We have covered several note-taking apps on GT earlier, and will be revisiting some of them to draw inspiration from. Of course, most of them are available on desktop, mobile platforms, and web. You will have to pick one which suits your usage and plans. Let’s begin.
1. OneNote
OneNote is one of the oldest note-taking apps in the world and a solid Dropbox Paper alternative. Taking inspiration from a physical notebook, OneNote allows users to store notes logically in sections that are classified into notebooks. With advanced features such as text-to-speech, OCR, mathematical equations, and deep integration with other Microsoft apps, OneNote remains one of our top picks even today. Microsoft recently integrated Sticky Notes and Outlook with OneNote. That means you can take quick notes and sync them between devices or create to-do lists in Outlook and sync them with OneNote. Do you work with PDF files? Use OneNote to annotate, highlight, or edit PDF files and save them directly in OneDrive or right inside OneNote. Visit OneNote
2. Evernote
Evernote changed the way people took notes. It quickly became everybody’s favorite digital archive. A place to put all your thoughts, notes, and pieces of information, ready to be retrieved with the click of a few buttons. Evernote lets you take notes in a variety of formats, and almost everywhere. Like an article? Save it as a note. Input ideas as text, images, voice, and even videos. You can scan important documents and even business cards to store them permanently. Evernote is so flexible that you would be amazed how they were able to fit so many features, and yet keep the interface intuitive. One particular feature I like is the ability to encrypt specific pieces of text inside notes. Visit Evernote
3. Google Docs
Google Docs comes closest to the format that is followed by Dropbox Paper. That’s why it is often recommended as a Dropbox Paper rival by many. A single document where you can collaborate with others in real-time. Google Docs can’t handle as many formats as Paper can. However, you can still embed pretty much all popular file formats and YouTube videos inside Docs. Plus, it integrates nicely with other G Suite apps like Sheets, Slides, and Calendar. Check our in-depth guide on how you can use Docs and Keep together to make the ultimate note-taking experience. Visit Google Docs
4. Notion
Notion wants to be the all-in-one platform. You can take notes like OneNote, create Kanban boards and cards like Trello, embed pretty much anything like snippets of code and SoundCloud like in Dropbox Paper. You can even work with spreadsheets like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. When it comes to collaboration and embedding elements, Notion is a true Dropbox Paper replacement. Notion is a very flexible and powerful tool. They want to create a single point of interaction for all things data and collaboration. It’s beautiful and nicely done, but not for everybody. It can be excessive for someone who is just looking for a place to empty his/her mind. But, power users will be more than happy to explore what Notion has to offer. Not to mention the fact that every other app it plans to replace costs individually more than Notion. That’s a lot of value right there. Visit Notion
5. Quip
While Google Docs was designed to be the go-to source for writers and collaborators, it still rocks a pretty simple but bland design. I mean, doesn’t it gives a Word kind of feeling? If you think so too, check out Quip. They have adopted a modern layout that’s clean and beautiful. Quip makes collaborating within document easier with built-in live chat. You can now communicate while editing documents. Built by Salesforce, it has markdown features with rich text formatting. You can create calendars and even sheets inside documents to present and validate data. That makes it more of a Dropbox Paper alternative. Like Paper, you have control over version history, which is important in a collaborative environment. Visit Quip
Jot It Down
I recently bought a diary to take notes. Yup, I am going old school. If you are looking for advanced features like live chat, real-time collaboration, and a variety of formats; you need a note-taking app. Each app covered above has something different to offer, so pick one depending on your personal needs and goals. Next up: Did you like Quip for making documents and more? Click on the link below to learn more about Quip and how it compares with Google Docs.
