While Apple Notes checks off most of the boxes, it may not fit into everyone’s needs. This is where the best Notes app alternatives for Mac come into the play.
The app lets you add images and audio to your flashcards, quiz yourself and set study reminders. The app is free to use, but you can purchase add-on subscriptions for $18.99 a month or $79.99 a. Here is a list of best Mac apps for students that are highly rated by the users and can prove to be really helpful to satisfy certain aspects of knowledge. Sometimes students face difficulty in looking for good study apps on Mac. In researching the best free apps for the Mac, I started by using Apple's category list. This makes it easier to cover the wide variety of content available. If an app is on the Mac App Store, it is in one of the 21 categories that Apple has listed.
Aside from making the task of note-taking pretty straightforward, these third-party apps also double up as a super handy annotation and writing tool. Besides, they allow creating projects in many formats like text, audio, video, and whatnot.
Though the App Store has several fine options, only a few have walked into our list of the top note-taking apps for Mac. We’ve chosen them based on their effectiveness and how well they work. Dive right in along with me to take a close look at ’em!
#1. Evernote
Despite the cut-throat competition, “Evernote” remains one of the most appreciable note-taking apps both for macOS and iOS. The highlight of this app is the wide range of tools that provide more flexibility.
The option to make notes in several formats like video, audio, web clippings, sketch ensure you are able to give your thoughts the right shape. With easy-to-format word processor at your disposal, you can write your thoughts elegantly.
You can create an agenda to be discussed in a meeting, write a quick memo and transfer your Evernote notes to Apple notes.
Often forget to do some important tasks? Make a checklist of all the things you have to do. Besides, you will also create presentations to express your thoughts with the desired impact.
Price: Free
Download
#2. Microsoft OneNote
“OneNote” is a complete package. The app lets you capture your ideas in a variety of formats and offer you the needed freedom to keep everything in the perfect sync.
You can tag your notes to find them quickly. Make a list of to-dos and keep track of them so that you are able to do your tasks in time.
The collaboration features works immaculately, allowing you to work with your colleagues. For more security, you will also add an extra shield to your projects to keep them private.
Better still, OneNote for Mac is compatible with a ton of international languages including French, German, Greek, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish and more. So, a language should never become a roadblock to your note-taking.
Price: Free
Download
#3. Notebook
Zoho Corporation is well-known for producing powerful apps. And Notebook does have all the qualities to be highly efficient.
While there is a lot to like in this app, I find “Smart Cards” very adorable. What it basically does is automatically format the contents into specific cards like the recipe, video, and link.
The app provides several predefined note covers to let you design your stories elegantly. If you don’t like the readymade options, you can create a custom cover. Moreover, there is also an option to make public notes using shareable links so that anyone can view them.
With the dark-themed night mode, you will enjoy working till late at night. Plus, the reminders won’t let any of your tasks go out of your notice.
Price: Free
Download
#4. Bear
Should you want to have a top-notch writing-cum note-taking app for your Mac, give a close look to Bear. I’ve used this app for long and always found pretty neat.
The best thing about it is the simple interface coupled with the easy-to-use tools. Therefore, you can write amazing stories and give your wildest thoughts the ideal shape.
Bear has a good library of more than a dozen themes that make it a lot easier to design stories. Features like tagging, archiving and adding tasks to notes enable to take control of your stuff. Furthermore, you can export your projects in multiple formats such as HTML, PDF, DOCX, MD, JPG, and EPUB.
Lastly, after a free trial of one week, you will have to upgrade to Bear premium’s $1.49 monthly or $14.99 annually plan.
Price: Free
Download
#5. Agenda
If you want to streamline all of your projects and get them ready before the deadline, pick out “Agenda.” One of the notable features of this app is the advanced text editor.
Depending on the specific theme, you can give a befitting look to your notes. It allows you to convert your text into multiple formats like Markdown and HTML. Segregate your files into different categories so that will access them instantly.
The app lets you connect your sticky notes to the events in your personal calendar. As a result, you can plan your meeting perfectly.
Better still, you don’t have to pay any bucks to use all the features of Agenda.
Price: Free
Download
#6. Notability
For annotation and crafting rich notes, “Notability” is one of the better options. With a wide range of fonts, sizes, custom colors at your disposal, you can design your stories with complete peace of mind.
