11 Best Notes Taking Apps for Windows 10/11 [Pen Supported]

Are you looking for a note-taking app for your Windows 11 PC? We got you covered.

A note-taking app takes the stress of forgetting your pen and paper and lets you do everything from your tablet or laptop.

Check out our top picks for note-taking apps, all of which are compatible with touch-screen laptops.

Which are the best note-taking apps for PC?

Here’s a quick look at the best options. Find more in depth descriptions below.

ClickUp	Task management with notes	Customizable notes, integrations (Notepad, Evernote), templates, team collaboration	➡️Get it here
Microsoft OneNote	Syncing across devices, multimedia notes	Password protection, sync across devices, web clipping, audio notes	➡️ Get it here
Notion	Collaboration and organization	Kanban boards, databases, cross-platform sync, customizable workflows	➡️Get it here
Evernote	Document organization and scanning	File organization, scanning, web clipping, audio recording	➡️ Get it here
Quip	Document and spreadsheet integration	Real-time collaboration, embedding, Excel-like features	➡️Get it here
Sticky Notes	Quick notes with reminders	Sync to OneDrive, text/image notes, pin notes to Start screen	➡️ Get it here
Simplenote	Basic, distraction-free note-taking	Tagging, note pinning, publishing with URLs	➡️ Get it here
Scrble	Handwritten notes on touchscreens	Auto-scroll, customizable backgrounds, image/PDF annotation	➡️ Get it here
WordPad	Simple word processing with notes	Basic formatting (bold, italics), supports images and different file formats	Built-in Windows app
NotePad	Basic, fast text entry	Find, Replace, date/time stamps, simple text editing	Built-in Windows app
Cortana	Voice-activated note-taking and reminders	Voice note-taking, task management, email and location tracking	Built-in Windows app

ClickUp – note taking & task management

Digitally managing your work can easily get out of hand when there are way too many notes or way too many apps involved. That’s where ClickUp comes into play.

It’s an all-in-one productivity app with tons of useful features. Therefore, there are a few different ways to take notes with it.

ClickUp has its own note-taking features, plus it integrates apps like Notepad and Evernote, so you can pick your favorite tool, and also mix and match, depending on the type of your assignments. 

Other key features of the app include:

• highly customizable
• modern & accesible UI
• nested subtasks & checklists
• automation of routine tasks
• time-saving pre-made templates
• chat & comments for teamwork
• multiple progress-tracking tools

ClickUp

Take customizable notes & stay on top of your game with tons of features and integrations. 

Free trial Visit Website

Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote comes with the Windows operating system and is available for free, or if you want the full Office 365, you can pay about $69 or so for it.

This app, which comes with the desktop version (OneNote) and a universal application, is fantastic for creating to-do lists, and projects and organizing your thoughts and other information.

The desktop version is meant for users of keyboards and mice, while the universal application that comes with the Windows 10 operating system is for touch tablets and laptops.

Besides being a note-taking app, Microsoft OneNote also helps you do the following:

• Sync your notes across your PC and other devices
• Password protects your files and notes
• Search for typed text and handwritten notes
• Capture web pages as notes, then add these to your Notes library
• Save content from Outlook
• Organizing your notes using the tabs and sections feature, based on each notebook you keep on your computer or device
• Access your notes from all devices and your computer
• Keep audio notes
• Add to-do lists next to your notes to keep track

⇒ Get OneNote

Notion

Taking notes has always been a task that was done with a pen and a small notebook, and that’s exactly the principle that our second pick follows.

The tool is available on all major platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, or as a web clipper. It allow smooth syncing between all of them.

Notion is a collaborative tool that acts, among other things, as a note-taking tool as well. Other than that, it has all the features a well-organized team may ever need, including:

• A system that helps you keep your notes organized where you can add any type of content.
• Kanban boards, tables, lists, and other tools that help you customize any workflow.
• Tools that let you turn your knowledge into easy-to-find answers.

⇒ Get Notion

Evernote

This popular note-taking app is ideal for use on Windows 10 and other operating systems, as well as the web and smart devices.

The app comes with different plans. You can get the free Evernote app with basic features, and an allowance of 60MB of file upload monthly, or you can get the Premium plan that gives you offline notebook access, integration with your emails, file searches, and much more.

