture is context your team can't search, decisions no one can reference, and accountability that disappears.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free note taking app for MacBooks?

The best free note taking app for MacBooks depends on your needs. For simple, everyday notes, Apple Notes offers excellent native integration at no cost. For building a knowledge system with connected ideas, Obsidian provides powerful features for free. For meeting notes specifically, Fellow's free plan includes AI transcription and summaries for 5 recordings per user monthly, letting you capture conversations without manual typing.

How do I take meeting notes automatically on Mac?

Use an AI meeting assistant like Fellow that integrates with your calendar and video conferencing tools. Fellow can join meetings automatically via bot, or you can use botless recording to capture audio directly from your Mac without any visible assistant joining the call. After meetings, Fellow generates transcripts, summaries, and extracted action items automatically. You can then search your entire meeting history using Ask Fellow to find specific discussions, decisions, or commitments.

Is there a free note taking app with AI on Mac?

Yes, several note taking apps offer AI features for free on Mac. Notion includes AI capabilities in its free personal plan for summarizing and generating content. For meeting-specific AI, Fellow's free plan provides automatic transcription, summaries, and action item extraction for 5 recordings monthly. Apple Notes includes basic AI features like text recognition and smart search. The most powerful AI meeting features, like querying across your entire meeting history, typically require paid plans.

What's the difference between a note taking app and an AI meeting assistant?

Note taking apps like Apple Notes, Notion, and Obsidian are designed for capturing your own thoughts, ideas, and information through manual typing. AI meeting assistants like Fellow are specifically built for meetings: they automatically record conversations, transcribe speech to text, identify speakers, extract action items, and make everything searchable. The key difference is automation. Note taking apps require you to type everything while trying to participate in meetings, while AI meeting assistants capture everything automatically so you can stay fully engaged in the conversation.

Stop choosing between participating and documenting

The best note taking experience on Mac isn't about finding a better place to type. It's about capturing important information without the friction of manual documentation.

For personal notes, ideas, and research, the apps above offer excellent options. But for meetings, where decisions happen, commitments get made, and context gets lost, general note-taking apps create an impossible choice: participate fully or document thoroughly.

Fellow eliminates this tradeoff. Every conversation becomes searchable intelligence. Every decision gets captured. Every action item gets tracked. And with flexible recording options including botless capture on Mac, you get the documentation you need without disrupting how your meetings actually run.

Your meetings already contain valuable insights. Fellow helps you capture and use them. Start your free trial →