There's no single "best" AI note-taking app — it depends on whether you want voice capture and study tools (Luma), a flexible database workspace (Notion), a Microsoft-native notebook (OneNote), a free built-in app (Apple Notes, Google Keep), a local markdown vault (Obsidian), or live meeting transcription (Otter.ai). This page compares all seven on capture style, AI features, platform, and pricing.
Updated August 2026.
Publisher disclosure: Luma publishes this page and makes one of the apps listed below. We've written this comparison based on each company's publicly documented features and, for Luma, hands-on use — see the Methodology section for details.
| App | Capture style | AI features | Platform | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luma Personal / study notes | Text + one-tap voice capture | Transcript cleanup, summaries, chat, flashcard generation | Web, iOS, Android (PWA) | Free (50 notes, 5 AI actions/day); $2.99/mo or $24.99/yr — published pricing, August 2026 | Students and professionals who want voice capture plus study/AI tools without a steep setup |
| Notion Workspace / databases | Text, blocks, databases | Notion AI (separate paid add-on) | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | Has a free tier for personal use; paid plans and the AI add-on cost more than Luma — published pricing, August 2026 | People who want a flexible workspace with databases, wikis, and team collaboration |
| Evernote Personal notes / clipping | Text, web clipper, scanned documents | AI search and summary features on paid tiers | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | Free tier is limited; paid plans cost more than Luma — published pricing, August 2026 | Long-time users with existing note archives who rely on web clipping |
| OneNote Notebook / freeform canvas | Text, handwriting (with a compatible device), freeform layout | Limited native AI; relies on broader Microsoft 365 Copilot integration on paid tiers | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Free with a Microsoft account; deeper AI features require a Microsoft 365 subscription | Users already inside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem who want a free-form notebook |
| Apple Notes Personal notes | Text, handwriting/sketches (Apple Pencil), scanned documents | Basic on-device search; no dedicated AI summary or flashcard tools as of this writing | iOS, iPadOS, macOS, limited web | Free with an Apple ID | Apple-only users who want something built-in and don't need cross-platform AI tools |
| Google Keep Quick notes / lists | Text, checklists, photos, short voice memos | Minimal — mostly reminders and basic label suggestions | Web, Android, iOS | Free | Fast sticky-note-style capture and shopping/to-do lists, not long-form notes |
| Obsidian Markdown knowledge base | Plain-text markdown files | None built in; available via community plugins | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Free for personal use; optional paid sync/publish services | People who want to own local markdown files and build a linked knowledge base manually |
| Otter.ai Meeting transcription | Live multi-speaker call transcription | Speaker-labeled transcripts, meeting summaries | Web, iOS, Android, calendar/meeting integrations | Has a free tier; paid plans cost more for higher transcription minutes — published pricing, August 2026 | Teams that need transcripts of live meetings — not personal note-taking or studying |
This comparison is based on each company's publicly documented features and pricing pages as of August 2026, plus hands-on use of Luma (which we build). We did not run independent benchmark tests of transcription accuracy or AI quality for the other apps, and we don't claim to have used every paid tier of every competitor. We deliberately avoided star ratings, scores out of 10, and invented accuracy percentages because we can't verify those numbers for products we don't operate. Pricing for competitors is described qualitatively unless we're confident of a specific published number, and is labeled "published pricing, August 2026" — check each company's site for current pricing before deciding.
We've grouped Otter.ai separately because it solves a different problem (live meeting transcription) than the other six apps, which are personal or study note-taking tools.
Focused on voice capture, AI summaries/chat, and flashcard generation for study, with a free tier that includes real AI usage rather than gating it entirely behind a paywall. Doesn't offer database views or real-time multi-user collaboration. See the AI note-taking app overview.
Best for people who want one workspace for notes, databases, and team wikis. Notion AI is a separate paid add-on rather than bundled into the base subscription. See our full Notion comparison.
Established note apps with varying degrees of native AI. Evernote and OneNote have added AI features on paid tiers; Apple Notes and Google Keep remain closer to traditional note-taking with limited AI as of this writing.
A local-first markdown app with no built-in AI, but a large plugin ecosystem that can add AI features manually. Best for people who want full control over plain-text files.
Purpose-built for live meeting transcription with speaker labeling — not a personal note-taking or study app. Compare with Luma's approach on voice to notes.
We publish this page and Luma is one of the products compared, so read it as an informed comparison rather than a neutral third-party review. We've tried to describe every app's publicly documented features accurately and flag where we're less certain. If you want independent opinions, cross-check with other reviews before deciding.
Note apps (Luma, Notion, Evernote, OneNote, Apple Notes, Google Keep, Obsidian) are built around capturing and organizing your own text, voice, or handwritten notes over time. Meeting-transcription tools (Otter.ai) are built to join a live call and produce a speaker-labeled transcript of a group conversation. Some overlap exists, but the core jobs are different.
It depends what you need AI for. If you want voice-to-notes cleanup, summaries, chat, and flashcards bundled with a free tier, Luma covers that. If you want AI woven into a database-driven workspace, Notion AI (paid add-on) fits that use case. If you need meeting transcripts, Otter.ai is built specifically for that.
Google Keep and Apple Notes (with an Apple ID) are free with no paid tier required for basic use. Obsidian is free for personal use with optional paid add-ons. Luma, Notion, Evernote, OneNote, and Otter.ai all offer free tiers with paid upgrades for more features or usage.
See our dedicated breakdown at /for/students, which covers study-specific needs like lecture capture and flashcards in more depth than this general comparison.
See the Methodology section below — it's based on each company's publicly documented features and pricing as of August 2026, plus hands-on use of Luma.