10 Best Note Taking Apps for College Students in 2025

Part 1. Features to Look for in a Note-Taking App

Now that you know what to look for, let’s dive into the specific features that can make a note-taking app stand out.

• Cross-Device Synchronization: The ability to sync across devices ensures students can access notes anytime, anywhere.
• Collaboration Features: Apps that allow multiple users to collaborate on notes can be especially useful for group projects or study sessions.
• Multimedia Support: Many apps now allow students to insert images, voice recordings, and even videos in their notes for better learning retention.
• Search Functionality: A robust search feature helps quickly find key points in the notes.
• Offline Access: Many students need to take notes during class without reliable internet access, so offline functionality is a key feature.
• Organization Tools: Features like notebooks, folders, and tags make it easy to keep notes organized.

Part 2. Top 10 Note-Taking Apps for College Students 2025

1. Notion

• Best For: Comprehensive organization and collaboration
• Price: Free for students and educators (Notion for Education), Paid plans start at $10/month
• Compatibility: macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android

Notion is one of the best note taking apps for college students to stay organized, offering a versatile “all-in-one workspace” that supports text notes, images, bookmarks, videos, and even code. Its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality and slash commands make it easy to create and customize notes. Through the Notion for Education program, students and educators can access the Personal Pro plan for free, unlocking premium features like unlimited pages, blocks, and file uploads.

2. Tenorshare PDNob

• Best For: AI-powered PDF editing and batch processing
• Price: Free version available; Paid plans vary based on features
• Compatibility: Windows 10/11 and Mac

Tenorshare PDNob stands out as one of the best note-taking apps for college students to stay organized, thanks to its innovative AI-powered features. This PDF editor simplifies tasks like document editing, conversion, annotation, and OCR, making it an excellent choice for students juggling coursework, research, and presentations.

With advanced capabilities such as AI-powered summarization, seamless text editing, and support for over 30 file formats, Tenorshare PDNob ensures you can efficiently manage PDF workflows without compromising on quality or layout.

Key Features

• AI-Powered PDF Insights

  Quickly read, summarize, and extract insights from PDFs, whether it’s a 20-page report or a 1,000-page document.

• Chat with Your PDF

  Engage in real-time conversations to get instant answers and summaries, saving time on extensive readings.

• 30+ Format Support

  Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, and more while retaining the original formatting.

• Precise Text Editing

  Edit text seamlessly with options to adjust font, color, and layout, similar to editing in Word.

• Image and Watermark Customization

  Insert, replace, or adjust images, watermarks, and backgrounds without impacting the document's design integrity.

• 99% OCR Accuracy

  Utilize AI-powered OCR to convert scanned documents into editable and searchable text with unmatched accuracy.

• Annotations and Comments

  Highlight, underline, or add sticky notes and stamps to collaborate or emphasize key points in your documents.

• Secure and Reliable

  Protect your documents with 256-AES encryption, ensuring your academic data remains confidential.

Read Also:

How to Use Tenorshare PDNob

3. Evernote

• Best For: Organizing tasks, schedules, and lecture notes
• Price: Free version available; Premium plans start at $14.99/month
• Compatibility: Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android

Evernote is one of the best note-taking apps for students free, providing an all-in-one platform to manage notes, schedules, and resources. With features like the Web Clipper, AI-powered search, and seamless syncing across devices, it simplifies life for students juggling lectures, assignments, and extracurricular activities. Evernote’s integration with tools like Google Calendar, Slack, and Microsoft Teams ensures that everything stays connected and up-to-date.

4. Microsoft OneNote

• Best For: Students and professionals seeking a free, flexible, and feature-rich note-taking app.
• Price: Free with 5GB OneDrive storage. Upgrades start at $1.99/month for 100GB. Microsoft 365 subscriptions begin at $6.99/month.
• Compatibility: Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web browsers.

Microsoft OneNote is one of the best college note-taking apps, offering a versatile and free solution for students and professionals alike. Its digital notebook layout lets users create organized sections and pages, making it ideal for managing class notes, research, or project planning. With the ability to incorporate handwritten notes, typed text, images, and web clippings, it caters to diverse note-taking styles.

5. Google Keep

• Best For: Quick notes, reminders, and seamless integration within the Google ecosystem.
• Price: Free with 15GB Google account storage. Storage upgrades start at $1.99/month for 100GB.
• Compatibility: Available on iOS, Android, web browsers, and as a Chrome extension.

Google Keep is a highly efficient and straightforward tool, often considered the best student note taking app for quick and simple note management. Designed like a digital bulletin board, it allows users to capture notes, lists, photos, and voice memos effortlessly. Google Keep, with real-time updates, location-based reminders, and seamless Google app integration, is ideal for students and professionals seeking a lightweight task management solution.

