The need to take notes goes back through centuries of human history. It’s no wonder, then, that even the earliest desktop systems in the 1980s included a basic “notepad” program. But digital note-taking tools have been improving rapidly. Far beyond simple typed text, you can now save photos, audio and video clips, web links, sketches and more — all on your smartphone.

Whether the task is making a simple grocery list or organizing a complex projects like a home renovation, there is a note-taking program for you. Here’s how to sort through the options and get started.

Step 1: Sample Google Keep or Apple Notes

New to digital note-taking? You can ease into it with a freebie from Google or Apple.

Google offers Google Keep. If you’re on the Apple side of the fence, you have the Notes app for iOS, as well as a desktop version for Macs and online in iCloud.com. With both , you can retrieve your files on any device — as long as you are online, logged in to your user account with the company and set to sync.