Get the best writing tool
Evernote is a note-taking and task organization app that has been around for ages. It allows users to create and manage notes, save text, images, and documents they need, keep track of tasks and plans, and sync all of it across platforms and devices.
You can use Evernote as an app on your laptop or phone or online via its web interface. The app has a limited free version along with paid premium and business plans.
The app has an easy-to-use interface and also integrates with third-party apps like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Box, giving you a centralized place to access your important data. Bear - for brainstorming and note-taking. Serving as an easy alternative to Evernote for Mac, Bear Notes organizes your thoughts intuitively. Ulysses has been a go-to writing app for many Mac and iOs users for quite some time; however, the developers have recently decided to switch to a subscription model, meaning you'll have to pay a monthly or yearly fee to use the app. Microsoft Word, part of the Microsoft Office Suite but also sold as a standalone. Ulysses - Top-of-the-line notes app for serious writers. Compatibility: Mac, iPad, iPhone. For writers and authors, Ulysses is a notes app that will replace your word processor 99% of the time. Fully-featured and elegant, it is a very power writing app.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you can either use Evernote to jot down ideas, plans, and tasks, as well as manage documents, images, audio, and web page clippings, or try an alternative that fits your workflow better.
Let’s take a deep dive into the world of Evernote and then take a look at some of the best alternatives on the market. Scroll on!
What is Evernote?
Evernote is an app for your computer or phone where you can take notes of meetings, lectures, web pages you visit, and books you read. You can create lists, tasks, plan meals, reflect on your day, and develop project plans with the app’s themed templates.
Evernote is suitable both for Mac and Windows devices. You don’t need to be confined to desktop with Evernote though – you can sync devices and use it on your iOS or Android, as well as access your notes and work on them on the web.
Pros of Evernote app
The app offers a collection of handy features to make your note-taking smooth and organized.
Evernote’s top advantages are:
- User-friendly design
- Accessible on multiple devices
- Works across platforms (macOS, iOS, Android, Windows)
- Ready to go templates for to-do lists, project plans, meeting and lecture notes, and even meal planning and daily reflection
- Tags for notes for easier search and grouping
- App home page customization to better manage your notes
- Sharing via email (edit and view access) and link (only view)
- Offline access
- Search in handwritten notes, PDFs, DOCs
And if you feel nostalgic for the physical note-taking and highlighting, the app even has a colored highlighter option in its text formatting toolbar.
Cons of Evernote app
Nothing is perfect, so depending on your needs and preferences, you might find some needed features lacking in your Evernote experience. Some of the complaints we’ve heard about this popular note-taking app include:
- No tags within text available to make it easier to manage larger documents
- Limited note organization tools – only two layers of folders can be created (Notebooks and Stacks)
- No built-in calendar view for tasks and reminders
- Notes cannot be exported as TXT, PDF, or DOCX, only as ENEX files
- Cost (the best features, like Home customization, offline access, notes on PDFs, and others, are under Premium or Business plans)
Evernote’s Business plan is especially pricey, and users have shared online that the cost can become prohibitive for smaller businesses.
Evernote download options
Evernote can be a great solution both for individual note-taking and task-tracking and for groups. Whether you are looking to download and use Evernote for just your own musings and planning or share them with friends or your team, let’s look at how you can get the app on your computer or phone.
For your Mac, you can get Evernote in the App Store or on Evernote website evernote.com.
To get Evernote in the App Store, simply open the App Store on your Mac and search for “evernote”. The app will appear at the top of your search results. Click Get to install the app on your Mac. You will need an Apple or Google ID to use the app.
To download Evernote from the official website, go to evernote.com and click Download:
The app’s install file will be saved in Downloads and you can install it from there.
You can also get the app from the Microsoft Store for your Windows computer – just search for Evernote and click the Get button:
To download Evernote on your phone, go to Google Play or App Store on your phone and search “evernote”. Click Install and your app will be automatically downloaded and installed onto your handset.
Evernote pricing
Now, let’s talk about Evernote pricing.
