The credit score for software.
Stop reading twenty listicles. We score every app on the same transparent formula, then a 60-second quiz personalizes the ranking to how you work. You can see exactly how every number is calculated — because a score you can't inspect is just an opinion.
◆ How the score is calculated — visible to everyone
Every app gets a SoftwareScore from 0–100 — a weighted blend of 7 axes, nothing hidden:
SoftwareScore = ( Σ ( axis_score₀₋₁₀ × weight ) ) × 10 → personalized by f(your quiz answers)
Value (price vs features) 20%
All-in cost — free tier plus paid tiers — versus what you get.
Ease of use 18%
How fast a new user gets productive (inverse of learning curve).
Feature depth 15%
Blocks, databases, backlinks, PDFs, templates, extensibility.
Cross-platform & sync 15%
Platforms covered, offline support, and sync reliability.
Data ownership / privacy 12% under-served
Local-first storage, open/markdown formats, export, lock-in risk.
Collaboration 10%
Sharing, real-time co-editing, comments, and permissions.
AI capability 10%
Native AI — writing help, Q&A over your notes, summarization.
Top-rated note-taking & pkm apps
1
Notion
Free · $10/mo · ★4.7 (2.8k)
An all-in-one workspace where notes, databases, and wikis live as flexible blocks — powerful and collaborative, with a learning curve and cloud lock-in.
73
SoftwareScore
2
Obsidian
Free · $4/mo Sync · ★4.5 (2.4k)
A local-first markdown knowledge base with a huge plugin ecosystem — unmatched on data ownership, lighter on real-time collaboration.
70
SoftwareScore
3
Coda
Free · $12/mo · ★3.6 (1.6k)
A docs-meets-databases platform with powerful tables and automations — excellent for teams, lighter on data portability.
69
SoftwareScore
4
Apple Notes
Free
Apple's free built-in notes app — instantly usable and reliable across Apple devices, limited beyond the ecosystem.
69
SoftwareScore
5
OneNote
Free · ★4.6 (2.0k)
Microsoft's free-form digital notebook — generous, flexible, and free, especially inside the Microsoft 365 world.
68
SoftwareScore