Taking notes is something almost everyone does. Whether you are a student trying to memorize important stuff or a politician who has a speech to make, note-taking is supposed to be accessible at all times. That is where the best note-taking apps for iPads can assist you well. These apps are portable notebooks that you can install on your iPads and quickly write down important notes. Read More
Best Note taking Apps for iPads in 2025
ZoomNotes

About

ZoomNotes has several amazing features that can upscale the note-taking experience. It can do everything from allowing you to save audio snippets to create handwritten notes and sketches.
The best thing about the app is that it is accessible on Mac systems as well. In short, you can sync your notes on the drive and access them on any system that uses Apple accounts.
Another feature that makes it a perfect note-taking app for iPad for college students and professionals is its zooming ability. The whiteboard has a great zoom range, which lets you dive into tiny details. If you are drawing something and need precision, ZoomNotes can be the perfect tool.
The app lets you select, rotate, scale, shift, and flip objects, allowing you to get creative with your notes and drawings. Additionally, it has a configurable library of objects to choose from. The split-screen feature will enable you to manage and modify two documents on a single screen. You can choose to work docs side by side or above each other.
As for the importing feature, this is one of the top iPad note-taking apps that lets you import PDFs, images, Microsoft Office documents, etc.
Why we picked it? 
CollaNote

About

CollaNote has 25+ pens and brushes. You can use these options to have full control over your writing style and creativity. The dark and light modes of the app also help you enhance your journaling strategy without having to strain your eyes. CollaNote also supports the presentation of documents and journals. You can leverage this ability to give presentations or teach classes.
Its translation tool supports several languages out there, including German, Korean, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and more. CollaNote also has a widget for faster access to its features. This Widget lets you land on the note-making page with just a single tap on your home screen.
Another reason why CollaNote deserves a place among the top iPad apps for note taking is that it lets you create media-rich journals. You can add images, stickers, web designs, screenshots, and other such visual elements to create stunning notes. CollaNote uses AI as well. The AI technology can precisely detect shapes to help you draw perfectly. Additionally, it has an online storage system that supports syncing and accessing documents from anywhere.
You can also use CollaNote to calm your mind. Its ASMR writing sounds offer a soothing experience and a serene environment for a calmer experience.
Why we picked it? 
Noteshelf 2

About

The second version of Noteshelf is designed to offer a fluid handwriting experience. It lets you annotate documents by either creating them or importing them to the app. Additionally, there are templates that you can use to create diary pages or customize them as per your requirements.
Additionally, Noteshelf 2 is also counted among the best drawing apps for iPad due to its ability to offer a drawing-friendly interface. You can use Apple Pencil to draw smoothly on the app as if you are drawing on real paper.
The only difference is that you get to access more tools and paper options without having to spend money on buying everything separately or carrying everything separately.
Apart from being able to access Noteshelf 2 on iPhones and iPads, this supports Apple Watches too. So, you can access quick notes through seminars, speeches, or anywhere else directly on your watch.
On top of that, the dark mode adds an extra charm to using this one of the best note-taking apps for iPad. The app also includes an organizer. This organizer lets you manage your notes properly and find them easier anytime you want.
Why we picked it? 
LiquidText

About

"If you want to experience the power of going beyond paper, you can download LiquidText" - Cult of Mac
This compliment given to LiquidText by Cult of Mac made perfect sense upon trying the app. LiquidText is enriched with features that make you feel as if you are writing on real paper. The smoothness and responsiveness of the app make it easy for its users to write and sketch.
Another fact that makes LiquidText one of the best note-taking apps for iPad is its ability to support multiple doc formats like PDF, Word, and PowerPoint. Once you import PDFs to the app, you can run a full OCR. Additionally, there is a reference manager as well. It lets you integrate and manage references of the information in your documents.
There is a cross-platform document syncing support as well. It lets you create cloud backups of documents and access them from any device you want. Additionally, the multi-device display of documents supports syncing changes made to documents in real-time.
The annotate feature lets you freely draw on documents to highlight specific parts, draw whatever you want, and more. You can also use the Search option to find specific words on a document.
Why we picked it? 
Whink Notes

About

Whink is a freemium app designed to optimize your note-taking experience. The app lets you draw on the app to make notes, or you can enter the data by typing it on a digital keyboard.
This free notes app for iPad supports images as well. It is simple to integrate images into your notes without much hassle. Additionally, the support for audio recordings makes it easy to record lectures so you can keep them safe and replay them at any point in time.
Whink Notes is perfect for quickly arranging documents so you can easily find them whenever needed. We also liked its zoom feature. It lets you dive into the precise details of your documents, whether you want to read tiny texts or zoom into a drawing.
As for the formatting of documents, this is one of the top free note-taking apps for iPad that supports adding headings, subheadings, and even bullet points. Its collection of shapes and figures is great for making interesting charts or geometric figures as well. The auto-sync feature enables syncing your documents across cloud-based drives so you can access them from anywhere, anytime.
Why we picked it? 
Kilonotes