6. Simplenote

• Best For: Students and professionals who prefer a minimalist, distraction-free note-taking app.
• Price: Completely free for all users.
• Compatibility: Available on Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, and web browsers.

Simplenote is a no-fuss, straightforward college note taking app that’s often touted as one of the best student note-taking apps for its simplicity and efficiency. Designed for those who need basic functionality without distractions, Simplenote automatically syncs your notes across all devices in real-time. Its version history and Markdown support make it a top choice for students and professionals seeking a lightweight tool for organizing and collaborating.

7. GoodNotes

• Best For: College students who prefer handwritten notes but want the convenience of digital organization and editing.
• Price: Free (with in-app purchases available).
• Compatibility: iOS, Windows, Android, & Mac.

GoodNotes stands out among the best note taking apps for college students, offering a unique experience for those who love the tactile feel of handwriting but crave the organization and searchability of digital notes. Ideal for students who prefer handwritten notes but need easy access and editing, GoodNotes offers an intuitive and flexible note-taking experience. With an AI-enhanced writing experience and seamless integration of PDFs, this app allows you to annotate and keep everything neatly organized.

8. Notability

• Best For: Students seeking an advanced note-taking app with audio syncing and handwriting recognition
• Price: Free with a premium plan at $14.99/year
• Compatibility: iPad, iPhone, Mac

Notability is one of the best note-taking app with stylus for students, praised for its user-friendly interface and powerful features like audio syncing. This app allows you to record lectures and sync the audio with your handwritten notes, with added audio transcripts and time-stamped text. Notability’s multitasking features let you work on two notes at once, and its Pencil tool provides precise drawing and sketching capabilities.

9. Obsidian

• Best For: Users seeking a powerful, interlinked note-taking system for managing complex notes
• Price: Free for personal use; $50/user/year for commercial use; Add-ons available
• Compatibility: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android (mobile app less robust)

Obsidian is a top choice for students seeking the best note-taking app with stylus for students. It features bi-directional linking to connect notes, ideas, and concepts, creating a visual knowledge base. Perfect for research and organizing complex data, Obsidian offers extensive customization and supports both Markdown and Canvas notes. However, it’s less user-friendly for collaboration, and the mobile app is more limited than the desktop version.

10. Zoho Notebook

• Best For: Students and professionals who want versatile note-taking with multimedia support
• Price: Free & paid subscription plans
• Compatibility: iOS, Android, Windows

Zoho Notebook is a versatile best student note taking app, supporting handwritten notes, multimedia, and PDF annotations. It offers customization, reminders, and organizational tags, making it ideal for managing lecture notes. However, its large file size may be a drawback for those with limited storage.

Part 3. How to Choose the Right Note-Taking App for Your Needs

When choosing the right note-taking app, it's important to think about a few key factors that can make a big difference in your study experience. Let’s explore some key points to consider before making your decision.

• Consider Your Study Style: Some apps are better for handwritten notes (like GoodNotes), while others, like Notion, are great for organizing research and projects.
• Device Compatibility: Make sure the app works on the devices you use, whether it’s iOS, Android, Windows, or Mac.
• Long-Term Use: Choose an app that can grow with you, adapting to your note-taking needs as your studies progress.
• Cost: Compare pricing options—some apps are free, while others require a subscription or one-time purchase.
• Try Before You Buy: Test a few apps to find the one that works best for your style and needs.

Part 4. FAQs of College Note Taking App

1. Can I use college note-taking apps on multiple devices?

Yes, most college note-taking apps like OneNote and Evernote allow synchronization across multiple devices, making it easy to access your notes anytime, anywhere.

2. Do note-taking apps support audio recordings?

Many note-taking apps, such as Notability and OneNote, support audio recordings. You can record lectures and add notes simultaneously, creating a comprehensive study resource.

3. Are college note-taking apps free?

Some apps like OneNote and Evernote offer free versions with basic features. However, premium versions with more advanced tools and storage options are available for a fee.

4. Do note-taking apps allow handwriting or drawing?

Yes, apps like GoodNotes, Notability, and OneNote support handwriting and drawing. This is ideal for students who prefer writing by hand or need to sketch diagrams and equations.

5. What is the best note-taking app used by Harvard students?

Harvard students commonly use Notion, OneNote, and Evernote for their flexibility, organization, and syncing across devices.

Conclusion:

Choosing the right note-taking apps for college students is crucial for organizing and managing your academic work efficiently. As you explore your options, remember to consider factors like compatibility, cost, and scalability. To complement your note-taking apps, you can use Tenorshare PDNob, which can be a great addition to editing and annotating your lecture PDFs. It ensures that your notes are organized and easy to access whenever you need them.

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• 99% OCR precision for making scanned PDFs editable and searchable