Alternative Notetaking Apps

While OneNote is free through Penn State, many platforms are available to help students interested in organizing their notes in digital format.

	Evernote Evernote(opens in a new tab) Links to an external site. is a note-taking program that operates in a way that's very similar to Microsoft OneNote. Evernote's basic functionality is free, with the option to upgrade the service for a small monthly fee. As it's a popular alternative to OneNote, you may have used Evernote in some capacity already. If so, by all means keep using it. You aren't required to use the Microsoft product simply because it's available through the University.
	Google Keep Another popular alternative for note-taking and storage is Google Keep(opens in a new tab) Links to an external site.. You can use Google Keep to create online checklists, set time-and-place reminders (e.g., it can remind you to submit an assignment when you get home), and color-code and tag notes. The best thing about Google Keep is the integration with Google Drive and other Google apps. You can link notes to documents. This is super useful when you're working on a research paper. For example, you can note areas that need additional research or citations. Visit the video How to Use Google Docs and Keep Notes Together(opens in a new tab) Links to an external site. for integration information.
	Obsidian Another popular alternative for note-taking and storage is Obsidian(opens in a new tab) Links to an external site.. You can use Obsidian to create a network of notes, link them together and create graphs that visually connect coordinating ideas. There are additional plugins to further tailor your workflow in the application, and it stores notes on your device, so you can access them quickly, even if you are offline. Though Obsidian is free for personal use, there are a few paid features available. Visit the video Obsidian for Beginners(opens in a new tab) Links to an external site. for further explanation on how to use the app.