Free picks · Windows
Best free note-taking apps for Windows (2026)
Every pick is listed under Note-Taking in our directory, runs on a Windows PC and is completely free or has a free plan. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for note-taking and apps built for Windows.
Short answer
The best free note-taking apps for Windows are Obsidian, Logseq and Notion, the top three of 38 matches in our directory. 7 of the 10 picks are completely free and the other 3 have a free plan; 6 are open source.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 38
- Completely free
- 7
- Open source
- 6
- Work offline
- 9
- Native apps
- 9
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obsidian | Free plan | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | Local-first markdown notes with a powerful link graph. |
| 2 | Logseq | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Open source | A privacy-first, open-source knowledge base that works on local files. |
| 3 | Notion | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | — | One workspace for notes, docs, projects and wikis. |
| 4 | Joplin | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Open source | Free, open-source notes and to-dos with end-to-end encrypted sync and Evernote import. |
| 5 | AppFlowy | Free plan | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Web | Open source | The open-source alternative to Notion, with docs, databases and AI you control. |
| 6 | Rnote | Free | Linux, Windows, macOS | Open source | A handwriting and sketching app for notes, diagrams and PDF annotation. |
| 7 | Anytype | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android | — | The local-first, privacy-focused alternative to Notion. |
| 8 | Xournal++ | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source | Take handwritten notes and annotate PDFs with a pen or tablet. |
| 9 | Heynote | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux, Offline | — | A dedicated desktop scratchpad split into blocks, with a built-in calculator. |
| 10 | QOwnNotes | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source | A plain-text Markdown notepad and to-do manager for your desktop. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top Windows pick, rated 4.8/5, the highest here. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here), syncs through the cloud (4 of 10 here) and is privacy-focused (7 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 1.
Watch out for: Sync costs extra
Number 2 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here) and is privacy-focused (7 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 2.
Watch out for: Steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with graph databases or block-based note-taking
Number 3 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.7/5. Runs on a Windows PC, and also on Web, iOS, Android and macOS. Its listing says it syncs through the cloud (4 of 10 here) and has AI features (2 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 3.
Watch out for: Can get slow with large databases
Number 4 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.5/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here), syncs through the cloud (4 of 10 here) and is privacy-focused (7 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 4.
Watch out for: Interface is plainer than Evernote's
Number 5 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.4/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (7 of 10 here) and has AI features (2 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 6.
Watch out for: Free cloud plan has 100 MB of storage
Number 6 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on Linux and macOS. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (7 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (3 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 7.
Watch out for: Best with a stylus or drawing tablet
Number 7 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.4/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here) and is privacy-focused (7 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 8.
Watch out for: Steeper learning curve due to its unique data model and flexibility
Number 8 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (3 of 10 here). On our Mac list it is number 9.
Watch out for: Interface looks dated next to newer note apps
Number 9 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (3 of 10 here). It is not in the Mac top 10 (11th for Mac).
Watch out for: No mobile app or cloud sync
Number 10 of 10 for Windows, rated 4.6/5. A desktop app that runs on a Windows PC, and also on macOS and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (9 of 10 here), syncs through the cloud (4 of 10 here) and is privacy-focused (7 of 10 here). It is not in the Mac top 10 (12th for Mac).
Watch out for: Interface feels dense at first
Running these on Windows
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Windows picks are 9 desktop apps (Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy and 5 others) and 1 web app (Notion).
- 9 of 10 are apps you install on a Windows PC; the other one is a web or cloud tool listed for Windows.
- Every Windows pick here also runs somewhere else. AppFlowy reaches furthest, on 5 other platforms besides Windows.
- 6 of 10 also run on Android, so the same tool can follow you between Windows and Android; Rnote, Xournal++, Heynote and QOwnNotes do not.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms. Only the differences are named.
- Free note-taking apps for Mac
8 of these 10 Windows picks also make the Mac top 10. 2 are on this list only: Heynote (11th for Mac) and QOwnNotes (12th for Mac). In their place the Mac list has MindNode and Mem.ai; neither is listed for Windows.
- Free note-taking apps for Android
6 of these 10 Windows picks also make the Android top 10; the 4 that do not are Rnote, Xournal++, Heynote and QOwnNotes.
- Free note-taking apps for iPhone
4 of these 10 Windows picks also make the iPhone top 10.
More matches
28 more free note-taking apps for Windows in our directory; the next 20 by our ranking are below.
- jrnl · Free
- SiYuan · Free
- Supernotes · Free plan
- Simplenote · Free
- Granola · Free plan
- Foam · Free
- Workflowy · Free plan
- UpNote · Free plan
- hypernovum · Free
- nb · Free
- Standard Notes · Free plan
- Notesnook · Free plan
- RemNote · Free plan
- Craft · Free plan
- Capacities · Free plan
- MarkText · Free
- Trilium Notes · Free
- Notejoy · Free plan
- Glow · Free
- anarlog · Free plan
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free note-taking app for Windows?
- Obsidian is our first pick. Local-first markdown notes with a powerful link graph. Obsidian has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features or usage.
- Are these note-taking apps really free?
- Yes, every pick is free to start. Logseq, Joplin, Rnote, Anytype and 3 others are completely free. Obsidian, Notion and AppFlowy have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these note-taking apps are open source?
- Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy, Rnote, Xournal++ and QOwnNotes are tagged open source in our directory, so you can read the code of each and, depending on the licence, self-host or modify it.
- Which ones work offline on a Windows PC?
- Obsidian, Logseq, Joplin, AppFlowy, Rnote and 4 others are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- Rnote, Xournal++ and Heynote are rated beginner-friendly. 7 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free note-taking apps for Windows are in the directory?
- 38 match: listed under Note-Taking, available on a Windows PC and free to start. This page ranks the top 10 and names up to 20 more under More matches. The Note-Taking category page has every listing, paid ones included.
Keep exploring
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