You want a note app that fits the way you work. Not one that wastes your time. Here’s a real look at the top choices for iPad in 2025—what they do well, where they fall short, and how to pick the one that matches your needs.

ConniePad​

What works:

• Writing is fast and smooth. No lag, no distractions.
• Search is strong. You can use plain language and still find your notes, even with typos.
• Everything is stored on your device or iCloud. Private by default.
• Folders work like you expect. You can organize notes into real folders.

What doesn’t:

• Sharing and collaboration are weak.
• You can’t handwrite notes or sketch. Only text.

Good for:

• People who want a simple, private, text-based note app.
• Anyone who needs a fast, offline-first tool.

Not for:

• People who want to share or co-edit notes.
• Anyone who likes to draw or handwrite on their iPad.

Website: ConniePad

Bear​

What works:

• Looks clean and feels nice to use.
• Fast and easy for writing.
• Organizes notes using tags. You can put the same note in many “places” at once.

What doesn’t:

• No real folders. If you like folders, you’ll need to get used to tags.
• Notes are not stored as plain files—you use Bear’s system.
• Less customizable than some apps.

Good for:

• People who care about design.
• Anyone who likes tagging instead of folders.

Not for:

• If you want folder-based organization or total control over your files.

Website: Bear App

Notion​

What works:

• Easy to share and work together.
• You can build pages with text, tables, calendars, and more.
• Good for building complex systems or public pages.

What doesn’t:

• Needs the internet. Offline support is poor.
• Slower than native apps.
• Your notes are stored on Notion’s servers.

Good for:

• Teams and anyone who needs to share or publish notes.
• People who want to build project trackers, wikis, or databases.

Not for:

• Anyone who needs offline access.
• People who want fast, simple note-taking.

Website: Notion

GoodNotes​

What works:

• Best app for handwriting with Apple Pencil.
• You can search your handwritten notes—even messy writing.
• Lots of templates (lined, grid, planners, etc).

What doesn’t:

• Typing feels basic.
• Can be slow with big notebooks or older iPads.
• Uses more battery and memory than simple text apps.

Good for:

• Students, artists, and anyone who likes to write or draw by hand.
• Annotating PDFs and marking up documents.

Not for:

• Typists or people who just want quick, typed notes.

Website: Goodnotes

Comparison Table

Bottom line: Pick the app that matches your real needs. Want fast, private, typed notes? Try ConniePad or Bear. Need to share and collaborate? Use Notion. Want to write by hand? Go with GoodNotes. Each app does some things well and leaves out the rest. That’s the point.

Lost in the Pages: Why Search Matters in Note Apps​

Ever scrolled through your notes looking for something you know you wrote down? This frustrating experience shows why search isn't just a feature—it's essential.

When Organization Fails​

Meet Maya, a grad student who keeps detailed thesis research notes in her app. She uses folders, tags, and categories to organize thousands of notes.

Her app has one critical flaw—no search function.

When her advisor requests a specific finding for an emergency meeting, Maya's system falls apart. She knows the information exists somewhere, but she spends her limited time scrolling through endless notes.

"Was it in my 'Literature Review' folder? Or 'Data Analysis'? Did I tag it as 'Important'?"

Maya enters her meeting unprepared. A search function would have solved this problem in seconds.

Why Search Transforms Your Notes​

Search does more than save time:

1. It Connects Your Ideas​

Without search, notes become digital hoarding—information collected but hard to access. Search links ideas across your system.

2. It Reduces Mental Work​

Even the best organization system requires you to remember where you put things. Search removes this burden.

3. It Improves Your Note-Taking​

When you can find information later, you write more notes without worrying about where they belong.

4. It Creates a Personal Knowledge Base​

With search, your notes become a queryable database of your thoughts.

Your Notes Should Work For You​

If your notes lack good search, consider upgrading. Your thoughts deserve to be findable. Your future self will thank you when you find what you need exactly when you need it.

After all, what good is writing things down if you can't find them later?

At first, I was excited to try Notion. I saw all the videos. People said it could do everything—notes, tasks, databases, even websites.

But when I started using it, things felt different.

What the Videos Don’t Tell You​

The setup looks great. It feels powerful. But the real experience didn’t match the hype.

Most of the time when I need to check a note, I don’t have internet.
And Notion without internet is basically useless.

Notes Should Work Everywhere​

Here are just a few times Notion failed me:

• At the supermarket, the signal is weak. I couldn’t open my grocery list.
• While traveling, I landed in a new country. No Wi-Fi at the airport. I needed hotel info and visa documents. I couldn’t access any of it.
• I like working remotely. That means random cafes or outdoor spots. No internet again. I couldn’t even jot down a quick thought.

In those moments, I had to open another app—just to take a note.

Notion Is Great at Sharing, But…​

To be fair, Notion makes it easy to share notes. I like that.
But I don’t need to share every note. Most of the time, it’s just for me.

So I asked myself: why use a tool built for teams when I mostly work alone?

What I Use Now​

I switched to an offline-first app. It works without internet. It opens fast. It saves everything locally.
I can use it anywhere—no login, no waiting, no sync issues.

That’s all I really wanted.

If You’re Looking for the Same Thing​

I now use ConniePad, a note app for Mac and iOS that runs fully offline. Instantly access to my note everywhere.
It’s built for people like me—who just want to write and move on.

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You can check it out here if that sounds like something you need.

Choosing the right writing tool can make your life easier. You might ask, “Should I use Markdown or just stick with a normal editor?” Here’s the answer, broken down simply.

What is Markdown?​

Markdown is a way to write formatted text using plain words and simple symbols. You write in a plain text file. You use things like # for a heading or * for a list. When you save your file, you can turn it into HTML or a nicely formatted document.

Here’s an example:

# Heading

This is **bold** text.

- Item one
- Item two

Markdown started with programmers and writers who wanted to focus on writing, not formatting. It works in many places: readme files, notes, blogs, and technical documents.

What is a Normal Editor?​

A normal editor is what you probably use at work or school. Think Microsoft Word or Google Docs. You see your text on the screen just how it will look when you print or share it. You click buttons to make text bold, add colors, or insert pictures.

You don’t need to remember any symbols or codes. You just type and click.

How Are They Different?​

Here’s a quick comparison.

When Should You Use Markdown?​

Markdown works well if you write a lot of notes, documentation, or blog posts. It’s also good if you want to keep your files simple and easy to move between computers. If you don’t like clicking around menus, you’ll probably like Markdown.

When Should You Use a Normal Editor?​

Use a normal editor when you need to make documents that look a certain way. If your boss wants a report with a company logo and tables, Word or Google Docs is better. They also work well if you need to print documents or share them with people who aren’t familiar with Markdown.

What Tools Can You Try?​

For Markdown, try VS Code, Obsidian, or Typora. They let you write and see the formatted result. For normal editors, you already know Word and Google Docs.

Final Thoughts​

Markdown and normal editors both work. Your choice depends on what you want to do. If you like simple text and fewer distractions, use Markdown. If you want a lot of formatting options and a familiar look, use a normal editor.

Try both. See what fits your work best.

Bonus point: ConniePad is a unique note app that work for both work. It has normal editor, and will automatically format if user type markdown syntax.