10 Best Note-Taking Apps For Chromebook [Free And Paid]

Taking notes is something everyone does in their way; whether you're jotting down a quick grocery list or typing up detailed meeting minutes.

Some keep it simple with text, while others turn their notes into elaborate scrapbooks with doodles and images. No matter how you do it, there's an app out there that can handle your unique style and needs; you just have to find it.

Chromebooks are ideal for note-taking because they're affordable, cloud-based, and a great replacement for tablets. You can type notes using the keyboard or a stylus with a touchscreen Chromebook.

There are plenty of free and paid note-taking apps for Chromebooks. If you're unsure which one to choose, don't worry; we've got you covered. In this post, we've compiled a list of the best note-taking apps for Chromebook, complete with user reviews. Let's dive in and explore them.

10 Best Note-Taking Apps For Chromebook

Here are the top 10 note-taking apps for Chromebook 2024:

• Google Keep
• Squid
• Cursive
• Noteshelf
• Evernote
• Simplenote
• OneNote
• Joplin
• Memo Notepad
• Bamboo Paper

1. Google Keep

Google Keep is Google's very own note-taking app. If you're a fan of Google's products, you might find Keep to be a great fit. It's perfect for quick, straightforward notes and to-do lists. Even Google Assistant uses a similar interface for its shopping list feature.

When using Keep on your Chromebook, you'll probably use the web interface. However, there's also an Android app available.

Key Features

• Ability to invite coworkers to collaborate on notes for joint projects
• Option to export your notes as Google Docs
• Compatibility with multiple platforms using a single software

Price

Free to use

User Reviews

G2: N/A

Capterra: 4.7/5 (174 Reviews)

2. Squid

If you like jotting down notes by hand, Squid could be the app for you. It's designed for touchscreen devices, allowing you to create handwritten notes easily on touchscreen Chromebooks.

Plus, with a Squid Premium subscription, you unlock even more features.

Key Features

• Ability to doodle or sketch in your notes
• Markup photos and PDFs
• Create notes on any device, no matter the magnification

Price

Free plan

Upgrade with $1 per month

User Reviews

G2: 1/5 (16 Reviews)

Capterra: N/A

3. Cursive

Cursive is quite unique, out of the handwriting note-taking apps for Chromebooks, and it's made by Google.

Cursive not only lets you take notes with the touchscreen and stylus but also uses gestures for editing commands.

Key Features

• Use the Home menu in Cursive to start new notebooks
• Move text around by circling it
• Change text color and stroke width using the pen and highlighter

Price

Free to use

User Reviews

G2: N/A

Capterra: N/A

4. Noteshelf

Similar to Squid, Noteshelf is perfect for those who prefer handwritten notes. It goes beyond just note-taking, letting you mark up PDFs, record audio, and even insert geometric shapes.

Noteshelf is not only available for Windows but also as an Android app.

Key Features

• Free software for Android devices
• Ability to link to several popular cloud services, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, iCloud, and OneDrive
• Lets you experience digital note-taking

Price

Free plan

Premium: $9.99 per month

User Reviews

G2: 4.2/5 (5 Reviews)

Capterra: N/A

5. Evernote

Evernote is one of the most versatile outlining and note-taking apps for Chromebooks. It offers a variety of ways to input information, from text and handwriting to audio recordings. You can keep your notes organized using reminders, tags, and notebooks.

The paid versions of Evernote provide more storage compared to the 60MB limit in the free version, along with powerful search capabilities. Evernote is available as a web-based version and also has an Android app.

Key Features

• Notes and notebooks are great ways to organize your research materials (videos, images, articles, etc.).
• Supports note-taking using a finger, a stylus (if you have one), or a pen

Price

Free plan

Personal: $14.99 per month

Professional: $17.99 per month

User Reviews

G2: 4.4/5 (2008 Reviews)

Capterra: 4.4/5 (8213 Reviews)

6. Simplenote

With Simplenote, you can effortlessly capture, organize, and arrange your ideas and reminders, and it's completely free. Like Evernote, Simplenote is available on the web and as an Android app. Additionally, there's a native Linux client for Chromebook users who prefer a desktop app.

Simplenote uses Markdown, a widely used web language, to format notes.

Key Features

• Notes are synced instantly and automatically across all devices
• You can create and share online checklists, instructions, and notes
• Notes are saved every time you make a change, allowing you to review previous versions

Price

Free plan

Sustainer plan: $19.99 per month

User Reviews

G2: 4.2/5 (38 Reviews)

Capterra: 4.4/5 (15 Reviews)

7. OneNote

OneNote is an excellent software for Chromebooks, especially for handwritten notes. While Google Keep and Google Docs are great for Google users, OneNote is perfect for those who prefer Microsoft's suite of tools.

