Looking for "note app" but stored in iCloud/Google Drive

Let me clarify. I am using Evernote and iCloud for my JD System. I would just like to use iCloud, with Alfred. One place to storage everything. I am not really a note power user.

I know that instead of a “note taking app” I could just use Pages/Word to storage “docs/notes” but was looking for something that was more simple, like Apple Notes/Evernote to keep notes in iCloud.

Any ideas?

A few ideas to look at:

  • NotePlan
  • Agenda
  • Joplin
  • FSNotes
  • Bear
  • iA Writer
  • Ulysses
  • Notable

No claim to completeness, though.

And you‘ve already mentioned Apple Notes.

If by iCloud you meant that notes should saved as files in iCloud, some of the above apps don‘t (fully) qualify.

Also you did not specify whether you’d like i(Pad)OS support.

Maybe take a look at iTextEditors - iPhone and iPad text/code editors and writing tools compared, too.

Yeah. Looking for more of a word doc type app that feels like Apple notes.

Would like to save the files right in my iCloud folders.

I will check out the iText editor you mentioned.

Maybe Reinvented Software - Keep It for Mac or DEVONtechnologies | DEVONthink, professionelles Dokumenten- und Informationsmanagement für Mac und iOS are worth considering then.

If iOS isn’t an issue: EagleFiler: Collect notes, e-mails, and Web pages on your Mac, and search them instantly

I’m using obsidian.md for this. Integrates with Alfred through workflows, stores files as plaintext markdown files in iCloud. Requires markdown but might fit. You can integrate a J.D methodology.

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Can you save obsidian files separately into iCloud files?

Yes, but Obsidian uses Markdown and you said you wanted something like Word or Apple Notes

The main goal is to save each note in an iCloud folder using the JD system. I don’t want the notes to be saved in the app.

Both are true with Obsidian. The notes are saved as files in a “vault,” but as universal plaintext markdown instead of proprietary rich text, like Word. The notes are also available as if stored in the app because of the relationship your vault has to the obsidian environment.

Yeah, I am trying it now. This is what I am looking for. Thanks everyone for the help.

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Have a look at Typora. It’s just a Markdown editor, but has a really nice blend of features vs. simplicity. It’s what I reach for when I want more than TextEdit but less than Pages etc.

It has no cloud service, it’s just an editor. But it does have the concept of an open folder of files, so you can search through your stuff. I tend not to use that, I just open an individual file.

FWIW my cloud notes app of choice is Bear. I’ve tried them all and I keep coming back to it. It’s just really nice. So I use a combination of Bear (personal stuff) and Markdown files peppered throughout iCloud folders (shared stuff) which I open with Typora or, more and more these days, just good ol’ TextEdit.

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Unfortunately, the digital world seems divided between apps that support plaintext markdown (bear, obsidian) and apps that are geared towards the greater public (Evernote, Apple Notes) which have terrible support for markdown but do have a folder structure.

At some point in the future someone is going to find a way to meld the two so that we can have “rich text markdown” that gives your the ease of Apple Notes with the transportability of markdown. I hope!

Ever looked at Ulysses? Personally I think it’s quite a good compromise along those lines.

I use Ulysses - the integration with Ghost.io makes it easy to publish to my blog (47hats).

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Obsdian has a live preview, which ends up being pretty close to rich text markdown:
image

Check out StandardNotes
Regular notes use plain text. Premium plan allows you to use various markdown editors that can be installed (specific editors can be used for specific notes)
All end-to-end encrypted and the syncing has been bullet proof for me across all devices and operating systems.
Also, not sure if you can use it with iCloud but it can be self-hosted.

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The live preview feature is new but works very well! It feels more natural to use.

I’ve been a heavy Apple Notes user for a long time but have been getting more and more into Markdown. Found JD through my Obsidian deep dive. I’ve written several Shortcuts for Apple Notes to capture ideas and adapted them for markdown. The beauty of obsidian, is that these can be just markdown files in your system.

Here’s the Shortcut if anyone wants it:
https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/a1625f7079ba476e9c1a39d695812d6a

Note: this isn’t just for obsidian, I think theoretically any markdown app would work with this shortcut. Let me know if you run into any issues!

EDIT: I just realized this is a 2 year old post lol