Note Taking App Compared
The 10 Best Note Taking Apps Compared (2026)
We compared the most popular note-taking apps feature by feature - data ownership, pricing, sync, portability, offline support, and self-hosting. No single app wins everything. The right choice depends on your priorities.
TL;DR Notion is the strongest choice for team collaboration and databases. Obsidian is best for local-first, plugin-rich workflows. Evernote has the longest track record with solid web clipping and OCR. Joplin is a free, open-source option with E2E encryption. Logseq excels at graph-based, bi-directional linking.
Note Cargo is built for individuals who want self-hosted, S3-backed Markdown notes with a one-time payment - no subscriptions, no vendor lock-in, and full control over where your data lives.
Feature
Note Cargo
Notion
Obsidian
Evernote
Joplin
Logseq
Apple Notes
Google Keep
Google Docs
OneNote
Simplenote
Pricing
Starting price
$4
$12/mo
$4/mo
$14.9/mo
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Pricing model
One-Time
Subscription
Free + Paid Sync
Subscription
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
Demo/Trial
Data & Privacy
You own your storage
Doesn't train on your notes
Open source
Sync All Devices
Device Theft Resistant
Unlimited Storage
Platform
Web app
Mobile app
Desktop app
Offline access
Bloated Features
MCP Support
Markdown & Portability
Markdown support
Export Data
Notes Linking
Codeblock
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration
Note sharing
Self-Hosting
Self-hostable
Low RAM usage
Modifiable code
No Database
Zero Dependency
Detailed comparisons
Note Cargo vs Notion (2026)
Notion is an all-in-one workspace with databases, docs, and real-time collaboration stored on their servers.
Note Cargo vs Obsidian (2026)
Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a powerful plugin ecosystem and offline-first approach.
Note Cargo vs Evernote (2026)
Evernote is one of the oldest cloud note-taking apps, offering rich text notes, web clipping, and OCR stored on their servers.
Note Cargo vs Joplin (2026)
Joplin is a free, open-source Markdown note app with E2E encryption that supports S3 and WebDAV sync.
Note Cargo vs Logseq (2026)
Logseq is an open-source outliner knowledge base with graph views and bi-directional linking.
Note Cargo vs Apple Notes (2026)
Apple Notes is a free native note-taking app built into all Apple devices with iCloud sync and collaboration features.
Note Cargo vs Google Keep (2026)
Google Keep is a free, simple cloud note-taking app by Google with labels, reminders, and cross-platform sync.
Note Cargo vs Google Docs (2026)
Google Docs is a cloud-based document editor by Google with real-time collaboration and broad cross-platform access.
Note Cargo vs OneNote (2026)
Microsoft OneNote is a free digital notebook app by Microsoft with rich media support and cross-platform access.
Note Cargo vs Simplenote (2026)
Simplenote is a free, minimalist note-taking app by Automattic with Markdown support and cross-platform sync.
Multiple comparisons
Note Cargo vs Notion vs Obsidian (2026)
Notion is an all-in-one cloud workspace. Obsidian is a local-first Markdown vault with a rich plugin ecosystem.
Note Cargo vs Evernote vs Notion (2026)
Notion is an all-in-one cloud workspace. Evernote is a veteran cloud note-taking app with web clipping and OCR.
Note Cargo vs Joplin vs Obsidian (2026)
Joplin is a free open-source Markdown app with E2E encryption. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a powerful plugin ecosystem.
Note Cargo vs Evernote vs Obsidian (2026)
Evernote is a veteran cloud note-taking app with web clipping and OCR. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a powerful plugin ecosystem.
Note Cargo vs Joplin vs Notion (2026)
Notion is an all-in-one cloud workspace with real-time collaboration. Joplin is a free open-source Markdown app with E2E encryption.
Note Cargo vs Logseq vs Notion (2026)
Notion is a team-focused all-in-one workspace. Logseq is an outliner knowledge base moving away from plain Markdown in its new database version.
Note Cargo vs Logseq vs Obsidian (2026)
Logseq is an open-source outliner knowledge base with graph views. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a rich plugin ecosystem.
Note Cargo vs Evernote vs Joplin (2026)
Evernote is one of the oldest cloud note-taking apps with web clipping and OCR. Joplin is a free open-source Markdown app with E2E encryption.
Note Cargo vs Evernote vs Logseq (2026)
Evernote is one of the oldest cloud note-taking apps with web clipping and OCR. Logseq is an open-source outliner knowledge base shifting away from plain Markdown in its new version.
Note Cargo vs Joplin vs Logseq (2026)
Joplin is a free open-source Markdown app with E2E encryption. Logseq is an open-source outliner knowledge base with graph views and bi-directional linking.
Note Cargo vs Apple Notes vs Google Keep (2026)
Apple Notes is a native app for Apple devices. Google Keep is a simple cross-platform note app by Google.
Note Cargo vs Apple Notes vs Notion (2026)
Apple Notes is a free native app for Apple devices. Notion is an all-in-one cloud workspace with databases and real-time collaboration.
Note Cargo vs Google Keep vs Notion (2026)
Google Keep is a simple cloud note app by Google. Notion is an all-in-one cloud workspace with databases and real-time collaboration.
Note Cargo vs Apple Notes vs Obsidian (2026)
Apple Notes is a free native app for Apple devices. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a rich plugin ecosystem.
Note Cargo vs Google Keep vs Obsidian (2026)
Google Keep is a simple cloud note app by Google. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a rich plugin ecosystem.
Note Cargo vs Notion vs Simplenote (2026)
Simplenote is a free minimalist note app. Notion is an all-in-one cloud workspace with databases and real-time collaboration.
Note Cargo vs Obsidian vs Simplenote (2026)
Simplenote is a free minimalist note app. Obsidian is a local-first knowledge base with a rich plugin ecosystem.
Note Cargo vs Google Docs vs OneNote (2026)
Google Docs is a cloud document editor with real-time collaboration. OneNote is a free digital notebook app by Microsoft.
Note Cargo vs Google Docs vs Notion (2026)
Google Docs is a cloud document editor by Google. Notion is an all-in-one workspace with databases and real-time collaboration.
Note Cargo vs OneNote vs Notion (2026)
OneNote is a free digital notebook by Microsoft. Notion is an all-in-one cloud workspace with databases and real-time collaboration.
Ready to switch to Note Cargo?
Self-hosted, Markdown-native, stored in your own S3/R2. One-time payment, no subscriptions.