The 9 Best Note-Taking Apps for Mac in 2026, Sorted by Who Owns Your Notes

I write my notes in Markdown, and the question I ask of any note app before features, themes or price is the same: if this app disappeared tomorrow, would my notes still be files I can open? This list answers that for nine note-taking apps on Mac, checked on each vendor's own site on 9 October 2026.

Disclosure first: I build MacMD Viewer, a read-only Markdown viewer with a Finder Quick Look extension. It is not a note app, so it is not ranked here. It gets one short section near the end, for reading your notes outside the app that wrote them. Pricing is on the pricing page if you want it.

Quick answer#

• Obsidian: best overall. Free, plain .md files in a folder you pick, every platform.
• iA Writer: best for writing. Native, plain text files, one-time purchase.
• Bear: best native Mac experience. Lovely editor, but notes live in a SQLite database.
• NotePlan: best for daily notes and tasks. Plain-text Markdown files, subscription.
• Logseq: best outliner. Free and open source; the stable version uses Markdown files, the new DB version does not.
• Zettlr: best for research writing. Free, open source, works on your Markdown files.
• Joplin: best free sync across platforms. Open source, but notes sit in a database.
• Typora: best for long Markdown documents. One-time purchase, edits .md files directly.
• Apple Notes: best if you never want to install anything. Not Markdown storage, but it can now export .md.

How do the best Mac note apps compare?#

App	Best for	Storage	Price model	Native or Electron
Obsidian	Linked notes you own	Plain .md files	Free; Sync and Publish subscriptions	Electron
iA Writer	Focused writing	Plain text / .md files	One-time ($49.99), 7-day trial	Native
Bear	Native Apple-only notes	SQLite database, Markdown export	Free; Pro $2.99/mo or $29.99/yr	Native
NotePlan	Daily notes and tasks	Plain-text Markdown (.txt by default)	Subscription ($99/yr or $12/mo)	Native
Logseq	Outlining, journals	.md files (0.10.x); database in 2.0 beta	Free, open source	Electron
Zettlr	Research and long-form	Plain .md files	Free, open source	Electron
Joplin	Free cross-platform sync	SQLite database, Markdown export	Free app; Joplin Cloud subscription	Electron
Typora	Writing Markdown documents	Plain .md files	One-time ($14.99, 3 devices)	Native (Cocoa/AppKit)
Apple Notes	Zero setup	Apple's own format in iCloud / On My Mac	Free with macOS	Native

Five of the nine work directly on Markdown files in a folder you control, and NotePlan keeps plain text in its own folder. Bear, Joplin and Apple Notes keep a database and give you Markdown on export.

Why "plain Markdown files" is the question that matters#

A database is not a bad design: search is fast and sync is reliable. The cost comes later, when you switch apps, back up with Git or open a note in another editor, and have to go through export first.

With plain files, the folder is the source of truth. Spotlight indexes it, Time Machine backs it up, any editor opens it. I lean toward plain files, but for some people a database app's experience is worth the trade.

The apps that keep plain Markdown files#

Obsidian#

Obsidian's help docs say it plainly: a vault is a folder on your computer, and notes are Markdown-formatted plain text files. You can edit them in other programs and Obsidian picks up the changes. The app is free with no account, and the pricing page says commercial use does not require a paid licence (a $50 per user per year commercial licence exists for those who want to support it). Sync costs $4 a month billed yearly, Publish $8 a month billed yearly.

The trade: it is Electron, so it is heavier than a native app, and the plugin catalogue can turn note-taking into a hobby. Some features, such as [[wiki links]] and plugin blocks, only render fully inside Obsidian. If you only need to read Markdown, not build a vault, I covered lighter options in Obsidian alternatives on Mac, and there is a direct MacMD Viewer vs Obsidian page.

Choose it if you want linked notes in files you own, on Mac, Windows, Linux and phones, for free.

iA Writer#

iA Writer is a writing app first and a note app second, and that is the point. You write in plain text with Markdown, the files sit in a folder (local or iCloud), and the interface stays out of the way. On Mac it is a one-time purchase of $49.99 with a 7-day trial and no card required; iA states that subscriptions are not offered on Mac, iPhone, iPad or Windows.

