The best note-taking apps for studying on Mac and iPad
Five good apps, each built around a different idea of what notes are for. What each does well, what it costs, and how to pick the one that fits how you study.
Updated · 6 min readIt depends on how you study. For an all-round handwritten notebook, Goodnotes. For lectures you record and review, Notability. For something free that’s already on your devices, Apple Notes. For typed, linked notes, Notion. For a tutor in your notebook who helps you work problems out, Pen Buddy. Four of them run on Mac and iPad today; Pen Buddy is on the Mac now, with the iPad app coming soon.
We make Pen Buddy, so weigh our view accordingly. Facts about other products come from their own pages, checked on October 17, 2026; prices and features change, so check the links.
At a glance
| App | Best for | AI study features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodnotes | An all-round handwritten notebook | Math AI (Solve, Teach Me), quizzes from your notes, summaries | Free (3 notebooks); $11.99 or $35.99 a year; AI Pass $9.99 a month extra |
| Notability | Lectures and review | Live transcription, summaries, quizzes and flashcards, chat with your notes | Free (5 notes); $11.99 to $79.99 a year |
| Apple Notes | Free, quick notes | Maths solved as you write, audio transcripts, summaries with Apple Intelligence | Free, built in |
| Notion | Typed, organised notes | Notion AI: a trial on Free and Plus, full on Business | Free; Plus free for eligible college students |
| Pen Buddy | Studying with a tutor | A voice tutor that gives hints before answers; review cards from every session | Free notebook with 25 credits a month; from $9.99 a month |
Goodnotes
A handwritten notebook for iPad, iPhone and Mac, and also Windows, Android and the web. Its Math AI has two ways to help with a problem: Solve breaks it down step by step, and Teach Me explains the idea first, then guides you with questions (Goodnotes). It can also make quizzes from your notes and summarise them (Goodnotes AI). Free for three notebooks; Essential is $11.99 a year and Pro $35.99 a year, with an AI Pass add-on at $9.99 a month for the full AI features (pricing). Pick it if you write by hand and want one notebook for everything.
Notability
Built for lectures: handwritten notes with live audio transcription, plus summaries, practice questions, quizzes and flashcards made from your own notes, and a chat that answers questions about a note (Notability). It runs on Mac, iPad, iPhone, Windows, Android and the web. Starter is free for five notes, Lite is $11.99 a year, Plus $15.99 a year with limited quizzes and flashcards, and Pro $79.99 a year with unlimited ones (pricing). Pick it if lectures and review are most of your studying.
Apple Notes
Free and already on your Mac and iPad. On iPad you can write with Apple Pencil, and maths is solved inline when you write an equals sign; it can also plot a graph from an equation (Apple). You can record a lecture in a note and get a live transcript, and on iPads that support Apple Intelligence, a summary of it (Apple). It computes and transcribes, but it doesn’t quiz you or explain a method. Pick it if you want quick notes for free, with nothing to set up.
Notion
A typed workspace of linked pages and databases, with apps for Mac, iPhone and iPad, and on the web (Notion). It’s free to start, and the Plus plan is free for students and teachers at accredited colleges and universities who sign up with their school email (Notion help). Notion AI comes as a trial on the Free and Plus plans and in full on Business (pricing). It isn’t built for handwriting. Pick it if you type your notes and like to organise courses, readings and deadlines in one place.
Pen Buddy
Our app, and a different kind of thing: a study notebook with a tutor, Buddy, built in. You talk to Buddy out loud while you study. It follows the page you’re on, and your screen on the Mac when you share it; on iPad it reads your handwriting, maths included, and circles the slip when you ask “is this right?”. It gives the smallest hint that gets you moving, and a full solution only when you ask. Each session is written into your note, and your notes become review cards with spaced repetition. It imports Goodnotes, Notability and Apple Notes, and your notes stay on your device. The Mac app is out now; the iPad app is coming soon. Pick it if you want help learning the material, not just a place to keep it. See how it works.
How to choose
- You write by hand: Goodnotes or Notability. Apple Notes if you want free.
- You type: Notion, or Apple Notes for something simpler.
- Maths: Apple Notes for quick answers, Goodnotes’ Math AI to see the steps, Pen Buddy to have your own working checked. See the best apps for maths on iPad.
- Review and flashcards: Notability and Goodnotes make quizzes from your notes; Pen Buddy turns each session into review cards with spaced repetition.
- A tutor: Pen Buddy is the one built around one. The others answer questions about your notes when you ask.
Switching later is easier than it looks. See how to export your notes from Goodnotes, Notability and Apple Notes.