Note taking is essential for programmers who have so many details that they need to keep track. It simplifies tasks and makes it easier to keep a check on what needs to be done. Programming in itself is a difficult task, but if you are able to take notes, you can stay organized and this might make the process of creating websites, mobile and desktop applications much easier. What programmers need in order to achieve this is good note taking skills is a good note taking tool. If you have the best of these, you will not have to worry about the stress and despair that comes with website development, which results in burnouts. Here are the best 5 note-taking tools that have been designed with programmers in mind:



This is the tool to use if you want to take programming notes in style. It has a lot to offer, for instance, support for multi-syntax. This means that you can mix multiple programming syntax on one note. The app offers support for over 40 programming languages; therefore, you have more to choose from.

The app is rich in formatting options too. This means that you can be more expressive with the programming notes you will be taking. You can mix your to-dos, images, lists, links, headers and so much more in your notes.

You get to enjoy customizable shortcuts too, with MedleyText. The app comes with so many customizable shortcuts with which you can create great notes using the comfort of your keyboard.



This is a great note-taking app for coders. Even though you will not get all the features that appear in a modern note-taking app, programmers will find every feature that they need in this amazing app. The app is open source and free to use. It has great features, which makes it the best app for students taking programming courses.

One of the good things about the app is that one can embed code blocks directly within the normal note. You can also create separate snippet-type of notes, which are specially meant for a collection and grouping of many code blocks, all in one single note.

The app offer support for lists based on checkboxes, which are great for task management. It is available in Windows, Linux and macOS. It is also built on electron and is run offline. Some of its other capabilities include syntax highlight, it has search functionality, notes can be tagged, or grouped together in folders, you will not need synchronization to cloud, and it has dark and light UI themes among so many others.

The application is under active development and this means that one can expect new and better features in the coming days.



This is a hierarchical note-taking app for programmers. It is called hierarchical because notes can be nested under each other in a hierarchy form. The app is more or less like a personal wiki. This is because users can insert links to any other page throughout the notebook.

The app features a rich text and syntax highlighting among other great features that programmers will love to use. It has a special type page for just code, which make it a little different from other hierarchical apps like Zim. With it, you can use the regular notes for tasks and ideas. There are code notes for snippets too.

CherryTree has been named the best lightweight note taking tool. This is because it is very fast in taking notes. Some of its other great features include lists, basic tables, save to PDF, Export to HTML and text, Password protection and so on.



This one has always been a great note-taking app but its lack of syntax highlighting abilities made it unsuitable for programmers. However, there was a free add-on that was released by a GitHub user, which made the app able to highlight syntax for code. This has made it one of the best note-taking apps for programmers.

Other than that, OneNote is a great app. It is always ready and set. You just need a stylus to get started in order to take handwritten notes which can later be converted to typed text.

The app allows its user to highlight that which is important, as well as express their ideas in different colors and shapes.

You can access it from anywhere and this means that you can use your content even while on the move even if you are offline. The app works on any device or platform.



This is more of a to-do list application. It has the same features you will find in other similar apps but it comes with an extra feature, which makes it a great note-taking tool; every item in its list has a description field. The app is simple but very powerful because it can help the user manage everything at a go.

Many programmers can find this app very useful especially when it comes to tracking down all their tasks as individual list items. You can also store any notes you need for every task at hand. This makes it very easy when you finally start working on a project.

The app does not offer syntax highlighting support though. It does not offer rich text formatting either. That is why it works best to manage ideas other than for storing code snippets.

What you enjoy most are the full benefits of a full-blown to-do list application for instance folder organization, recurring tasks, subtasks, priorities, reminders among others. The app has a free plan that offers only a limited number of lists. You can choose the paid plan if you need more lists.

Taking notes in programming is a great way to stay organized throughout your projects. It reduces the stress of having to do things the hard way. With notes, you can quickly work on all your projects and finish them on time. These apps and many others have been designed to help programmers work with minimal stress.