An Apple Notes alternative for iPhone, matched to why you want one

The best Apple Notes alternative for iPhone depends on what Notes is not doing for you. For Markdown and tags, look at Bear. For notes that also reach devices outside Apple's, look at Google Keep. For notes kept as plain files, look at Obsidian. For one note that holds a recording, photos, a checklist and a place, that is what we built TackNote for iPhone to do.

And if Notes already does what you need, stay with it. It is built in, it is free, and it covers more than many people expect. Below we say what it does well, what each alternative is for, and where our own app falls short. The quiz takes two taps at most.

What Apple Notes already does

Before you replace it, check what it covers. Apple says Notes can capture a quick thought, create checklists and sketch ideas. You can add photos, videos and web links, scan documents into a note, and pin your most important notes. With iCloud, your notes stay updated across all your devices (Apple Support).

It can also record audio inside a note and show a transcript. That works on iPhone 12 and later, in a list of supported languages (Apple's iPhone User Guide). So if you are leaving only because you want a transcript, try that first.

Four alternatives, and what each is for

Bear: Markdown and tags on Apple devices

Bear is a Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad. You organize with flexible tags, and a note can hold text, photos, tables and to-do lists (Bear). There is a free version, but iCloud sync, encrypted notes and advanced exports come with Bear Pro at $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial (Bear's FAQ). It suits people who think in text and want to shape it.

Google Keep: quick notes across more devices

Google says everything you add to Keep syncs in real time across your devices, from your phone to your computer to your smartwatch, and you can find notes with color codes, labels, pins and filters (Google Keep). The iPhone app is listed as free, holds notes, lists, photos and audio, and transcribes voice memos (App Store). One thing has changed if you remember it from years ago: Google says you can no longer create or get location-based reminders (Google Help).

Obsidian: your notes as plain files

Obsidian stores notes as Markdown-formatted plain text files in a vault, so other text editors can open them too (Obsidian Help). It is free on iOS and Android (Obsidian), with no sign-up required, and its optional Sync service costs $4 a month billed annually or $5 billed monthly (Obsidian pricing). It suits people who care most about where their files live.

TackNote for iPhone: one note that holds all of it

We built TackNote for the note that is more than words. It opens on a corkboard, and each note is a sheet of paper in one of six colors. What sets it apart is how much one note can carry, so the note from a site visit or a meeting does not end up spread across four apps.

• Four ways to write. A note can be text, a checklist, text with a checklist under it, or a sketch.
• Photos and video. Take them with the camera or add them from your library. What is said in a video can be written out on the note too.
• Recordings, written out on the phone. The words appear as you talk, and recording keeps going with the screen locked. The audio stays on the note under the transcript. With Apple Intelligence on, TackNote can also write a summary on the iPhone. More in recording a meeting and getting notes on iPhone.
• A time or a place. Set a reminder for a date and time, or tack the note to a place and it lets you know when you arrive. More in notes that remind you at a place on iPhone.
• Search that reaches inside. It looks through names, text, checklist items, recording transcripts and place names.
• Pay once. There is no account to make. Everything works free for 7 days, then one payment of $24.99 unlocks it for good.

Your notes are sealed with AES-256 on the iPhone, and transcription and summaries run there too.

Apple Notes alternatives compared

If all you need is a place reminder or a Home Screen note

You may not need to switch at all. Apple's Reminders app can already notify you when you arrive at or leave a location, as long as Location Services is on (Apple Support). That is enough for a single to-do. And if what you are after is a note you see without opening anything, our post on the sticky note widget for iPhone covers that. If you came here looking for something that looks like sticky notes, see sticky notes apps for iPhone.

Where TackNote for iPhone falls short

• No import. It cannot bring in notes from Apple Notes or another app. You start a fresh board, so keeping Notes alongside it makes sense.
• No Markdown. If you write in Markdown, Bear or Obsidian will suit you better.
• Sync is with the Mac only. Turn it on, and notes you make on the phone reach TackNote for Mac, a separate purchase, through your own iCloud. There is no web version.
• It needs a recent iPhone. TackNote for iPhone needs iOS 26 or later, and summaries need Apple Intelligence.
• It is paid after a week. If you do not unlock it, nothing is taken away: every note stays readable, searchable and shareable, and only making and changing notes stops.

Which one fits you

• Notes does what you need. Stay with Apple Notes. It is built in, free, and syncs through iCloud.
• You write in Markdown and organize with tags. Bear, with Bear Pro if you want iCloud sync.
• You also use devices outside Apple's. Google Keep syncs across your phone, your computer and your smartwatch.
• You want your notes as plain files. Obsidian keeps them as Markdown files in a vault.
• You want one note to hold the recording, the photos, the checklist and the place. TackNote for iPhone, free for 7 days, then $24.99 once.
• You also use TackNote on a Mac. Add TackNote for iPhone, turn on sync, and the notes you make on the phone wait on your Mac's board.

Common questions

What is the best alternative to Apple Notes on iPhone?

It depends on why you want to leave. Bear suits Markdown and tags on Apple devices. Google Keep suits people who also use devices outside Apple. Obsidian suits people who want their notes as plain files. TackNote for iPhone suits people who want one note to hold a recording, photos, a checklist and a place.

Is there a free alternative to Apple Notes on iPhone?

Yes. Google Keep is listed as free on the App Store, and Obsidian is free on iOS, with its Sync service costing extra. Bear has a free version too, but iCloud sync needs Bear Pro.

Can TackNote import notes from Apple Notes?

No. TackNote for iPhone cannot bring in notes from Apple Notes or another app, so you start a fresh board. You can keep Apple Notes alongside it.

Does TackNote for iPhone need a subscription?

No. It is free to download and everything works for 7 days, then one payment of $24.99 unlocks it for good. If you do not unlock it, your notes stay readable, searchable and shareable, and only making and changing notes stops.