Quick Overview
- 1#1: Mem - AI-first note-taking app that automatically organizes, connects, and recalls your notes intelligently.
- 2#2: Reflect - Networked note-taking with AI chat for backlinking ideas and daily journaling.
- 3#3: Notion - All-in-one workspace with Notion AI for generating, summarizing, and editing notes.
- 4#4: Otter.ai - AI transcription service that creates searchable notes and summaries from meetings and voice.
- 5#5: Fireflies.ai - AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and generates actionable notes automatically.
- 6#6: Evernote - Robust note organizer with AI-powered search, summarization, and content creation tools.
- 7#7: Microsoft OneNote - Digital notebook integrated with Copilot AI for handwriting recognition and smart insights.
- 8#8: Craft - Beautifully designed note-taking app with AI for writing assistance and document creation.
- 9#9: Capacities - Object-based AI note-taking for building structured knowledge networks.
- 10#10: Tana - AI-powered outliner for dynamic capture, organization, and querying of notes.
We evaluated tools based on features, performance, user-friendliness, and overall value, ensuring the ranking reflects excellence in functionality, reliability, and alignment with modern note-taking needs.
Comparison Table
In an era where capturing and organizing information is essential, AI-powered note-taking software simplifies the process, transforming raw notes into actionable insights. This comparison table breaks down top options—including Mem, Reflect, Notion, Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, and more—exploring their unique features, strengths, and ideal use cases to help readers find the best fit for their needs.
| # | Tool | Category | Overall | Features | Ease of Use | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mem AI-first note-taking app that automatically organizes, connects, and recalls your notes intelligently. | general_ai | 9.5/10 | 9.7/10 | 9.3/10 | 9.1/10 |
| 2 | Reflect Networked note-taking with AI chat for backlinking ideas and daily journaling. | general_ai | 9.1/10 | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | 8.5/10 |
| 3 | Notion All-in-one workspace with Notion AI for generating, summarizing, and editing notes. | general_ai | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 |
| 4 | Otter.ai AI transcription service that creates searchable notes and summaries from meetings and voice. | specialized | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 9.0/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 5 | Fireflies.ai AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and generates actionable notes automatically. | specialized | 8.7/10 | 9.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| 6 | Evernote Robust note organizer with AI-powered search, summarization, and content creation tools. | general_ai | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | 8.2/10 | 6.9/10 |
| 7 | Microsoft OneNote Digital notebook integrated with Copilot AI for handwriting recognition and smart insights. | enterprise | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | 9.0/10 | 7.8/10 |
| 8 | Craft Beautifully designed note-taking app with AI for writing assistance and document creation. | general_ai | 8.2/10 | 7.8/10 | 9.4/10 | 7.9/10 |
| 9 | Capacities Object-based AI note-taking for building structured knowledge networks. | general_ai | 8.2/10 | 8.7/10 | 7.8/10 | 8.4/10 |
| 10 | Tana AI-powered outliner for dynamic capture, organization, and querying of notes. | general_ai | 8.1/10 | 9.2/10 | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 |
AI-first note-taking app that automatically organizes, connects, and recalls your notes intelligently.
Networked note-taking with AI chat for backlinking ideas and daily journaling.
All-in-one workspace with Notion AI for generating, summarizing, and editing notes.
AI transcription service that creates searchable notes and summaries from meetings and voice.
AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and generates actionable notes automatically.
Robust note organizer with AI-powered search, summarization, and content creation tools.
Digital notebook integrated with Copilot AI for handwriting recognition and smart insights.
Beautifully designed note-taking app with AI for writing assistance and document creation.
Object-based AI note-taking for building structured knowledge networks.
AI-powered outliner for dynamic capture, organization, and querying of notes.
Mem
general_aiAI-first note-taking app that automatically organizes, connects, and recalls your notes intelligently.
Mem Chat: A personal AI assistant that answers questions by searching and synthesizing your entire note history in natural conversation.
Mem.ai is an AI-powered note-taking app designed as a 'second brain' that automatically organizes notes, links related ideas, and provides instant insights. It excels in capturing information from emails, meetings, and browsers, then uses AI for smart search, summarization, and a conversational chatbot to query your knowledge base. With seamless integrations and an infinite workspace, it transforms chaotic notes into an intelligent, searchable system.
Pros
- Exceptional AI-driven search and Mem Chat for querying notes conversationally
- Automatic organization, tagging, and linking of related content
- Robust integrations with Gmail, Slack, Zoom, and browser extensions for effortless capture
Cons
- Premium AI features require paid subscription
- Can feel overwhelming for users seeking simple linear note-taking
- Limited offline functionality for AI-powered features
Best For
Knowledge workers, researchers, and teams overwhelmed by information who need an intelligent system to capture, organize, and retrieve insights instantly.
Pricing
Free plan with basic features; Pro at $10/month (unlimited AI, storage); Teams at $15/user/month.
Reflect
general_aiNetworked note-taking with AI chat for backlinking ideas and daily journaling.