It does not do backlinks, graphs or task management. If your notes are mostly drafts, articles and long thoughts, that is a feature.

Choose it if your notes turn into writing, and you want a native app you pay for once. The rest of a writing setup is in my list of Mac apps for writers.

NotePlan#

NotePlan mixes daily notes, a calendar and tasks. Its help centre says notes are stored locally as plain-text Markdown files, with .txt as the default extension. With iCloud Drive sync, they land in a "NotePlan" folder you can open from Finder or the Files app. It is a native app on Mac, iPad and iPhone, plus a web version.

The cost is the subscription: $99 a year or $12 a month, with a trial. And the .txt default means other Markdown tools need a setting change or a rename to treat the files as Markdown.

Choose it if you plan your day in your notes and want tasks and calendar in the same plain-text files.

Logseq#

Logseq is an open-source (AGPL-3.0) outliner built around daily journals and blocks. The version most people use, the 0.10.x line (0.10.15 shipped in December 2025), stores pages as Markdown or Org-mode files in a folder. The releases page now also shows Logseq 2.0, the "DB version", in beta (2.0.2 on 7 October 2026). The project is splitting into two versions, and the DB one keeps data in a database; its own readme warns that data loss is possible in the beta and recommends SQLite backups.

So "Logseq stores Markdown files" is true today for the file-based version and not for where the project is heading. Watch which one you install.

Choose it if you think in outlines and daily journals, and you stay on the file-based version for now.

Zettlr#

Zettlr is free and open source, built on Electron, and runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. You point it at folders of Markdown files and choose how much of the formatting you see, from raw code to rich text. It is pitched at researchers and long-form writers. v4.8.0 shipped on 18 September, so it is maintained.

For quick capture, it is overkill.

Choose it if your notes feed papers, a thesis or a book, and you want it free.

Typora#

Typora is a Markdown editor, not a notes app, but plenty of people use it on a folder of notes. It edits .md files directly and hides the syntax as you type. The licence is a one-time $14.99 that activates up to three devices, with a 15-day trial. On the Mac it is a native Cocoa/AppKit app, not Electron, despite what older comparisons say. I wrote a MacMD Viewer vs Typora page if you are weighing an editor against a viewer.

There is no linking or tagging across notes beyond a file tree.

Choose it if your notes are documents (specs, READMEs, drafts) and you want a clean editor you buy once.

The apps that use a database#

Bear#

Bear is the nicest native writing experience on this list, and the one I get asked about most. Its help page is clear about storage: on Mac and iOS, notes live in a SQLite database inside Bear's container. You write with Markdown-style syntax and can export, but the files are not sitting in a folder for other apps.

Bear is free to start. Bear Pro costs $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year and adds iCloud sync across devices, export to PDF, HTML, DOCX and JPG, themes, encryption and OCR search. It is Apple-only.

Choose it if you live on Apple devices, care most about how writing feels, and are fine exporting when you leave.

Joplin#

Joplin is free and open source on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android, with end-to-end encrypted sync through Dropbox, OneDrive, Nextcloud or its own Joplin Cloud (from €2.40 a month billed yearly). Notes are written in Markdown, but they are stored in a SQLite database; the Joplin FAQ refers to it when explaining how to recover deleted notes. The desktop app can export notes and notebooks as Markdown files, with attachments in a separate folder.

It is an Electron app and looks like one. What it wins on is free sync without lock-in to a single cloud.

Choose it if you want free, encrypted sync across Mac, Windows, Linux and Android, and can live with a database plus export.

Apple Notes#

Apple Notes does not store Markdown files, and I don't want to pretend otherwise. Notes live in iCloud or On My Mac in Apple's own format. What changed with macOS Tahoe 26: Apple's Notes guide now documents File > Export as > Markdown for a note and File > Import Markdown for .md files. That makes it a fine inbox that can hand notes to a Markdown app, not a Markdown note app.

Choose it if you want zero setup and Apple sync, and you will export the notes that matter.

Reading your notes outside the note app#

Once your notes are plain files, you will open them outside the app that wrote them: from Finder, from a Git repo, from a coding agent's output folder. macOS shows a .md file as raw text there. This is the gap I built MacMD Viewer for, so read this section knowing who wrote it.