With OneNote, you can organize your notes into different sections and subsections and add tags for easy management. 

Key Features

• Customize the layout, font, size, and color of your notes
• Record and organize audio memos
• Collaborate, sketch on your notes, add multimedia, clip online content, and easily share your notes

Price

Free plan

Upgrade with $6.99 per month

User Reviews

G2: 4.5/5 (1831 Reviews)

Capterra: 4.6/5(1568 Reviews)

8. Joplin

Joplin is an open-source note-taking app similar to Simplenote. While there's a paid version available, it's only for cloud-based features, and syncing across devices can be done through other means.

If you use Dropbox or OneDrive, you can integrate Joplin with those services. Like Simplenote, Joplin also uses Markdown for text formatting. Joplin's terminal application, alongside web and graphical Linux clients, is what sets it apart.

Key Features

• Tools for creating mathematical notation and visualizations within the program
• Collaboration through Joplin Cloud
• Customization options with add-ons like themes, text editors, and plugins

Price

Free plan

Upgrade with $1.63 per month

User Reviews

G2: 4.8/5 (3 Reviews)

Capterra: N/A

9.  Memo Notepad

Notepad is a great choice for simple and quick note-taking with its straightforward user interface. When you open the app, you'll see a lined page with a wooden backdrop where you can start typing your message.

Memo Notepad is a web app, making it cross-platform by default. An iOS version of the app is also already available.

Key Features

• Supports various content types like pictures, tags, audio recordings, and handwritten notes
• Notes can be backed up to the cloud and accessed from any computer

Price

Free to use

User Reviews

G2: N/A

Capterra: 4.7 (1926 reviews)

10. Bamboo Paper

Bamboo Paper offers a distinctive digital note-taking experience that seamlessly blends traditional paper with the endless possibilities of the digital world. It allows users to effortlessly capture, preserve, and synchronize their thoughts, drawings, and notes with unparalleled fluidity and accuracy, similar to physical calligraphy.

The app is available as an Android app for Chromebook users.

Key Features

• Various paper styles to choose from
• Option to select "virtual" notebook covers
• Real-time syncing of notes with Wacom Inkspace

Price

Free plan

Upgrade with $5 per month

User Reviews

G2: N/A

Capterra: N/A

Elevating note-taking on Chromebooks

Chromebooks are great for note-taking due to their simplicity. Although they are easy to use, there are ways to maximize their utility, like selecting suitable software for note-taking.

By combining Fireflies with the note-taking apps for Chromebooks, users can boost their productivity and streamline their note-taking process.

Fireflies is a powerful AI note-taker and meeting assistant that lets you record, transcribe, summarize, and analyze online interactions across various platforms.

Source: FirefliesKey Features

• Accurate Transcription: Generates 90% accurate transcripts in over 60 languages, complete with timestamps and speaker labels, in just minutes
• Super Summaries: Provides a concise, customizable summary with action items of lengthy transcriptions for quick review
• Smart Search: Find information quickly with smart search features AI filters. It also includes Sentiment Filters to identify positive, negative, and neutral sentiments, and Topic Tracker for efficient organization and searchability
• Conversation Intelligence: Offers analytics and insights such as speaker analytics, talk-to-listen ratio, call sentiment, and more
• Soundbites: Create and share sound clips of important sections
• Thread: Participants can access and add comments or annotations to the transcript, fostering teamwork and capturing multiple perspectives
• AskFred Chatbot: A chatbot that answers questions about the conversation and can generate other content types from your conversations
• Playlist: Create a collection of soundbites from multiple calls in a single space
• Seamless Integration: Integrates with over 40 popular apps, including CRMs, dialers, and video conferencing tools
• Transcript Download: Download transcripts in PDF, DOCX, SRT, CSV, or JSON formats
• Supported Formats: Transcribe meeting recordings in MP3, MP4, M4A, or WAV format
• Security: Ensures highest security standards, with transcripts being end-to-end encrypted at rest and in transit, and compliance with SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, and HIPAA standards

While Fireflies doesn't have a dedicated Chromebook app, it can be accessed through any browser, making it compatible with Chromebook devices. Fireflies stands out for its advanced transcription and note-taking features powered by cutting-edge AI technology.