AI conversational Q&A that searches and reasons across your entire encrypted note history
Reflect is a networked note-taking app designed for personal knowledge management, featuring automatic backlinks, daily notes, and a graph view for visualizing connections between ideas. Its AI capabilities allow users to query their entire note history conversationally, generate summaries, autocomplete sentences, and create content based on past notes. The app emphasizes speed, privacy with end-to-end encryption, and seamless syncing across web, desktop, and mobile.
Pros
- Deep AI integration for querying, summarizing, and generating from your notes
- Intuitive networked notes with backlinks and graph visualization
- Fast performance, E2E encryption, and excellent cross-device sync
Cons
- Subscription-only with no permanent free tier
- Steeper learning curve for advanced networked features
- Fewer third-party integrations than competitors like Notion
Best For
Knowledge workers, researchers, and creators who need AI-assisted networked note-taking for building a personal knowledge base.
Pricing
$10/month (billed annually) or $15/month monthly; 14-day free trial available.
Notion
general_aiAll-in-one workspace with Notion AI for generating, summarizing, and editing notes.
Notion AI's Q&A that queries and synthesizes information across your entire workspace like a personal knowledge assistant
Notion is an all-in-one workspace tool that excels in note-taking, databases, and project management, enhanced by Notion AI for intelligent assistance. Notion AI enables users to summarize notes, generate content, extract action items, and query their entire workspace for insights. It transforms static notes into dynamic, AI-powered knowledge bases with seamless integration across pages and databases.
Pros
- Highly customizable blocks and databases with AI enhancements
- Workspace-wide Q&A and summarization powered by Notion AI
- Strong collaboration and template ecosystem
Cons
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Notion AI requires separate paid add-on
- Performance can lag in large workspaces
Best For
Power users and teams needing a flexible, AI-augmented knowledge management system for interconnected notes and projects.
Pricing
Free personal plan; Plus at $10/user/month; Business at $18/user/month; Notion AI add-on $10/user/month.
Otter.ai
specializedAI transcription service that creates searchable notes and summaries from meetings and voice.
Real-time live transcription and collaborative editing during meetings
Otter.ai is an AI-powered transcription and note-taking platform designed for capturing meetings, lectures, interviews, and conversations in real-time. It provides automated transcripts with speaker identification, searchable notes, AI-generated summaries, and action item extraction. The tool integrates seamlessly with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms, enabling collaborative editing and sharing of notes.
Pros
- Highly accurate real-time transcription with speaker diarization
- Powerful AI features like automated summaries and action items
- Excellent integrations with major video conferencing tools
Cons
- Transcription accuracy drops with accents, noise, or technical jargon
- Free plan limited to 600 transcription minutes per month
- No robust offline functionality
Best For
Teams and professionals in meetings-heavy environments who need quick, searchable, collaborative notes from audio.
Pricing
Free plan (600 min/month); Pro at $16.99/user/month or $8.33/month annually; Business at $30/user/month.
Fireflies.ai
specializedAI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and generates actionable notes automatically.
AI conversation intelligence that identifies speakers, tracks topics, and extracts actionable insights automatically
Fireflies.ai is an AI-powered meeting assistant that automatically joins video calls on platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to record, transcribe, and generate summaries. It extracts key insights, action items, speaker identification, and sentiment analysis from conversations, turning raw audio into searchable, shareable notes. The tool also offers conversation intelligence features like topic tracking and integrations with CRMs and productivity apps for seamless workflow enhancement.
Pros
- Seamless auto-join and transcription across major meeting platforms
- AI-driven summaries, action items, and searchable archives
- Robust integrations with tools like Slack, Salesforce, and Notion
Cons
- Transcription accuracy dips with accents, jargon, or poor audio quality
- Privacy risks from third-party meeting recording and data storage
- Advanced features locked behind higher-tier plans
Best For
Sales teams, managers, and remote professionals who hold frequent online meetings and need automated, intelligent note-taking.
Pricing
Free plan with limited minutes; Pro at $10/user/month (unlimited storage), Business at $19/user/month (advanced analytics), Enterprise custom.
Evernote
general_aiRobust note organizer with AI-powered search, summarization, and content creation tools.
AI Note Cleanup that automatically formats, organizes, and extracts key info from messy handwritten or transcribed notes
Evernote is a long-standing note-taking app that has evolved to include AI features for smarter organization and retrieval of notes, web clips, and documents. It supports capturing text, images, audio, and PDFs, with AI tools like contextual search, note cleanup, transcription, and summarization to streamline workflows. While robust for general note management, its AI capabilities provide helpful but not revolutionary assistance for power users handling large information volumes.
Pros
- Powerful AI-powered search that understands context across notes and attachments
- Excellent web clipper for saving and organizing online content
- Seamless cross-device sync and reliable offline access
Cons
- AI features locked behind paid subscriptions with recent price increases
- Interface can feel cluttered and overwhelming for new users
- Limited advanced AI generation compared to dedicated AI note apps
Best For
Professionals and researchers managing extensive notes, web clippings, and documents who benefit from AI-assisted organization and search.
