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Org mode VS Mac Notes

Compare Org mode VS Mac Notes and see what are their differences

Org mode logo Org mode

Org: an Emacs Mode for Notes, Planning, and Authoring

Mac Notes logo Mac Notes

Apple macOS Notes Support Page
  • Org mode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-15
  • Mac Notes Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-13

Org mode features and specs

  • Seamless Integration with Emacs
    Org mode is tightly integrated with Emacs, allowing users to take full advantage of Emacs' powerful text-editing capabilities and extensive customization options.
  • Outline-Based Workflow
    Org mode supports hierarchical organization of information, which makes it easy to structure content in a clear, logical manner and manage complex documents or projects.
  • Task Management
    Built-in TODO lists, scheduling, and deadline management features make it a powerful tool for personal productivity and project management.
  • Export Capabilities
    Org mode can export documents to a variety of formats including HTML, LaTeX, PDF, and Markdown, making it versatile for different publishing needs.
  • Customizability
    Highly customizable through Emacs Lisp, allowing users to tailor Org mode to their specific workflow requirements.
  • Community and Extensions
    A robust community and numerous extensions are available, providing additional functionality and support.

Possible disadvantages of Org mode

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Requires significant time and effort to learn, especially for users who are not already familiar with Emacs.
  • Emacs Dependency
    Org mode is dependent on Emacs, which might not appeal to users who prefer different text editors or Integrated Development Environments (IDEs).
  • Complexity
    While it's powerful, the extensive features and customization options can become overwhelming and lead to a complex setup.
  • Lack of Standalone Version
    There is no standalone version of Org mode; it requires Emacs, which can be a barrier for those who do not want to use Emacs.
  • User Interface
    The text-based interface might not be as intuitive or visually appealing as modern, graphical task management or note-taking applications.

Mac Notes features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis of Mac Notes

Overall verdict

  • Mac Notes is a solid, free note-taking app built into macOS and iOS that offers reliable core functionality with seamless Apple ecosystem integration, making it a good default choice for casual to moderate note-taking needs, though power users may find it lacking advanced features found in dedicated third-party apps.

Why this product is good

  • Free and pre-installed on all Apple devices, no additional cost or download required
  • Seamless iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices
  • Simple, clean, and intuitive interface that's easy to learn
  • Supports rich text, checklists, images, sketches, scanned documents, and attachments
  • Folder organization and tagging system for organizing notes
  • Collaborative features allowing note sharing with other users
  • Quick note feature and Apple Pencil support for handwritten notes
  • Locked notes feature with password/biometric protection for privacy
  • Robust search functionality including text within scanned documents and images

Recommended for

  • Apple ecosystem users who want seamless cross-device syncing
  • Casual users needing simple note-taking without a learning curve
  • Students taking quick notes, checklists, or lecture notes
  • iPad and Apple Pencil users who sketch or handwrite notes
  • Users who want a free solution without subscription fees
  • People needing basic document scanning and organization
  • Those who prioritize privacy with built-in note locking features
  • Users who don't need advanced features like note linking, databases, or complex tagging systems found in apps like Notion or Obsidian

Org mode videos

org mode is awesome

More videos:

  • Review - 2018-11-14: Building a Second Brain in Org Mode - Tasshin Michael Fogleman

Mac Notes videos

No Mac Notes videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Org mode and Mac Notes)
Task Management
99 99%
1% 1
Note Taking
96 96%
4% 4
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Personal Notes
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Org mode and Mac Notes

Org mode Reviews

Ask HN: Favorite note-taking software?
Before going full Org Mode, I used MS OneNote, and liked it very much. My notes from that period has tons of images and annotated screenshots dumped into them. I miss that in my Emacs workflow nowadays. My dream software would be pieces of Org Mode on a OneNote-like canvas, with support for easily pasting images and drawing on them (especially using a graphics tablet, or at...

Mac Notes Reviews

We have no reviews of Mac Notes yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Org mode seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 186 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Org mode mentions (186)

  • Knowledge Should Not Be Gated
    I've been using org[0] for the past 10 years to store knowledge, project write-ups, notes, etc and love it. As I get deeper into AI I'm keeping that, like recently I created an org-edit tool to manage especially issues in the project write-ups. 1 file with all my several hundred projects accumulated over the years, and the value has only grown although it's becoming harder for me to personally consume; I'll likely... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • strace-ui, Bonsai_term, and the TUI renaissance
    > But I think we will swing back to using GUIs when we find a performant way of making them I like this new TUI renaissance as well, but if you wanna see what a symbiotic relationship between GUIs x TUIs could look like you need to see what Emacs does with Orgmode and the whole Org ecosystem of org-agenda, org-roam, etc. Lot's of these TUIs from the awesome are somewhat already inside Emacs. https://orgmode.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Org Mode Syntax Is One of the Most Reasonable Markup Languages to Use for Text
    Question: why is `https://orgmode.org/` in html and not in ... Org mode? - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Kaomel: a snappy kaomoji picker for Emacs
    Each code block could be evaluated in place, with results appearing inline. Want to test JSON parsing? Write a block, execute it, see the output. Need to try different data structures? Compare approaches side-by-side with immediate feedback. This resembles the classic Lisp REPL workflow but with all the organizational benefits of org-mode. The development document became a living laboratory. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • I tried every todo app and ended up with a .txt file
    I'm a fan of Org Mode with Emacs [0] and using the app BeOrg [1] on my iPhone. I have 3 main task files: - todo.org for things I need to do - backlog.org for things that I don't have to do now but should do in the future - inbox.org for any random ideas or notes The concept of an Inbox was taken straight from Getting Things Done [2]. I have different searches set up in BeOrg so that it is easy to view tasks from... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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Mac Notes mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Mac Notes yet. Tracking of Mac Notes recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Org mode and Mac Notes, you can also consider the following products

Todoist - Todoist is a to-do list that helps you get organized, at work and in life.

Stickies - Stickies is a PC utility written to replace Post-It-style notes left stuck to your monitor.

Workflowy - A better way to organize your mind.

Tot - Convert any text into a Trello task

Trello - Infinitely flexible. Incredibly easy to use. Great mobile apps. It's free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details.

Drafts - Quickly capture text on iOS and send it anywhere