The app has three plans – Basic, Premium, and Business. The basic plan is free and allows individual users to create notes, track tasks, set reminders, and organize their day on the web, on their desktop, and phones. The free plan has limits on note size, number of devices that can be synced (up to two devices), does not have the offline access feature, and a few others.
Premium plan for paid Evernote subscription is $7.99/month and Business plan is $14.99 per user a month (yes, if you are a business with smaller margins and have a larger team, you might feel the price is getting a little steep). Prices may vary across regions though, so check the prices on the Evernote website to be sure!
Best Evernote Alternative Apps for Mac
Whether it’s Evernote pricing, lack of features you need in your daily flow, or simple desire for a change, we are not going to hold it against you if you feel like going for an Evernote alternative. In fact, you don’t have to stick to one app with your notes at all! After all, it’s 2021, and there’s an app for everything.
Explore all the Evernote alternative options we’ve hand-picked for you below.
NotePlan
The first alternative that we can confidently recommend is NotePlan. It’s our top choice when it comes to planning and organizing notes.
NotePlan provides a tool to create notes, tasks, reminders, and sync them with the app’s built in calendar, as well as iCal or Google Calendar.
If you need a clear system for your notes and tasks, NotePlan is your solution.
The app’s comprehensive note management system allows you to create folders within folders within folders within folders, manage your notes, add tasks to your calendar, and get a bird’s eye view of all your agenda.
NotePlan’s responsive calendar is a lifesaver for keeping you organized, on task, and on schedule.
Here’s how you create a new note in the app.
Click the +Note/Folder in the bottom left corner of the app and hit New Note:
You can also create a note or new folder by double-finger clicking on one of the folders where you want to place your item or, even more conveniently – using direct keyboard shortcuts (as shown in the screen above).
NotePlan is excellent if you want a simple tool to organize your notes and tasks and track project progress. The app saves your notes as TXT automatically, and you can easily export them or email as TXT to your loved ones or team members.
The app does have a few shortcomings though.
Rich text formatting is pretty limited. You can use the basics, like italicize, choose among a few heading options, add bullet points, quotes, but not much else. The app’s interface is also not immediately intuitive and it might take you a few tries to figure out how to use some of the menu options and features. The app is also not available for Android and Windows devices.
NotePlan has two pricing options available – Personal and Business Class. Personal plan is $6.99/month (cheaper when buying an annual subscription), Business Class is $8.33 ($99.99 billed annually).
Ulysses App Alternatives On Mac Desktop
Great news though – NotePlan is available on Setapp! You can get this and 210+ other apps with your Setapp subscription.
Google Keep
Google Keep is a free note-taking option from Google. It’s available as a web version and apps for iOS and Android.
Its simple interface and the option to color code the notes makes everyday note-taking fun and instantaneous. Pinning items and rich link previews make the experience even more smooth and enjoyable.
On your phone, you can also record audio notes and take hand-written notes with Google Keep.
All Google Keep reminders are automatically added to your Google Calendar.
The main con to the app is that it does not make it easy to handle large notes, file notes in folders, or view tasks and reminders as a total list. You also can’t export a note and sharing is limited to inviting people via email.
Ulysses
When it comes to Evernote alternatives, Ulysses is excellent at handling larger documents. Marketed as a writing app, Ulysses has a clean interface that fits right in with your Mac experience and provides convenient tools to manage larger notes, texts, and projects.
Designed for creating texts, Ulysses provides a clean interface and comprehensive organization for your longer notes and texts. Each item has a dashboard to the right of the text where you can find your outline to quickly browse through various parts of your text easily. You can add comments, edits, links, footnotes, images, and attached files to your text.
While Ulysses is great for producing polished texts, it does not have a calendar or reminders to manage your day-to-day tasks. Another drawback is that it is only available for Macs and on iOS. To share your notes, you can export them as TXT, PDF, HTML, ePUB, DOCX, or publish to Medium or WordPress.
Ulysses monthly subscription costs $5.99 (cheaper if bought for the year, price also varies by region). With your Setapp subscription, you can use Ulysses and more than 200 apps all under a single plan!
