24 Notetaking apps RANKED (2021) - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

24 Notetaking apps RANKED (2021) 🔗 **Source:** [24 Notetaking apps RANKED (2021)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [productivity, note-taking, app-reviews] > author: Francesco D'Alessio > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ > date created: 2024-01-16 10:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: 24 Notetaking apps RANKED (2021) >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Try Remnote for spaced repetition learning — 17:32 student apps #productivity - [H2] Evaluate Notion for project management — 20:45 power apps #workflow - [H3] Consider Obsidian for PKM system — 24:15 overpowered apps #knowledge-management ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [Original Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ) - [Francesco D'Alessio's Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@FrancescoDAlessio) ## 📝 Summary - Francesco D'Alessio ranks 24 note-taking applications from S-tier (excellent) to D-tier (not recommended) - Categories include old school (pen/paper), simple notes, super nerd apps, student apps, folder-based, writing apps, power apps, and overpowered apps - S-tier winners: Remnote, Notion, Roam Research, Obsidian - D-tier: Google Keep, Vim, Athens Research - Key factors: usability, features, cross-platform support, speed, privacy ## 📖 Main Content This comprehensive review evaluates 24 note-taking applications across different categories and use cases. Francesco divides the apps into logical groupings from analog methods like pen and paper through to sophisticated "overpowered" applications for knowledge management professionals. The ranking considers factors like ease of use, feature richness, cross-platform availability, performance, and suitability for different user types. Simple apps like Apple Notes receive high marks for their intended use case, while complex tools like Roam Research and Obsidian are praised for their powerful linking and organizational capabilities. The review acknowledges that different apps serve different needs - student-focused apps like Remnote excel at memorization, while writing-focused tools like Bear provide distraction-free environments for authors. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=0) — [H1] Introduction to Note-Taking App Tier List - Key idea: Ranking 24 apps from S-tier (awesome) to D-tier (not recommended) - Evidence: "S-tier being super awesome apps that I would love to use every day" #### ⏱️ [01:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=90) — [H2] Old School: Pen and Paper (C-tier) - Key idea: Handwriting great for memory but lacks searchability and durability - Evidence: "handwriting is great for memory but you can't search your notes" #### ⏱️ [02:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=135) — [H2] Old School: Zettelkasten (B-tier) - Key idea: Index card system that worked for prolific writers but has limitations - Evidence: "nicholas lumen who wrote dozens of papers and dozens of books" #### ⏱️ [03:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=210) — [H1] Simple Notes: Apple Notes (A-tier) - Key idea: Excellent within Apple ecosystem with folders, tags, and drawing capabilities - Evidence: "if you're in the apple ecosystem apple notes is great" #### ⏱️ [04:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=255) — [H2] Simple Notes: Google Keep (D-tier) - Key idea: Poor organization and uncertain future make it unreliable - Evidence: "the organization in google keep is kind of horrible" #### ⏱️ [05:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=300) — [H2] Simple Notes: Simple Note (B-tier) - Key idea: Cross-platform alternative that does what Google Keep should do - Evidence: "simple note is what google keep wishes it was" #### ⏱️ [05:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=330) — [H2] Simple Notes: Standard Notes (B-tier) - Key idea: Privacy-focused with encryption but password loss means data loss - Evidence: "everything is totally encrypted... if you lose your password you also lose all your notes" #### ⏱️ [06:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=390) — [H2] Super Nerd Apps: Emacs (C-tier) - Key idea: Highly extensible for the right person but not mainstream - Evidence: "you can basically make your own note-taking app inside of it" #### ⏱️ [07:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=435) — [H2] Super Nerd Apps: Vim (D-tier) - Key idea: Great text editor but poor note-taking experience - Evidence: "i love vim... but it really doesn't make a good note-taking app" #### ⏱️ [08:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=510) — [H2] Student Apps: GoodNotes (B-tier) - Key idea: Excellent iPad app for annotating and handwriting - Evidence: "goodnotes is really nice for annotating lecture slides" #### ⏱️ [09:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=555) — [H2] Student Apps: Notability (B+ tier) - Key idea: Superior iPad app with lecture recording and playback features - Evidence: "you can record a lecture and kind of play back the stuff that you're drawing" #### ⏱️ [10:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=630) — [H1] Student Apps: RemNote (S-tier) - Key idea: Combines note-taking with spaced repetition for powerful learning - Evidence: "allows you to build context around your flashcards... space repetition is super powerful" #### ⏱️ [12:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=720) — [H2] Folder-Based: OneNote (B-tier) - Key idea: Robust cross-platform app with some UI and sync issues - Evidence: "onenote is actually pretty robust it syncs across different devices" #### ⏱️ [13:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=780) — [H2] Folder-Based: Evernote (B-tier) - Key idea: Good for beginners but feels outdated and slow - Evidence: "it feels like evernote is constantly updating the app without really changing much" #### ⏱️ [15:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=900) — [H2] Writing Apps: Bear (A-tier) - Key idea: Best markdown editor for writers with superior UI - Evidence: "i like the ui a lot better than ia writer or ulysses" #### ⏱️ [17:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=1020) — [H1] Power Apps: Notion (S-tier) - Key idea: Scalable from simple to complex with databases and collaboration - Evidence: "if you learn how to use databases and use linked databases it can be super super powerful" #### ⏱️ [18:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=1110) — [H2] Power Apps: Amplenote (B-tier) - Key idea: Powerful features with excellent task management but some bugs - Evidence: "one of the best implementations of a task manager i've seen inside of a note-taking app" #### ⏱️ [20:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=1230) — [H1] Overpowered: Roam Research (S-tier) - Key