Some of the tasks you can fulfill with Evernote include:

• Adding text
• Adding images, audio, and other files
• Organizing your files into notebooks
• Scanning documents such as handwritten notes, receipts, and other important documents with a simple snap of your phone’s camera
• Note-taking
• Recording audio
• Clipping web pages for later using the app’s Web Clipper – simply click the browser extension then save
• Save articles for reading later

⇒ Get Evernote

Quip

Quip is a versatile note-taking app. It works seamlessly on Windows and other devices, combining notes with documents and spreadsheets.

Unlike other apps, Quip saves each document or spreadsheet as its own file. It offers features like document embedding, team collaboration, and Excel-like spreadsheet functions, making it ideal for teams.

Some of its key features include:

• Document and spreadsheet integration
• Team collaboration with real-time updates
• Powerful search and embed features
• Excel-like spreadsheet functionality
• Web publishing and multiple format saving options

⇒ Get Quip

Sticky Notes

Remember the yellow sticky notes you use to leave a note on your fridge, or even on your laptop or PC so that you can remember stuff, or remind someone to do something?

Well, the Sticky Notes app has taken the paper out of the process and taken the place of the Post-It notes we used before technology made things easier – minus the clutter.

Sticky Notes allows you to fulfill the following tasks:

• Take notes in form of text or images on stickies, the same way you’d write them on paper sticky notes (it also comes in different sizes and colors)
• Organize your notes neatly
• Pin your notes to the Start screen
• Sync your notes to OneDrive for seamless access across your computer and other devices
• Enable flight or calendar event features to keep up with your reminders
• Write Sticky Notes using a pen (for Surface Pro users or compatible tablets)

You can get Sticky Notes for free on Windows for use with your Windows 10 computer or device.

⇒ Get Sticky Notes

Simplenote

This note-taking app was recently availed for Windows, and, as its name suggests, is for simple note-taking.

Unlike other note-taking apps, Simplenote doesn’t have any complications, meaning you can only take notes, but you don’t get to add media files, clip web pages, or email integration.

There are no formatting options for your text, so it’s just like using your notepad and pen.

Simplenote lets you fulfill the following tasks though:

• Tag notes
• Pin notes for easier access
• Publish your notes with their very own URLs
• A simple interface makes for faster searches

⇒ Get Simplenote

Scrble

Scrble is a free note-taking app for Windows, ideal for Microsoft Surface or touchscreen laptop users. It offers customizable backgrounds like lined paper or whiteboards and supports stylus or finger input.

A standout feature is its auto-scroll, which seamlessly adds new pages as you write, eliminating interruptions. You can also import images and PDF documents for annotation. The app is free, with a $4 upgrade for the full version.

Key features:

• Customizable backgrounds
• Stylus or finger input support
• Auto-scroll for continuous writing
• Image and PDF import for annotations
• Free with an optional $4 upgrade

⇒ Get Scrble

WordPad

This note-taking app is everything you need to write your notes the same way you would on a Word document.

It comes with formatting options such as bold, italics, underlines, and paragraph formatting such as bulleting and indentation. You can also highlight, strikethrough, and add subscripts.

It is fast, simple, very basic, and also supports graphics from such programs as Paint.

WordPad can also save or open other formats such as Open Document and Office Open XML.

NotePad

This note-taking app has been used on Windows for a long time, and it lets you write your notes on a simple canvas, with a simple toolbar to go with it.

Like Simplenote, NotePad has minimal features, but the difference is that it lets you do stuff like Find, Replace, and even insert date and time.

To find Notepad, just click Start, go to the search field, and type NotePad and you’re good to go.

It’s easy to use, simple, and fast, and you can add timestamps to your notes, and create and edit scripts, while you focus on your thoughts.

If you lost your Notepad documents in Windows 10, get them back by following this handy guide.

Cortana

Cortana may be a listening and/or search app, but this makes it versatile enough to be a note-taking app.

As Windows’ digital assistant, Cortana can not only take notes, but also keep track of your appointments, find locations, and even keep important email reminders.

Wrapping up

Do you use any of these note-taking apps? Share with us your experience in the comments section.

If you like using apps that make you more efficient and want to see more options, check out our Productivity Hub.

We also provide a large number of handpicked software suggestions for different types of activities. If you are interested in learning more, check our Software section.

Also, leave there any other questions or suggestions you may have and we’ll be sure to check them out.

That pretty much wraps up our list of the best apps that you can use to take notes. Let us know which of the ones above you’ve chosen as your favorite by leaving a message in the comments section below.