Conclusion
Keeping track of your notes, thoughts, ideas, and projects can be a little challenging. To make the experience fun and convenient, pick a note-taking app that fits your workflow and lifestyle.
Evernote is a staple when it comes to creating notes both for personal use and creating and sharing projects with others. If you are looking for Evernote alternatives, NotePlan, Google Keep, Ulysses are great options that each provide tools for taking notes, as well as collecting and structuring ideas.
While Google Keep is a completely free app from Google, NotePlan and Ulysses are part of Setapp app collection, meaning your subscription will cover these and 210+ more apps to choose from! You can try NotePlan and Ulysses for free for a 7-day trial period with your Setapp subscription.
Get the best writing tool
With Clubhouse exploding into a major social media platform, we can’t underestimate the power of voice. Not any more. Maybe that’s a global pandemic thing, but we’re certainly longing for more verbal communication these days. And what if this longing could make us more productive at work? Well, it’s possible with dictation software.
If you’ve never tried dictating text instead of typing it, we encourage you to do it right now and see whether it saves your time (spoiler: it does). And if you’re thinking “nay, dictated text is a mess,” you should see our collection of text editing tools — they will help you polish texts in no time. So why not give it a try?
What is dictation software?
Dictation software uses speech recognition technology to convert spoken words into text. Basically, it’s something that could help Isaac Asimov write 1000 books (and not 500 as he did) in the twentieth century. Thanks to high accuracy and great speed of speech-to-text conversion, dictation software works great for note-taking, writing lengthy texts, even chatting in messengers.
The first solid version of dictation software called Dragon NaturallySpeaking was released in 1997. There have been some attempts to create such programs before but most of them failed or were very inefficient. In fact, before 1997, one had to dictate very slowly, pausing after every word so that software could process it.
Today, voice-driven technology is thriving. Lots of software use voice chats, text-to-speech, and advanced voice assistants. Dictation features have been on the rise, too. For sure, lots of apps and websites you use daily have powerful dictation capabilities. Google Docs, Apple text editors, and, of course, Siri make it easy to turn words into typed text.
Why you need dictation software
The most obvious benefit of choosing dictation over typing is speed. According to Mobius, good dictation software for Mac can process around 150 words per minute, while even the most professional keyboard ninjas can type 80 words per minute max. Not impressed? Here are more ways in which dictation tools can help you:
- Save time for important stuff. Like, a good sleep. Seriously, producing text through dictation is extremely time-effective and helps you achieve more while doing less.
- Capture ideas on the go. You know what they say, best ideas come in the shower. And if you have your phone at hand, you can use Siri to capture those ideas without leaving the shower.
- Great assistance for people with disabilities. Of course, voice dictation software is not only a productivity hack, it’s also a great accessibility tool. If for any reason you can’t use your hands for typing, dictation tools are a huge help.
- Avoid poor ergonomics effects. Eye and skin problems, strain injury — these are all the results of bad ergonomics. Dictation allows you to work even when standing or walking, which has great effects on your overall health and well-being.
Best dictation software for Mac users
Ulysses App Alternatives On Mac Computers
Ok, Google. Dictation software Macintosh. What are the best tools to try in 2021? We checked a few free and paid apps, and here’s our conclusion: If you’re a Mac user, you don’t need to buy any dictation tools at all. Modern free dictation software for Mac gives you incredible quality, and it’s already there on your computer. You will need some help with editing the text, though, so read on.
Apple Dictation
Apple Dictation is native free dictation software for Mac and iOS devices, operating under Apple’s broader Voice Control functionality. It works in all native text editors, messengers, and basically any program where it’s possible to type. Here’s how to enable Dictation on Mac:
- Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Keyboard
- Click on the Dictation tab
- Select “On” next to Dictation.
In the same tab, you can enable a handy shortcut for Dictation so that whenever you use this shortcut, you can start dictating right away and your words will be converted into text. The words will appear wherever your cursor is.