About

Kilonotes comes with stunning features like split screen and card-based learning. The card-based feature is good for faster learning, while the split screen lets you manage and modify two documents simultaneously. Additionally, there is a recording function in the app as well. This functionality lets you keep your lectures safe in the audio format.
Kilonotes has several options for brush colors that you can choose from, along with several brush sizes. These adjustable brushes are available with several further customization options to give you entire control over what you are writing or drawing.
Another top feature that should inspire other good note-taking apps for iPads is the ability to undo something. The erase feature lets you go erase the error without having to restart from scratch.
Kilonotes also makes it easier to search for the PDF you want to review. You can search for the PDF in the global database. Additionally, the translation and quick jump functions make texts in the PDF more convenient and let you navigate through pages quickly.
There is a range of covers available in this digital note-taking app. You can customize the aesthetics of your notes using these covers and write notes more creatively.
Why we picked it? 
Note Taking - Email Me

About

If you need a note app that runs on several devices, including a smartwatch, smartphone, Mac systems, and more, Note Taking - Email Me is the app you need. Among the top note-taking Apps for Android and iOS, Note Taking - Email Me takes pride in serving iPad users.
The app also cares about user privacy. To maintain the same, it keeps your notes encrypted. Additionally, you can customize the feel and experience of the app using several variations of themes. On top of that, if you want, you can save and share audio files along with their transcriptions, making it one of the top note-taking apps for iPads.
It also has a range of custom app icons for you to choose from, along with themes that are useful in modifying the look of your app. It is easier to use your own SMTP configuration as well, thanks to the app's amazing UI.
It also offers a standalone Watch App for Apple Watch users, a macOS app with menu bar integration, and accessibility features like VoiceOver labels and dynamic text sizing. Additionally, for those seeking enhanced functionality, a premium subscription is available, offering unlimited emails and additional features.
Why we picked it? 
Notes Plus

About

The feature-rich notes app delivers some of the smartest features out there. It supports 52 languages to convert handwritten notes into typed texts. So you can write as if you were writing on a paper and still get your notes saved in the digital format. This way, you make your notes easier to read without having to type everything in your preferred language.
The app was released in 2010, and since its inception, it has received 30 version upgrades. That tells the story of the efforts developers put into keeping the app’s experience fresher than ever. At the time of writing this report, you can install one of the great note-taking apps for iPads for $12.99.
Some other great abilities of Notes Plus justify its cost perfectly. For instance, automatic shape detection. This feature lets you scan and import entire texts to the database of the app. Additionally, the background audio recording feature lets you create transcriptions with enhanced accuracy.
Why we picked it? 
Standard Notes

About

This one of the iPad apps for note taking offers a great level of encryption. This app comes with open-source and customizable themes along with editors. Additionally, the app allows you to create an account to sync documents so you can access them on any device. Additionally, end-to-end encryption lets you keep your documents safe for enhanced security and privacy.
Some abilities that have boosted the popularity of Standard Notes include Personal Notes, Passwords and keys, Private Journals, Health and Fitness Logs, Cross-platform Scratchpad, Tasks and todos, and more.
Another great feature that makes the best note-taking app for iPad is Passcode Lock Protection. You can lock your passwords with Touch ID and Face ID to ensure your passwords remain accessible to you only.
Now, as for the organizing ability, there are tags to categorize the content saved on Standard Notes. These tags help you easily categorize your notes so you can look for them and read them instantly. Some examples of tags are #passwords, #ideas, #crypto, #work, etc.
Additionally, by subscribing to a paid plan, you unlock additional abilities like spreadsheets, a code editor, and Markdown among many others. You also unlock additional themes for this one of the top productivity apps, including Midnight, Focus, and Solarized Dark.
Why we picked it? 
Post-it