You will be able to import PDFs, DOCs, PPTs, images, GIFs to your projects and fine-tune them with more flexibility. Easily convert your stories into PDF to share them with your friends and colleagues.
Make the most of the super handy tools to annotate photos elegantly. Thanks to the automatic iCloud syncing, your tasks automatically sync across your devices.
Additionally, Notability works with multiple cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive.
Price: $9.99
Download
#7. Simplenote
There are very few note apps for Mac that look as familiar as Simplenote. Its user interface is pretty clean, and you hardly have to spend any time to master the tools.
One of my favorite feature of this app is focus mode. Times when you want to write with maximum concentration, this feature comes into play really well.
You can use pins and tags to organize your notes. And with Markdown, you will ideally format your projects. To ensure your eyes don’t burn while working in the night, the app comes with the dark mode.
Price: Free
Download
#8. GoodNotes
I have picked out GoodNotes for a couple of main reasons. First, it makes annotating docs really fun. And if you are fond of giving your docs a creative look, this one can be your thing.
You can highlight or strikeout the text in your PDF documents. Easily move, scale and ideally customize the object color. There is also an option to add the bookmarks to your docs.
Courtesy the fast iCloud sync, you will find your notes on all of your devices. You can share your notes with others and also print them. The compatibility with a number of languages like English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese and more make it an evergreen tool.
Price: $7.99
Download
#9. Quip
“Quip” is a lot more than just a simple note app for macOS. To be more precise, this is what you should use to collaborate with your teammates. Thanks to the chat and messaging integration, it helps you work with your colleagues in a fun way.
You can use the app to note down your thoughts faster, create to-do lists, and edit your docs. It also lets you make comprehensive spreadsheets.
Another notable feature of this app is that it allows you to import your address book from several services like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Microsoft Outlook, Google, and iCloud.
You will create insightful charts by using the data from spreadsheets and Salesforce records. The smart slides would not just make your presentation more impressive but also save your time.
Price: Free
Download
#10. BoostNote
If you are a developer, “BoostNote” should be your preferred option. The reason why I say it because the app has the support for code syntax highlighting in over a hundred languages such as Javascript, Python, HTML, CSS and more.
This open source markdown editor offers several tools that allow devs to take notes faster. The formatting features have semi-live previews so that you can quickly check your writing.
Besides, the text is automatically formatted as you type, which speeds up your task and also saves plenty of time. That’s not all, BoostNote works offline as well so that you can work anytime and anywhere.
Price: Free
Download
Bonus
Unclutter
“Unclutter” is really smart! It’s designed to be a multitasker and lets you organize your clipboard data, files, and notes. If you aren’t able to take control of them, give it a chance to sort out the mess.
You can keep an eye on your clipboard history and manage it with ease. Store all of your files at once place and access them quickly. And yes, make sticky notes to never forget to do essential things.
The easy editing tools allow you to make changes conveniently. Due mainly to the quick search feature, you will instantly find a list. Besides, the app can be set up with Dropbox to sync data across the devices.
Price: $13.99
Download
That’s pretty much it! So, this sums up our roundup of the top note apps for Mac.
What’s your favorite?
Now that you have known our favorite note apps, tell us about the ones that can walk into your personal roundup. We’d really appreciate your collection and the valuable feedback.
Take a glance at the following posts as well:
The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
Today, I’m going to help you discover the best brain training apps for adults & seniors.
The best part?
One of the apps guarantees an improvement of IQ score by up to 20 points.
Moreover, these studies show us that brain training apps may be really beneficial for your brain: study #1, study #2, and study #3.
And in general, there are three types of people who will reap benefits from brain training app:
- People who want to join a high IQ society.
- Adults who want to have a better analytical skills to improve their career.
- Seniors who have memory-related problems.
Quick Recommendation
Save your time reading this post, if you want a short answer, HighIQPro is still the best brain training app for now.
It’s available on all devices, and it’s the only app that guarantees an improvement of your intelligence.
1. HighIQPro (The Best-Selling App) (Affiliate Link)
The HighIQPro app implements the only method that has been proven in multiple studies to enhance your IQ.
You can increase your IQ by up to twenty points in only twenty days.
You get training tasks to optimize personal training goals including language tools, speed tasks, and error feedback.
