Note-Taking Apps Pricing Comparison 2026
5 products · prices verified daily · ✓ AI-verified 53h ago
The cheapest note-taking apps in 2026 is Bear at $2.99/mo. We compared 5 note-taking apps products — Obsidian, Bear, Notion, Evernote, Roam Research — with prices verified on April 21, 2026. 4 of 5 offer free plans.
Note-Taking Apps in 2026: What the Data Shows
Market Overview
Note-taking app pricing in 2026 has split between 'workspace tools' (Notion, Obsidian) and 'classic note-takers' (Evernote, Bear). Notion Plus at $8/user/mo annual is the most popular — it's a notes app, a database, a wiki, and a project manager in one. Obsidian's model is radical: the core app is free forever and unlimited, you only pay for Sync ($4/mo annual) or Publish ($8/mo annual). Evernote charges $10.83/mo annual for Starter — 36% more than Notion Plus with fewer features. The category question: workspace tool or notes archive? That determines which pricing model makes sense.
Key Buying Criteria
Decide your mental model first. If you want a structured workspace (databases, wikis, project management + notes): Notion is the only real answer. If you want a note archive that preserves your writing in local files forever: Obsidian. If you want a classic journaling-style note app: Evernote or Bear. For Roam Research (networked thought with [[backlinks]]): the product is powerful but expensive ($15/mo) and has been overtaken by cheaper alternatives (Obsidian with the backlinks plugin is functionally equivalent). Second: data ownership. Notion, Evernote, Roam all store your data in their cloud — if they shut down, migration is non-trivial. Obsidian stores everything in local Markdown files — true data ownership. Third: team collaboration needs. Notion wins cleanly on multi-user; Obsidian requires the $4/mo Sync add-on and isn't designed for team workflows.
Our Recommendation
For most users: Notion Plus at $8/user/mo annual — versatile workspace that covers notes, databases, wikis, and team collaboration. For power users who want local file ownership: Obsidian Free + Sync ($4/mo annual) — total cost $48/year vs Notion's $96/year with superior data sovereignty. For classic notes without workspace complexity: Evernote Starter at $10.83/mo annual OR Bear Pro at $29.99/year for Apple-only workflows. Skip Roam Research unless you specifically need its bidirectional-linking outliner paradigm — Obsidian does the same thing for $11/year (Catalyst one-time).
What to Watch Out For
Notion's 'Free' plan is team-limited — beyond 2 members it caps blocks aggressively. For solo use, Free is genuinely unlimited. For team use, Plus at $8/member annual is required. Evernote's free tier is severely limited (50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 device) — it's effectively a trial. Obsidian's 'free forever' is real for personal use, but commercial use requires the $50/user/year Commercial License (often ignored but legally required for businesses). Roam's 5-year Believer plan ($500) is a huge commitment — the product has been stagnating and the cheapest comparable tool (Obsidian) costs $20/year. Bear is Apple-only (iOS, iPadOS, macOS) — if you have an Android device or Windows PC in your workflow, skip it.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | |||||
| Starting Price | $5/mo | $2.99/mo | $10/mo | $14.99/mo | $15/mo |
| Renewal Price | Same | Same | Same | Same | Same |
| Free Plan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Free Trial | 14 days | 7 days | ✕ | 7 days | 14 days |
| Pricing Model | freemium-addons | flat-subscription | per-member | Tiered | per-user-premium |
| Plans | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| | | | | | |
| Features | |||||
| | | | | | |
How We Track Prices
Prices are scraped directly from vendor websites and verified against published pricing pages. We check for changes daily and update this page automatically when prices change. Last verified: 2026-04-21.
All prices shown are in USD, fetched and verified from United States-based servers. Prices in your region may differ due to local pricing, taxes, or currency conversion. We show the lowest available tier unless otherwise noted. Some products offer introductory pricing that increases on renewal — we show both where applicable.
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Head-to-Head Comparisons
See how note-taking apps products stack up against each other — plans, pricing, and features side by side.
Explore Alternatives
Explore Individual Product Pricing
Deep dive into each note-taking apps product — full plan breakdowns, renewal prices, features, and our editorial verdict.
More Ways to Explore Note-Taking Apps
Quick Pricing Summary
| Product | From | Free Plan | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.99/mo | Yes | 8/10 | |
| $5/mo | Yes | 9.3/10 | |
| $10/mo | Yes | 9/10 | |
| $14.99/mo | Yes | 7.5/10 | |
| $15/mo | No | 6.8/10 |
Note-Taking Apps analysis on the StackScored blog
Building Your Business Stack?
Decision-makers comparing tools often need more than one category. Here are related comparisons:
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the cheapest note-taking apps in 2026?
- Bear is the cheapest option starting at $2.99/mo. Prices are verified daily against the vendor's website.
- Which note-taking apps platforms have a free plan?
- Notion, Obsidian, Evernote, Bear offer a free plan. See the comparison above for feature limits on each free tier.
- What's the average cost of note-taking apps?
- The average starting price across 5 note-taking apps products is $10/mo for the lowest paid tier.
- Which note-taking apps has the best value for money?
- Obsidian scores 9.3/10 in our analysis with plans starting at $5/mo, making it the highest-rated option in this category. Scores factor in pricing, features, and reliability.
- Do note-taking apps prices increase on renewal?
- Most note-taking apps providers lock in your rate for the initial term. We verify pricing daily and flag any renewal price increases the moment they appear. Check each product's pricing table for renewal details.
- What hidden costs should I watch for with note-taking apps?
- Common hidden costs include onboarding or setup fees, overage charges when you exceed plan limits, monthly billing premiums (annual plans save 15-40%). Our pricing tables show all tiers and per-unit costs so you can calculate your actual spend before signing up.
- How often do note-taking apps prices change?
- We verify note-taking apps pricing every 24 hours against each vendor's live pricing page. On average, SaaS providers adjust pricing 1-2 times per year. StackScored detects changes the same day they go live.
- Can I switch note-taking apps providers easily?
- Switching depends on data portability and contract terms. Most note-taking apps platforms offer data export, but migration complexity varies. Check each product's plan details for contract length — avoid annual commitments until you've tested the product. Several note-taking apps providers offer free trials to help you evaluate before committing.