• Quick Look in Finder. Select a .md file and press Space to see it rendered, without launching anything. The Quick Look page shows what it looks like and how to turn it on. Setup for this and for the free alternative is in my Markdown Quick Look guide.
• A read-only window. Open a note and it renders with Mermaid diagrams, highlighted code and 12 themes. It never edits the file. When Obsidian or iA Writer saves it, the open window reloads.
• $19.99 one-time, native, no subscription and no trial.

It does not replace any app above. It has no search across notes, no linking, no folder view. If you only want Finder previews, QLMarkdown is free and open source. For a wider map of viewers, editors and note apps, see Markdown apps for Mac.

How to choose: a decision framework#

• Choose Obsidian if you want plain files, linking and every platform for free. Avoid it if Electron's weight or plugin rabbit holes bother you.
• Choose iA Writer if your notes become writing and you prefer paying once. Avoid it if you need tasks, backlinks or a graph.
• Choose Bear if you are all-in on Apple and want the best-feeling native editor. Avoid it if you want your notes as files in a folder without an export step.
• Choose NotePlan if you plan your day in notes. Avoid it if you won't pay a subscription.
• Choose Logseq if you think in outlines and journals. Avoid the 2.0 DB beta if plain files are why you picked Logseq.
• Choose Zettlr if you write research or long-form for free. Avoid it if you mostly capture quick notes.
• Choose Joplin if you need free encrypted sync on Windows, Linux and Android too. Avoid it if you want native Mac polish.
• Choose Typora if your notes are documents. Avoid it if you need search and links across hundreds of notes.
• Choose Apple Notes if you want nothing to install. Avoid it if Markdown storage is the requirement.

Methodology#

• Checked on 9 October 2026 on each vendor's own pages: pricing pages, help centres and GitHub releases. Storage claims come from the vendor's documentation (Obsidian's "How Obsidian stores data", Bear's "Where are Bear's notes located", NotePlan's "Where are my notes saved", Apple's Notes User Guide for macOS 26).
• Storage is the main axis. "Plain .md files" means the app reads and writes files in a folder you can open with Finder. "Database" means notes live in an internal store and leave through export.
• Still maintained. Every app here had a release or documentation update in the last year.
• Dropped: Craft. Its pricing page (free tier, then subscription) did not say how documents are stored, and I don't list what I can't verify.
• Prices change. I give what the vendor showed on the day; check before you buy.
• Disclosure. I build MacMD Viewer, a Markdown viewer. It is not ranked because it is not a note app.

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best note-taking app for Mac in 2026?#

For most people who want to own their notes, Obsidian: it is free, keeps every note as a plain .md file in a folder you choose, and runs on every platform. If you want a native Mac app and only use Apple devices, Bear is the most pleasant to write in, but it keeps notes in a SQLite database and sells sync as a subscription. iA Writer is the pick for writing over organising.

Which Mac note apps store notes as plain Markdown files?#

Obsidian, iA Writer, Zettlr, Typora and the file-based version of Logseq work directly on .md files in folders you control. NotePlan stores plain-text Markdown, saved as .txt by default. Bear, Joplin and Apple Notes keep notes in a database and export Markdown on request.

Can Apple Notes use Markdown?#

Partly. Since macOS Tahoe 26, Notes can export a note with File > Export as > Markdown and import .md files with File > Import Markdown. Notes are still stored in Apple's own format inside iCloud or On My Mac, not as Markdown files you can open in other apps.

Is Bear a plain Markdown app?#

Bear uses Markdown-style syntax for writing, but Bear's own help page says notes are stored in a SQLite database. You can export notes, and Bear Pro ($2.99 a month or $29.99 a year) adds iCloud sync and export to PDF, HTML, DOCX and JPG.

How do I read Markdown notes outside my note app on Mac?#

macOS shows .md files as raw text in Finder. A Quick Look extension renders them when you press Space: QLMarkdown is free and open source, and MacMD Viewer ($19.99 one-time) adds a read-only window with Mermaid diagrams, live reload and PDF export.