The twenty-day basic training program, in less than twenty minutes a day, guarantees you will see a ten to twenty point IQ gain.
You can go beyond the twenty-day program with unlimited training and unlimited user profiles to enhance your learning.
Additionally, as an optional extra feature, you can share your progress with friends and family members with performance comparisons of your top ten scores and your performance in four training modalities.
All sharing is done real-time.
As a multi-platform app, the tools are available on your PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.
HighIQPro works offline, so use it wherever and whenever you train.
All progress is automatically delivered to the cloud when the connection resumes.
Online tutorials help to tackle new IQ problems that work toward boosting your IQ results.
You get access to online scientific IQ tests to test your pre-training IQ score and your post-training IQ score.
With easy to use screens, you can start your IQ training right away with scientifically backed programs, brain teasers, memory training, and memory capacity tests.
- Preparing for MENSA and high IQ societies
- Individuals age thirteen and up preparing for entrance exams and achieving educational objectives
- Enhancing work productivity and perform better on job tests
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Desktop Single License (PC or Mac) — $39.99
- Desktop Multi License (PC or Mac) — $49.99
- Mobile/Desktop Multi License — $49.99
More than any other brain training app, HighIQPro offers full science-based testing, tutorials, and brain teasers that are scientifically proven to increase your IQ.
When adding the extra optional features this app gives you recognized scientific tools that work through the challenges of learning and growing IQ in an easy to navigate interface.
2. Lumosity
You will train your brain with cognitive games created by scientists and game designers that test and help you enhance your IQ.
Training starts with the Fit Test to get your baseline scores in three games.
You can see how you rank with others your age.
With daily workouts, you’ll play games that adapt to your skill level and challenge five core cognitive abilities.
Scores tracking lets you see your performance, best and worst, with insights into your training progress.
Lumosity adapts cognitive tasks that measure IQ into more than fifty cognitive games transforming science into fun to play games.
Scientists work side-by-side with designers to implement cognitive skill enhancing games.
Talented game designers bring to life exciting features and themes that make each game accessible, fun, and engaging for people of all ages.
Cognitive research plays a key part in developing Lumosity’s games.
In an ongoing effort to improve the efficacy of games in improving IQ, scientists and researchers participate in the app’s gameplay and testing to determine the type of connection between improved IQ scores and everyday tasks.
You have access to the ongoing results in fun to play games and brain teasers.
- Improving cognitive skills
- Challenging your brain to grow
- Improving mindfulness
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Monthly family plan – $17.95/month
- Yearly Family Plan — $79.96, only $6.66 per month
- Two Year Family Plan — $119.96, only $4.99 per month
You get to play fun and exciting games in an app that is constantly updated with scientific research.
With research that is focused on integrating cognitive skills with gameplay, you participate in a growing knowledge base that advances knowledge of human cognition.
3. BrainHQ
Join an online brain training system created from the results of thirty years of neurological research and related treatment solutions.
You learn the practice of train, improve, and repeat that adapts as you progress to help you compete with your personal best scores.
The app ensures that you have the optimal level of challenge as you progress through cognitive improvements.
BrainHQ exercises are fun, and they get increasingly difficult to challenge you to do your best.
Each exercise takes less than five minutes allowing you to do it in tiny bites of one, or long blocks of multiple exercises.
With a special algorithm that adapts in difficulty as you work, you always train at the optimum level for your cognitive gain.
With short exercises, you can fit cognitive training into any schedule to help you meet your cognitive goals.
Additionally, you can have the app send you training reminders when you want them.
By repeating exercises at adaptive levels of complexity and difficulty, you maximize your cognitive training.
You’re not competing against others. You’re competing against yourself, to perform better as you progress.
With twenty-nine online exercise, you work out brain speed, attention, memory, people skills, navigation, and intelligence.
The program exercises can be customized to best meet your personal interests, mood, and schedule.
- Overall brain health and performance
- Brain training that you can fit into your schedule
- Building self-confidence and mental capacity
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Monthly subscription — $14/month
- Yearly subscription — $96, only $8/month
The proven benefits of the exercises help you to learn how to increase memory, reverse age-related mental decreases, build self-confidence, reduce dangerous driving moves, think and act faster, and be less likely to develop depression.
BrainHQ focuses on developing brain performance in everyday situations.