About

This next name to our list comes with a handwriting detector. It lets you scan your handwritten notes to your Post-it account, making it easier for you to keep your data safe. You can use its camera to capture over 200 notes for faster safekeeping of your data.
As for the organizing ability, Post-it is equipped with the ability to categorize your data well. This lets you look for the data faster anytime you need to access it. On top of that, features like draw, erase, type, and modify the color give you proper control over the editing abilities of the app.
Post-it also has a widget. This widget gives you access to your notes directly from the home screen. You can access documents like PDFs, Excel, PowerPoint, Trello, Miro, and more directly from the widget on your home screen.
You can even share your notes easily with whomever you want. The app supports sharing notes via third-party apps or cloud services like Dropbox. Even the text recognition ability of the app is great. A new enhanced OCR service improves the speed and accuracy of detecting texts from notes.
Why we picked it? 
Why should you use a note-taking app for iPads?
Note-taking apps for iPads are portable diaries that you can use to write down entries. These apps are great if you are often involved in the process of journaling entries, adding data to your diaries, etc. Additionally, note-taking apps let you categorize the data you are securing so you can easily access it at your fingertips.
Now, here are a few advantages of the top note-taking apps for iPad -
- Handwriting recognition - These apps are well-known for their ability to recognize handwritten texts, scan them, and upload them to the server. This helps you upload your handwritten notes even if you have a plethora of these notes to safeguard.
- Customizable writing experience - There are several customization options in the best note-taking apps for iPads. This helps you explore several types of pens, brushes, colors, and more without having to buy additional apps or equipment.
- Eco-friendly - Digital notes eliminate the need to use paper. This saves trees, making them ultimately beneficial for the environment as well. Even if you make mistakes while making journal entries or drawing something, the best note-taking apps for iPads provide you abilities to erase and rewrite the data.
- Backup and recovery - Digital notes are the best to keep your notes safe for the long term. You can store datasets on servers to ensure you have access to your data anytime and anywhere on digital devices.
- Space-saving - Converting your journals into digital format saves you from utilizing too much physical space. Also, it makes it easier to organize documents.
- Continuous Updates - Most developers of note-taking apps for iPad regularly release updates. This helps you keep your experience refreshed while providing you access to new tools to try now and then.
What are some of the popular features of note-taking apps?
Note-taking apps for iPad freely deliver some of the best abilities to mobilize the note-taking experience. These apps make it easier for users to secure their journals from anywhere. Some popular features that note-taking apps offer include -
- Multimedia support - Note-taking apps are known for supporting entries of more than one type. Instead of only feeding texts, you can also enter images, videos, and other types of multimedia content into these apps.
- Voice notes and dictation - Most note-taking apps allow making journal entries by dictating inputs. You can simply speak to write into apps for faster journals. Additionally, some note-taking apps also support transcribing voice into texts.
- Cloud-syncing - Note-taking apps support keeping documents safe on cloud servers so you can easily access them on any device you like.
- Tagging - Categorization of documents using tags is another great ability offered by note-taking apps. Tags make it easier to look for preferred documents as well.
- Offline access - Note-taking apps support making journal entries even if the internet is not available. This helps users record journals without limits.
- Collaboration tools - Note-taking apps for iPad freely support collaborations. These collaborations allow users to invite people to edit documents together or manage remote teams.
How did we choose these note-taking apps?
Finding the best note-taking app for iPads is a stepwise procedure. You have to invest time and effort into comparing apps on the basis of several factors. These factors can be -
- Features - Our first priority in filtering the best note-taking apps is their features. Features help us decide how useful an app will be for the user. Most note-taking apps are equipped with features like digital journals, cloud backups, etc.
- Integration with Other Tools - We also picked note-taking apps based on their ability to sync with others. Integration with other tools means tools’ ability to import content from other apps, tools’ shareability, etc.
- Price - Another critical factor in picking apps is pricing. It helps us figure out which apps will be more suitable for users. Most of the apps listed in the above blogs are available to download for free.
- Reviews and recommendations - Reviews help find better apps. We have been through the experience of other users and shortlisted our options accordingly.
- Customization - This helped us figure out what apps are supporting multiple variations of formatting. Note-taking apps with the ability to customize themes, texts, and more are preferred more than their alternatives.
Wrapping up
The market for the best note-taking apps for iPads is huge, with hundreds of options to pick from. However, the above-mentioned names are designed to make journaling easier and safer. If you are regularly using such apps, it is ideal that you pick one of the above-mentioned apps that our experts have reviewed to enlist in this report.
Or, if you are a developer and are interested in seeing your app on MobileAppDaily as well, you can list your product by submitting it for review. That will help your app expand its visibility across a huge number of potential users.
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Sakshi Kaushik is a wordsmith extraordinaire who transforms complex technical jargon into captivating, must-read articles. Armed with a Masters in Economics, Sakshi dissects intricate topics with the precision of a seasoned expert. Her insights have graced prestigious platforms like Hackernoon, Ecowiser, and Medium, captivating readers and tech aficionados alike. With a career spanning influential companies like Teleperformance, Finex, and SparxIT Solutions, Sakshi is well-versed in navigating both the keyboard and the boardroom.
In addition to her extensive experience, Sakshi holds HubSpot certifications in Digital Advertising and Content Marketing, and has earned further credentials from UpGrad, Coursera, and Great Learning. Dedicated to sharing her expertise with mobile app developers and tech enthusiasts, Sakshi's passion shines through her writing. When she's not crafting compelling content, she enjoys diving into thrilling novels and exploring diverse worlds.