If you want to use Apple’s native software for more voice-controlled tasks — like telling your Mac when it should open specific apps — go to Accessibility > Voice Control. This is where you can create your custom voice commands. You can also use the feature to automate text formatting process: for instance, set the rules for when you want to insert a screenshot in your text or start a new paragraph.
What’s Apple Dictation good for? Voice-based commands, in general. The accuracy is pretty high (according to Zapier research, Apple Dictation gives you 11 inaccurate words on a 200-word test). We recommend Apple Dictation for everyone who wants a cross-platform solution for Apple devices and loves automating workflows with voice commands.
Google Docs voice typing
If you need a dictation tool specifically for Google Docs, use Google Doc Voice Typing. The good news is it’s even more accurate than Apple Dictation, the bad news is it only works in Chrome. So if you’re a devoted Safari user — not your thing.
You can enable Google Docs dictation by clicking on Tools > Voice Typing. You’ll see a microphone icon appear on the left of your doc. Click on it and start dictating.
What’s Google Docs voice typing good for? Long-form content, blog posts, rough drafts, etc. If you’re a pro Google Docs user and you do most of your writing in this app (in Chrome), it will certainly save you a lot of time.
Use Siri for dictation
Apple Dictation and Voice Control are tightly connected with Siri. In fact, Voice Control is entirely based on Siri’s speech-recognition engine. For a Mac user, however, converting words into text with Apple Dictation and Siri are two very different processes. While Siri is great for jotting down a quick note or giving an answer to your question, it can’t just instantly press any button.
However, the magic happens when you connect Voice Control and Siri. Here’s a simple example: Go to Accessibility > Voice Control > Commands. Press the Plus button and set up your shortcut:
Ulysses App Pricing
- When I say Hey Siri, paste text
- While using Any application
- Perform Paste text.
This is a great way to automate workflows across all your apps, no matter what voice dictation software you use.
To set up Siri on Mac, go to System Preferences > Siri > Enable Ask Siri. You can customize the Siri shortcut, language, and other settings here, too.
What’s Siri dictation good for? Quick voice commands or cases in which you need an answer to a question (Siri can “google” it for you). You can also use it alongside Apple dictation functionality to set up your own voice shortcuts and automate workflows.
Best tools to edit dictated text
Some people would never google “voice dictation software Mac” because they think it’s easier to type than edit dictated text in the end. Well, that’s where they are wrong. Modern dictation software for Mac lets you edit on the fly. And even if you don’t want to perform editing commands while speaking, there are awesome tools that can polish the text for you in a click.
Format and auto-correct with Ulysses
Ulysses is one of the best markup-based writing apps for Mac users. It has your entire flow covered — from distraction-free writing to editing to organizing to sharing. If you need to quickly fix mistakes in your text, you can just throw it in and click on “Check text” in the right sidebar. Ulysses will show all the punctuation and grammar mistakes, and even fix vocabulary problems and redundancy.
To format your text, select Markup in the main menu. You’ll see lots of options like adding headings, ordered lists, annotation, code, and so on. This will help quickly bring your text into a great shape. By the way, Ulysses comes with a native dictation feature. So you can dictate and save your text right in Ulysses. Then, quickly edit it and share anywhere — Ulysses has some great export options.
The great thing is if you have a Setapp subscription, you get immediate access to Ulysses for macOS and iOS (it saves you a lot of money because Ulysses subscription alone costs $5.99/month and Setapp gives you Ulysses + over 200 apps for $9.99/month).
Plus, Setapp has 10+ other writing apps you can choose from — just in case you don’t like Ulysses. They are all part of your subscription so you can explore indefinitely. TextSoap, for instance, is an app with 100+ text cleanup features. And Strike has auto correct, spell checker, and other tools for custom text transformations.
Don’t have time to figure out what apps you need? Setapp has a curated collection for your writing goals — just download Setapp (it offers a 7-day free trial), open the app on Mac > Collections > Write it all out > Install all. Enhance best dictation software with solid text editing tools, and you’ll see your writing accelerate.