The best free note-taking websites, and which need an account

The best online note-taking app is the one that fits how you actually write things down. Someone jotting a phone number needs something different from a student organising a term of lectures, and both need something different from a team keeping a shared wiki.

The biggest difference between free note-taking websites is not features. It is where your notes live, and whether you need an account to get started. That one choice decides whether notes sync between devices, who else holds a copy, and how quickly you can start typing.

Free note-taking websites compared

The options in more detail

Google Keep

Keep is built around short notes, checklists and reminders, shown as cards. It needs a Google account and syncs across your devices, which makes it a natural choice if you already live in Google's apps. It is less suited to long, structured documents.

Microsoft OneNote on the web

OneNote organises notes like a physical binder: notebooks contain sections, and sections contain pages. It needs a Microsoft account. That structure is the reason to pick it; it suits coursework and long-running projects, and it is more than you need for a quick list.

Simplenote

Simplenote is free, focused on plain text and deliberately minimal. You create an account and your notes sync between devices. A good fit if you want sync without a feature-heavy app.

Notion

Notion needs an account and is much more than a notes app: pages can hold databases, tables, boards and linked documents. It is powerful for organising a project or a team, and correspondingly slower to learn if all you want is to write something down.

No-login pastepad sites

Many sites let you type into a page and get a URL, with no account. They are quick. The catch is that the note usually sits on their server under that address, so anyone who has or guesses the URL may be able to read it, and you depend on the site keeping it.

NoteDraft

NoteDraft is an online notebook with no account at all, because notes are stored in your browser rather than on a server. You get headings, checklists, pictures, tables, a searchable notes list, pinned notes and a trash with 30 days to change your mind. The honest trade-off: nothing syncs between devices. You move a note by sharing it as a link or downloading it, and you should back up your notes, because clearing browser data deletes them.

How to choose the best online notepad for you

• You want notes on your phone and computer automatically: pick a synced service such as Google Keep, OneNote or Simplenote, and accept the account.
• You want reminders: Google Keep has them built in.
• You organise lots of material by subject: OneNote's notebooks and sections, or Notion's pages, give you that structure.
• You work with a team in the same documents: a hosted tool such as Notion or OneNote, because shared, live editing needs a server.
• You want to start typing now, privately, with no sign-up: a local notepad such as NoteDraft.
• You need to move a few lines to another computer once: a share link or a pastepad site does the job; just remember who can see a note stored under a public URL.