idea: Revolutionary networked thought and bi-directional linking - Evidence: "rome has brought about things like networked thought bi-directional linking" #### ⏱️ [22:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=1320) — [H2] Overpowered: Athens Research (D-tier) - Key idea: Open-source Roam clone lacks original vision - Evidence: "you're always going to be behind them you're just going to be kind of living in the shadow" #### ⏱️ [23:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ?t=1380) — [H1] Overpowered: Obsidian (S-tier) - Key idea: Excellent community, plugins, and responsive development - Evidence: "how easy it is to install plugins to change themes how responsive the dev team seems to be" ## 📚 References - [Original Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ) - [How to Take Smart Notes](https://takesmartnotes.com/) - [Building a Second Brain](https://www.buildingasecondbrain.com/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - The review categorizes 24 note-taking apps into logical groups from analog methods to sophisticated digital tools, evaluating each based on usability, features, and target audience - Simple apps like Apple Notes excel in their intended use cases, while more complex tools like Notion and Obsidian offer powerful capabilities for advanced users - The key insight is that different apps serve different needs - students benefit from spaced repetition tools, writers need distraction-free environments, and knowledge workers require linking and organization features ## 📰 Newsletter 🚀 **Note-Taking App Showdown: Finding Your Perfect Match** Whether you're a student cramming for exams or a knowledge worker building a second brain, choosing the right note-taking app can transform your productivity. Francesco D'Alessio's comprehensive review of 24 applications reveals some surprising winners and losers. **Key Takeaways:** - **For Students**: RemNote combines note-taking with spaced repetition - a game-changer for memorization - **For Everyone**: Apple Notes punches above its weight within the Apple ecosystem - **For Power Users**: Notion and Obsidian lead the pack for complex knowledge management The review emphasizes that the "best" app depends entirely on your specific needs and workflow. Don't get caught up in feature lists - focus on what actually helps you think and learn better. **Resources**: [Original Review](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3ISMFkUuQ), [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/), [Notion](https://notion.so/) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer education: Create comparison matrix for developer documentation tools - Community management: Survey developers on preferred note-taking workflows - Developer experience: Evaluate knowledge base organization based on tier rankings #### WordPress - Documentation: Review note-taking recommendations for WordPress contributors - Community: Share productivity tips for WordCamp organizers and meetup leaders - Training: Incorporate note-taking best practices into lesson planning guides ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Apps with bi-directional linking create more valuable knowledge networks than folder-based organization - Cross-platform availability significantly impacts long-term user adoption and retention - Simple apps with focused use cases outperform feature-rich apps for most users - Open-source clones struggle to innovate beyond their proprietary inspirations ### 📊 Methodology - Comparative analysis across 24 applications using consistent evaluation criteria - Categorical grouping by user type and complexity level - Tier ranking system from S (excellent) to D (not recommended) ### ❓ Questions - How do note-taking preferences correlate with learning styles and work patterns? - What features actually improve knowledge retention versus those that just feel productive? - How important is vendor lock-in consideration when choosing knowledge management tools? ### 🔮 Future Research - Longitudinal study of productivity outcomes across different note-taking approaches - Analysis of knowledge worker workflows and tool switching patterns - Investigation of AI-powered note-taking features and their effectiveness ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Tool choice should align with specific workflows rather than feature checklists - Education: Different learning contexts require different organizational approaches - Security: Privacy and data portability considerations vary significantly across applications - Funding: Investment in productivity tools should consider long-term workflow integration ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 8th-9th grade (accessible) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Tier list visualization, app categorization - Improve: Screenshots of interfaces, feature comparison charts #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Video format with clear narration - Improve: Audio summary of key findings, podcast version #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions, app comparisons, analogies - Improve: Glossary of productivity terms, use case stories #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Hands-on app testing mentioned - Improve: Step-by-step setup guides, trial checklists #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Systematic categorization, tier ranking logic - Improve: Scoring rubric, decision tree for app selection #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Twitter community input mentioned - Improve: User testimonials, community recommendations #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual app evaluation, personal preferences - Improve: Self-assessment questionnaire, reflection prompts #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Organic workflow evolution concepts - Improve: Ecosystem thinking about tool integration ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear headings in video description - Improve: Detailed alt text for tier list graphics #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard YouTube controls - Improve: Timestamped navigation links #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast tier list colors - Improve: Text overlays for key points #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: YouTube's responsive design - Improve: Separate text-based summary #### Media and captions - Present: Video with audio - Improve: Professional captions, full transcript #### Forms and interactions - Present: Basic YouTube interface - Improve: Interactive tier list tool ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Global app selection (US, European, Asian companies) - Improve: Discussion of international user needs #### Inclusive language - Present: Generally neutral technical language - Improve: Acknowledge different work contexts and abilities ####