4. Fit Brains(Discontinued)
Stimulate your brain with fun challenge games that train your cognitive skills, including memory, focus, and speed.
FitBrains has the most brain games in an app with more than 60 games and 500 training sessions.
The training sessions are short, fun exercises that challenge your brain.
It tells you how you are progressing with in-game stats, and you get comparisons with others like you as they score in the games.
The scoring creates a competitive environment to challenge yourself to grow in your ability to increase your brain performance.
With the most games of any app, FitBrains adapts to your progress to give you the maximum benefit for your brain training.
As you progress, the appropriate level of challenge is applied to train your cognitive skills and emotional intelligence to help you grow in social skills of self-awareness, social awareness, and self-control.
The wide variety of games helps those of all ages in challenge areas to better enhance memory, focus, the speed of thinking, logical thinking, problem-solving, language, and spatial recognition.
- Brain stimulation
- Increase cognition with a competitive spirit
- Develop and increase emotional intelligence
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Free games
- Premium monthly iOS — $9.99/month
- Premium yearly iOS — $49.99, only $4.17/month
- Premium monthly Android — $7.99/month
- Premium yearly Android — $39.99, only $3.33/month
The wide variety of free games offers an accessible and easy to use tool that helps you explore new ways to challenge your brain and increase your cognitive ability.
Additionally, you can further your efforts by competing with yourself and with others.
5. Elevate
You can build your communication and analytical skills with games that are designed by experts in cognition.
The app includes more than forty games intended to boost productivity, self-confidence, and learning ability.
By focusing on math, articulation, writing, reading, and listening, the games teach you to enhance your ability to communicate with others.
You will be challenged to expand your vocabulary, increase your awareness of grammar, and grow your reading comprehension.
You will be able to track your improvement to challenge yourself to perform better.
Additionally, your performance is compared across skill groups to help you see how you compare with others.
Backed by independent research and analysis, Elevate games are designed by experts with games and tools that improve your cognitive ability.
Users have improved their results by 69% over those who did not use the app.
- Staying mentally sharp
- Building your self-confidence
- Increasing productivity
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Free — three challenges per day
- Elevate Pro monthly — $9.99/month
- Elevate Pro yearly — $59.99/year, only $4.99/month
As the best app of 2014, on the Apple App Store, Elevate helps you train to better your communication and analytical abilities.
You get games to improve fourteen different cognitive skills in an app that is fun to work with.
As you progress, it tracks your improvement and it gives you comparisons with others of similar skill levels.
6. CogniFit
The visually pleasing app offers scientifically formulated assessments and tools to tell you about your cognitive abilities in your relationships, day-to-day brain performance, and your overall cognitive health.
The assessments help spot possible cerebral or intellectual aberrations.
You have access to twenty-three tests that evaluate the mental skills used in everyday life so that you can best understand your mental health.
Cognifit suggests brain training that best matches your needs based on scientific assessments.
As you progress, real-time monitoring tracks your skills evolution and compares the results to others of similar skill level and age norms.
Personalized brain gains customize your brain growth training and help stimulate mind functions.
You get to know the health of your brain from a scientific methodology of thirteen programs tailored toward better understanding adult cognitive health, and twelve programs to better understand child cognition.
- Better understanding cognitive condition
- Stimulating better cognition
- Improving overall brain plasticity in all walks of life
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Free — first four games, out of thirty brain training games
- Monthly plan — $19.95/month
- Yearly plan — $191.40, only $15.95/month
The app offers games and research that has combined the latest brain discoveries and tools that make games a learning experience. The tests focus on learning about the health of your brain and any possible aberrations.
7. Peak
The intense games of Peak push you to work out your brain with intense mental workouts designed around your life.
You choose the skills that matter most to you with games that test your memory, focus, problem-solving, and mental agility.
Every game is meticulously researched and designed in collaboration with scientists who study the impact of video games on cognition.
Researchers working at Cambridge, Yale, UCL, and King’s College London bring you games that will help you increase your mental abilities.
A personal trainer, Coach, will guide you through the workouts and help you reach your goals.
Coach challenges you with new workouts tailored to your progress, and it shows you where and how you can improve.
Additionally, your success rate is tracked to help you monitor and improve your mental performance.
With Peak Pro, you get further tailored workouts, and insightful expert analysis of your performance to help you go further in your cognitive growth.
