Note-taking apps had a busy 2025 with AI features, collaboration improvements, and the usual shuffle of pricing changes. Some updates matter, most don’t.

Here’s what actually changed and whether it affects which app you should use.

Notion: The Everything App Grows

Notion added proper offline mode (finally), improved database performance, and integrated AI writing assistance.

What improved: databases with thousands of entries load faster, offline reliability is genuinely better, AI can summarize pages and generate content.

What didn’t: the interface remains overwhelming for simple note-taking, collaboration features are still clunky, mobile experience lags desktop.

Should you switch to it? Only if you need databases and wikis, not just notes. For pure note-taking, simpler options still work better.

Obsidian: Community-Powered Progress

Obsidian remained focused on local-first Markdown with plugin ecosystem expansion.

What improved: canvas feature matured for visual thinking, sync service became more reliable, mobile apps got major performance updates.

What didn’t: still requires technical comfort, plugin quality varies wildly, learning curve remains steep.

Should you switch to it? If you value local storage and Markdown, absolutely worth trying. If you want cloud-first simplicity, stick with alternatives.

Apple Notes: Catching Up Quietly

Apple Notes added collaboration improvements, better organization with tags and smart folders, and enhanced search.

What improved: collaboration actually works reliably now, search finds things consistently, performance is excellent on Apple devices.

What didn’t: still Apple-only, limited formatting options, no web access, export remains basic.

Should you switch to it? If you’re fully in Apple’s ecosystem and use notes casually, it’s remarkably capable now. For power users or cross-platform needs, limitations remain.

Evernote: Still Trying

Evernote continued its slow decline with minor updates and continued pricing confusion.

What improved: they fixed some bugs, I guess?

What didn’t: everything else. Evernote is still expensive, still bloated, still behind competitors on most features.

Should you switch to it? No. Switch away from it if you’re still using it.

OneNote: Microsoft’s Steady Option

OneNote improved drawing tools, added better template support, and enhanced Teams integration.

What improved: digital pen support is excellent, free-form layout remains unique, Microsoft 365 integration deepens.

What didn’t: still feels like two different apps (desktop vs. web), organization can get messy, mobile apps are basic.

Should you switch to it? If you’re in Microsoft’s ecosystem and like free-form note layouts, worth trying. For structured notes, better options exist.

Roam Research: The Niche Survivor

Roam added multiplayer features and improved performance but remains expensive and niche.

What improved: the graph view works better, performance issues mostly resolved, multiplayer collaboration for teams.

What didn’t: still expensive, still complex, still polarizing. You either love the bidirectional linking approach or find it unnecessary.

Should you switch to it? Only if you’re specifically interested in networked thought and can justify the cost. Most people don’t need this complexity.

Craft: The Design Leader

Craft focused on aesthetics and collaboration with beautiful documents and improved sharing.

What improved: document sharing creates genuinely nice-looking pages, collaboration features work smoothly, AI writing tools integrated well.

What didn’t: subscription pricing increased, some features require expensive tiers, limited export options.

Should you switch to it? If you value beautiful documents and share notes with others, maybe. For personal note-taking, simpler options suffice.

Bear: The Markdown Middle Ground

Bear 2.0 launched with improved organization, better export, and retained focus on clean Markdown editing.

What improved: organization is more flexible, export finally works properly, web app in beta expands beyond Apple devices.

What didn’t: still primarily Apple-focused, subscription required for sync, relatively basic feature set.

Should you switch to it? For Apple users wanting clean Markdown note-taking, it’s excellent. For power users needing advanced features, it’s limiting.

AI Features: The 2025 Theme

Every note-taking app added AI writing assistance, summarization, and search improvements.

What works: AI summarization of long notes is genuinely useful, writing assistance helps with quick drafts.

What doesn’t: most AI features feel bolted on, privacy implications of sending notes to AI providers, features often require expensive subscriptions.

Reality: AI note features are nice-to-have, not essential. Don’t switch apps just for AI capabilities.

What Actually Matters

Note-taking apps succeed or fail on: capture friction (how easy to jot something down), organization that makes sense to you, reliable search that finds things, sync that doesn’t lose data.

Everything else—AI features, collaboration, beautiful formatting—is secondary.

The best note-taking app is the one where you can find your notes when you need them. That’s it.

Should You Switch Apps?

Only if your current app has specific problems you can articulate: can’t find notes, sync fails, missing critical features, price increased beyond acceptable levels.

Don’t switch because another app looks interesting or has trendy features. Migration is painful and disrupts your workflow.

The Migration Problem

Switching note-taking apps means: exporting all existing notes (if export works properly), importing into new app (pray formatting survives), reestablishing organization structure, building new habits around different interface.

This takes weeks minimum. Only worth it if current app is genuinely failing you.

Platform Considerations

Apple ecosystem: Apple Notes or Bear handle basics well. Craft if you want beauty. Notion if you need databases.

Windows/Android: OneNote for Microsoft integration, Notion for flexibility, Obsidian for local storage.

Cross-platform: Notion, Obsidian, or Evernote (despite its problems). Most others have platform limitations.

Choosing apps with good export and cross-platform support reduces future pain if you need to switch.

What I Use

Apple Notes for quick capture and casual notes. It’s fast, reliable, and always available on my devices.

Obsidian for long-form thinking and knowledge management. The local Markdown files give me confidence my notes will remain accessible.

This two-app system handles different note-taking needs without complexity.

I don’t use: Notion (too complex for my needs), Roam (can’t justify cost), Evernote (moved away years ago), or most others (unnecessary when current setup works).

Bottom Line

The 2025 updates to note-taking apps are mostly incremental. Nothing changed dramatically enough to justify switching if you’re happy with your current app.

If you’re choosing a note-taking app for the first time: start with Apple Notes (if on Apple devices) or OneNote (if cross-platform). Upgrade to specialized tools only when you hit specific limitations.

The best note-taking system is the one you actually use. Simple and consistent beats feature-rich and abandoned.

Don’t let note-taking app selection become productive procrastination. Pick something, take notes, get on with actual work.

Your thinking matters more than which app stores it.