The Best Note Taking App for Android (2026): 9 Picks, Ranked by Device

Most "best note taking app for Android" lists are really device-agnostic roundups with an Android label bolted on. They rank Apple Notes next to OneNote, skip pricing, and ignore the thing that actually makes Android different: you probably carry a phone for capture and, if you have a Galaxy tablet, an S Pen for handwriting. Those are two different jobs. I built Ainotely as my own second brain, so I spend my days living inside note apps on Android, and this guide is organized around how you really use your devices, not around a generic feature checklist. Every price is current for 2026 and linked to the vendor's own page.

The quick answer by use case

If you only remember one thing: treat your phone as a capture device and your Samsung tablet as a handwriting device, then pick the app that fits each job. Trying to force one app to be perfect at both is why people bounce between five note apps and lose everything in the process.

Full comparison table (2026 pricing)

Here is the honest side by side. Prices are from each vendor's official pricing page as of July 2026.

The 9 apps, ranked with pros and cons

1. Google Keep Best free capture

Google Keep is the default I recommend to almost everyone as their capture layer. It is free with a Google account, though notes count against your shared 15GB Google storage. You get text notes, checklists, photos, drawings, voice memos that auto-transcribe, labels, colors, pinning, reminders, and shared notes, on web, Android, and iOS. It is fast, it never gets in your way, and it syncs instantly. The weakness is that Keep has no real structure. Once you have a few hundred notes, finding anything is a chore. If Keep already frustrates you, my Google Keep alternative guide covers what to move to.

2. Samsung Notes Best S Pen

If you own a Galaxy phone or tablet, Samsung Notes is free and genuinely excellent as a samsung tablet note app. S Pen handwriting can be edited, moved, and converted to text; you get real brushes for drawing, PDF annotation, export to PowerPoint and Word, voice recording synced to your written notes, and Galaxy AI on select models. This is the best note taking app with S Pen for most Samsung owners because it is deeply integrated and costs nothing. The catch is portability: it is a Samsung-first world, so it is less friendly if you also live on a non-Galaxy device.

3. Microsoft OneNote Best notebooks

OneNote is free to download and use on web and Android, with notebooks, sections, digital ink for stylus sketching and highlighting, and cross-device sync through OneDrive. It is the pick if you think in structured notebooks rather than loose cards. The full desktop feature set and expanded cloud storage come with Microsoft 365, from $9.99/mo with 1TB of OneDrive. If OneNote feels heavy, see my OneNote alternative comparison.

4. Notion Docs + databases

Notion works on Android and is powerful for docs plus databases. The free plan gives individuals unlimited pages and blocks, 7-day page history, a 5MB file-upload cap, up to 10 guests, and a trial of Notion AI. Paid plans run Plus at $10/seat/mo and Business at $20/seat/mo. Honestly, Notion on Android is fine but not fast, and it is overkill if you just want notes. It is a workspace, not a capture tool. My Notion alternative roundup goes deeper.

5. Obsidian Private vault

Obsidian is free without limits for personal use and needs no sign-up. Your notes are local plain-text Markdown files, which is fantastic for privacy and longevity. Add-ons are optional: Sync at $4/user/mo billed annually, Publish at $8/site/mo, a Commercial license at $50/user/yr, and a one-time $25 Catalyst. Obsidian on Android is good, but it has a learning curve and cross-device sync costs extra unless you roll your own folder sync. If that appeals, read my Obsidian alternative guide.

6. Evernote Legacy users

Evernote free is now limited to 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1-device sync, and 1GB storage. The old Personal and Professional plans were retired and replaced by new Starter and Advanced tiers in 2026, so check the current prices directly on the Evernote pricing page rather than trusting third-party numbers. I only recommend Evernote if you already have years of notes locked inside it. For everyone else, my Evernote alternative guide explains where to go.

7. Nebo (MyScript Notes) Handwriting to text

Nebo, now branded MyScript Notes, is a handwriting powerhouse for the best android notes app experience when your primary input is a stylus. You get handwriting-to-text, scratch-to-erase gestures, a math solver, interactive diagrams, PDF annotation, and AI Summarize, Explain, and Quiz features on Android. There is a 7-day free trial then a limited free version or paid upgrade, with the exact price varying by store, so confirm it on the listing. It works with active and passive styluses, which makes it a strong partner for a Samsung tablet.