Pricing
Free plan with 60MB monthly uploads and device limits; Personal ($14.99/mo or $129.99/yr); Professional ($17.99/mo or $169.99/yr); Teams ($24.99/user/mo).
Microsoft OneNote
enterpriseDigital notebook integrated with Copilot AI for handwriting recognition and smart insights.
Copilot AI that queries your notes in natural language, summarizes pages, and generates action items or ideas directly within notebooks
Microsoft OneNote is a comprehensive digital note-taking app that organizes content into notebooks, sections, and pages, supporting text, handwriting, images, audio, and drawings. It integrates Copilot AI for features like summarizing notes, answering questions about your content, generating task lists, and creating ideas from your notes. With seamless cross-platform sync and collaboration tools, it's a robust solution for multimedia and AI-enhanced note-taking within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Pros
- Deep Copilot AI integration for note summarization, queries, and idea generation
- Flexible hierarchical organization with infinite canvas pages
- Excellent real-time sync and cross-platform availability
Cons
- Advanced AI features locked behind paid Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro subscriptions
- Interface can feel cluttered and overwhelming for simple use cases
- Handwritten note search and OCR accuracy sometimes inconsistent
Best For
Users embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem who want structured note-taking with AI-powered summarization and insights.
Pricing
Free for basic features; full Copilot AI via Microsoft 365 Personal ($6.99/month) or Copilot Pro add-on ($20/month).
Craft
general_aiBeautifully designed note-taking app with AI for writing assistance and document creation.
AI-powered block commands (e.g., /summarize, /rewrite) that generate and edit content directly within notes for fluid workflows
Craft (craft.do) is a premium note-taking app renowned for its beautiful, block-based editor that blends document creation with organizational features like backlinks, folders, and daily notes. It integrates AI capabilities such as content generation, summarization, rewriting, and smart search to enhance note-taking workflows. While not a pure AI transcription tool, its AI assistant embeds seamlessly into the editing experience for quick productivity boosts.
Pros
- Exceptional visual design and intuitive block-based editing
- Seamless AI integration for summarization, rewriting, and generation
- Strong cross-platform sync across Mac, iOS, Windows, and web
Cons
- AI features are solid but less advanced than specialized tools like Otter or Reflect
- Full AI access requires paid subscription; free tier is limited
- Team collaboration pricing can add up quickly
Best For
Creative professionals and knowledge workers who prioritize aesthetics and smooth AI-assisted writing in a polished note-taking environment.
Pricing
Free plan with basics; Personal Pro $5/month (annual) or $8/monthly for full AI; Docs Pro $10/user/month; Teams from $12/user/month.
Capacities
general_aiObject-based AI note-taking for building structured knowledge networks.
Object-centric architecture with AI-powered querying across your entire knowledge graph
Capacities (capacities.io) is an object-based note-taking app that allows users to create custom objects like books, projects, or people, fostering a networked knowledge base beyond linear notes. It integrates AI for tasks such as content generation, summarization, brainstorming, and querying your entire note collection conversationally. This makes it a strong contender for structured, AI-enhanced personal knowledge management.
Pros
- Highly flexible object-based system for structured notes
- Powerful AI for querying, generating, and enhancing content
- Clean, modern interface with excellent mobile support
Cons
- Learning curve for mastering custom objects
- AI features still maturing with occasional inaccuracies
- Fewer third-party integrations than competitors like Notion
Best For
Researchers, knowledge workers, and creatives who need a networked, AI-assisted system for organizing complex information.
Pricing
Free plan with core features; Pro at $10/month (billed annually) or $18/month for unlimited AI, storage, and advanced objects.
Tana
general_aiAI-powered outliner for dynamic capture, organization, and querying of notes.
Supertags, which transform simple nodes into customizable, AI-aware objects with fields, commands, and behaviors
Tana is a node-based knowledge management platform that revolutionizes note-taking with supertags, enabling dynamic, programmable structures for capturing and linking ideas. Its AI features, like natural language querying of your entire knowledge graph and automated content generation, make it powerful for intelligent organization and retrieval. Designed for networked thinking, it bridges outlines, databases, and AI assistance in one extensible workspace.
Pros
- Highly flexible supertag system for custom data structures
- Advanced AI for querying and generating content across notes
- Seamless networked thought capture with forward/reverse links
Cons
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Performance can lag with very large knowledge graphs
- Limited free tier and mobile app polish
Best For
Power users and teams who need a programmable, AI-enhanced system for complex knowledge management.
Pricing
Free tier with limits; Pro at $10/month; Team at $20/user/month.
Conclusion
Across the reviewed tools, Mem leads as the top choice, offering seamless AI-driven organization that connects notes intelligently. Reflect follows strongly with its networked structure and AI chat for backlinking, while Notion impresses as a versatile all-in-one workspace with powerful generative capabilities. Each tool shines in different areas, ensuring there’s a fit for various note-taking styles.
Start using Mem today to unlock its intelligent organization and redefine how you capture and connect your thoughts.
Tools Reviewed
All tools were independently evaluated for this comparison