Any good cross-platform note-taking app to suggest?

[JippaLippa]

Hello, everyone.

Due to the creative nature of my profession, I very often make rough sketches and take hand-written notes throughout the day. That said, I have decided to cut my consumption of paper and switch to a fully digital note taking system; that said I need some specific requirements.

I have a Mac Studio and an Iphone, and ideally I'd want an iPad to take the notes with (and have it all synced), but I can't justify its price for this use case only...

Besides, I have a nice windows 11 laptop/tablet (one of those that fold 180°) with a touch screen and a pen.
So, what I'm after is a simple note taking app with these requirements (and nothing more):

• Needs to work well with hand writing; I don't need any power features. It just needs to do one thing well.
• Can be used both on mac and windows (to write the notes on windows and read them on my mac, occasionally vice-versa.)
• The interface needs to be simple and quick to use; I have tried using Milanote (a service I have been happily using for years for moodboarding), but the note writing experience there was quite clunky
• (OPTIONAL) the ability to have pages, like you would in a notebook.

I'm fine with paying for a good product, but I'd prefer avoiding subscription models. I don't plan to use the app on the iPhone, so it's not imperative for an iOS version of the app to be available.

Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you very much!

 

[StoneJack]

well OneNote is good choice. It is cross platform and free.
Having said that I myself just hate it.
Maybe Google Docs?

 

[JippaLippa]

well OneNote is good choice. It is cross platform and free.
Having said that I myself just hate it.
Maybe Google Docs?

Does google docs offer a decent hand-writing experience with a pen?
Thank you.

 

[ipaqrat]

well OneNote is good choice. It is cross platform and free.
Having said that I myself just hate it.
Maybe Google Docs?

I, too, recommend trying OneNote. On a Windows surface, with its stylus, it is perfect.

An iPad Pro, with a stylus deals with the hand-scrawl okay, but is not quite integrated with MS Office, not like it is on full Windows with full MS Office. iPhone typing makes me want to self medicate and the Mac isn't much better. Also, OneNote can act kinda stupid when it's offline without the mothership whispering to it all the time.

Other than that, I'd say just save yourself the struggle and use Apple's Notes with folders. You'll only die tired.

 

[StoneJack]

Does google docs offer a decent hand-writing experience with a pen?
Thank you.

Never tried. Perhaps not

 

[SnowCrocodile]

Onenote ticks all boxes.

 

[JippaLippa]

Onenote ticks all boxes.

Yes, I tested it and I quite like it.
Actually the whole Microsoft 365 subscription is a very compelling offering.
I have ditched expensive iCloud and Dropbox plans, and with 365 I'd get all the functionality (+ much more) at less than half the price for Dropbox.
And the office apps as a bonus.