Apple Notes vs Notion vs Note Cargo: Which is better? (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.
TL;DRApple Notes is polished and free but tied to the Apple ecosystem. Notion is a powerful workspace with databases and team collaboration.
Note Cargo is self-hosted, stores standard Markdown in your own S3/R2 bucket, and works on any browser.
Apple Notes wins on native integration. Notion wins on collaboration and databases. Note Cargo wins on data ownership and self-hosting.
18
Note Cargo wins
12
Apple Notes wins
14
Notion wins
Feature
Apple Notes
Notion
Note Cargo
Pricing
Starting price
Free
$12/mo
$4
Pricing model
Free
Subscription
One-Time
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
Ready to switch to Note Cargo?
Self-hosted, Markdown-native, stored in your own S3/R2. One-time payment, no subscriptions.