8. Squid Pen-on-paper

Squid nails the write-on-paper feel. It is free to use, and Squid Premium is $1/month or $10/year, unlocking premium paper, PDF import and markup, more tools, and cloud backup. It supports active pens and the S Pen (write with the pen, erase with your finger) and is a Google Play Editor's Choice. It is a drawing and annotation tool first, not a text-note manager.

9. Ainotely Best AI + no install

Full disclosure: I built Ainotely, so weigh this accordingly. It is the best ai note taking app for android if your real problem is not capturing notes but finding and using them later. It runs as a Progressive Web App, so there is no Play Store install: open it in Android Chrome, tap Add to Home screen, and it behaves like an app on your phone, Samsung tablet, and desktop with the same notes everywhere. The AI auto-tags and organizes, transcribes voice notes, extracts tasks, links related notes, reads PDFs and images, and lets you chat with your notes and search by meaning. Where it loses: it is web-based, so there is no native offline app, it is not a stylus handwriting tool, and it is not a meeting recorder. If those matter to you, one of the picks above fits better.

Best for a Samsung tablet and S Pen

Here is the split that works in practice. Samsung Notes is your ink surface: palm rejection is solid, the pen feels natural, and handwriting-to-text is reliable enough for meeting notes and lecture capture. But ink is hard to search. That is where a text-and-AI layer earns its place. I keep handwritten notes in Samsung Notes and typed or voice thoughts in an app that indexes them for meaning, so I can actually retrieve an idea three weeks later. Nebo and Squid are the upgrades if handwriting is the whole point of your workflow. This same phone-plus-tablet split is why I wrote the best note taking app for iPad guide too; the logic carries across platforms.

The AI angle every other list skips

The incumbent roundups almost never cover the dimension that changed note-taking in the last two years: AI that reads your whole library so you can chat with it and search by meaning instead of exact keywords. Samsung Notes adds Galaxy AI on newer devices, and Notion and OneNote bolt AI onto paid tiers. But if AI organization is the point rather than a feature, look at a purpose-built AI note-taking app or a second brain app. The difference in daily use is real: instead of tagging and foldering by hand, you dump thoughts in and ask questions later. For voice-heavy workflows, a dedicated voice notes app approach with transcription matters more than raw feature count.

FAQ

What is the best note-taking app for Android?

For most people the best note taking app for Android is Google Keep for fast free capture, Samsung Notes if you own a Galaxy tablet with an S Pen, and Ainotely if you want AI to organize and search your notes for you. There is no single winner; it depends on whether you are capturing, handwriting, or trying to find things later.

What is the best free note-taking app for Android?

Google Keep, Samsung Notes, and Microsoft OneNote are all genuinely free and excellent. Keep is best for quick capture, Samsung Notes is best for S Pen handwriting, and OneNote is best for structured notebooks. Ainotely also has a free tier of 50 notes per month with AI organization built in.

What is the best note-taking app for a Samsung tablet with S Pen?

Samsung Notes is the best default for a Samsung tablet with S Pen because it is free, deeply integrated, and converts handwriting to text. If you want more handwriting power, Nebo (MyScript Notes) and Squid are strong stylus-first alternatives.

Is Google Keep or OneNote better on Android?

Google Keep is better for fast, lightweight capture and checklists. OneNote is better if you want structured notebooks, sections, and heavier formatting. Keep counts against your shared 15GB Google storage, while OneNote syncs through OneDrive.

Is Obsidian good on Android?

Obsidian is excellent on Android for people who want a private, local, plain-text knowledge base and do not mind a learning curve. It is free for personal use, but sync across devices costs extra unless you set up your own folder sync.

What is the best AI note-taking app for Android?

Ainotely is built around AI on Android. It auto-tags and organizes notes, transcribes voice memos, lets you chat with your notes, extracts tasks, and searches by meaning. Samsung Notes also adds Galaxy AI features on select devices.

Can you use a note-taking app on Android without installing from the Play Store?

Yes. Ainotely is a Progressive Web App, so you open it in Android Chrome and tap Add to Home screen. No Play Store install and no separate account setup, and the same notes appear on your phone, Samsung tablet, and desktop.

Related reading: The best AI note-taking apps in 2026, how an AI notes app actually works, and the best note taking app for Windows if you also work on a desktop.

Sources and method: prices and features were taken from each vendor's own pages in July 2026, including Google Keep support, Samsung Notes, Microsoft OneNote, Notion pricing, Obsidian pricing, Evernote compare plans, MyScript Notes, Squid on Google Play, and Ainotely. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.