- Challenging you to reach higher levels of mental ability
- Testing your cognitive skills
- Training your brain harder
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Free
- Peak Pro Training monthly — $4.99/month
- Peak Pro Training yearly — $34.99, only $2.92/month
You will find ways to push your training to the next level of advancement.
The fully researched games are effective in helping you improve your memory and brain function.
Additionally, the workouts offer helpful analysis in the paid version.
8. Memorado
You learn how to boost all types of cognitive skills with brain training exercise designed by brain training experts.
Memorado is your workout gym for the brain.
It gives you brain training games to challenge your working memory and cognitive control.
Scientifically researched games help you grow and connect cognitive functions so that you learn how to boost your intelligence.
You set goals with Memorado’s unique and fun interface that will set up your brain training methodology.
Within those channels, you begin assessments that guide your progress and brain learning.
Every day, five new games are selected that will enhance your cognitive learning.
The app compiles brain tests and games that enhance your IQ and give you an enjoyable place to grow your brain and increase mindfulness.
Users that train with the app show a 76% increase in brain quotient IQ.
- Building a strong brain connectivity
- Enhancing overall aspects of brain and mental health
- Creating a powerful working memory
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Free — learning games are free
- Memorado Master Program quarterly — $12.99/3 months
- Memorado Master Program yearly — $47.99/year, only $3.99/month
- Memorado Master Program lifetime — $79.99
This is an easy to use app to help you get started with brain training.
Once you complete a quick assessment, the app has appealing games and puzzles that are tailored to your mental growth and cognitive goals.
Overall it gives you fun to play games, that although take awhile to get to see progress, you will be able to learn and find the brain training tools that work best.
9. Brainturk
Best Mac Study Apps Downloads
With a variety of games, learn to develop language skills, memory, and brain speed.
The games are scientifically designed to develop your communication skills, intellectual skills, motor skills, emotional memory, and episodic memory.
You get six free cognitive games that improve your brain performance, with more than fifty games in the paid version.
Each game focuses your effort to grow your mental skills and intelligence quotient.
The interface has fun to play games that challenge you to increase your brain’s ability in speed, memory, math, logical thinking, and problem-solving.
The system guides your progress with a personality development program.
Additionally, the app includes headspace, a five minute guided meditation that trains your mind with holistic training tools.
- Playing games, and working through puzzles and riddles that challenge your brain
- Increasing your motor skill ability
- Growing your cognitive skills
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Free — games are free on the desktop version
- Android — $2.99/lifetime
- iOS — $3.99/lifetime
With a low one-time purchase price, the app will get you started with brain training games, puzzles, and riddles.
There is a meditation guide to allow you to create a calm learning environment and pace.
10. MyBrainSolutions
You will be able to learn new brain habits that have been proven to enhance cognitive health, motor skills, and reduced stress.
The app has been reviewed for business to show a reduction in stress, reduction in absenteeism, and reductions in health claims while developing increased productivity.
The app makes it easy for you to get started with brain training exercises.
You start with an assessment that lets you view your detailed brain health report.
After you take some of the exercises, you begin to see easy to understand reports of your brain health and your progress.
Moreover, MyBrainSolutions has been built from the world’s largest integrative neuroscience database.
Scientifically researched assessments show your performance results in brain health, mindfulness, and stress reduction.
The app has an additional system to evaluate cognitive deficiencies, and it offers treatment and exercise options to help restore brain health.
The assessments apply to all ages in helping foster brain health in cognition skills, self-regulation activity, and emotional intelligence.
- Testing and increasing brain health
- Helps improve your focus and attention
- Reducing stress and increasing productivity
- Desktop – Mac and PC
- Mobile – Android and iOS
- Monthly — $9.99/month
- Yearly — $47.88/year, only $3.99/month
One of the few apps that focuses on helping individuals to overcome mental difficulties, such as anxiety, depression, and addiction, it helps you learn to become more productive.
Through brain exercises, the system trains you and tracks your brain performance metrics to help you in all walks of life.
Conclusion
Free Mac Apps Downloads
So many apps, so many features. After all, they’re all similar (and some are even the same but with different colors).
Apps For Mac
I think HighIQPro is still the most recommended brain training app, but if you want a cheaper or simpler app, then the other apps are just fine.