atom (opens in new tab) has an interesting history. It was developed as a text editor by GitHub, a popular online code repository (opens in new tab) to complement its platform. The company made Atom open source from its early days and gave other individuals and companies the ability to build on it.
Because it’s customizable, the Atom text editor doubles as a note-taking tool. For this purpose, you can use the plain text editor or download additional packages made by developers to turn Atom into a full-fledged note-taking app (opens in new tab).
Atom: plans and prices
As mentioned, the Atom app is free and open source (opens in new tab). It doesn’t cost a penny to use, which is one of the main advantages of the app. Many apps with similar features charge significant amounts of money to use them, but not Atom.
Being open-source also helps Atom in a positive way, since anyone can build complementary functions for it. On the official website, you can access these additional features as “packages” created by thousands of developers.
Atom: properties
To use Atom, you need to download the desktop app on the Windows, macOS, or Linux operating system. Atom is one of the few note-taking platforms with a native app for the Linux operating system, which is commendable. But there is no web-based interface or native mobile app, which is a major downside compared to competing platforms.
We found Atom easy to set up. Just download the executable file (.exe) from the official website and install it. In our test, installation took less than a minute and the app was ready to use.
Atom isn’t a typical note-taking app, and it doesn’t work like one. It’s not as simple as creating, saving and sharing notes like most other competing platforms.
The first feature that you should notice in the app is create files where you save your notes. search for new file button in the menu bar, click it and the app will launch a new page for you to enter notes.
The Atom text editor is easy to use. You can enter as much text as you like. The editor feels like an integrated development environment (IDE) for writing computer programs, which is not surprising considering that the creator of the app is GitHub. Therefore, we believe that computer programmers and IT specialists are the best people to use Atom.
Once you’ve finished writing your note in the text editor, you can save it as a file on your computer. To do this, search for the save up or save as button in the top left menu bar where you previously clicked the button new file Button. Click on it, choose the name of your file and save it.
You can create and save as many files as you like with your notes. Likewise, you can open any file and edit it as you wish. To do this, search for the open file button in the menu bar at the top left, click on it and select the file you want to open.
These are the basic functions of the Atom app. You can get many more features by downloading packages from the official website. The platform is highly customizable, which we consider to be its main advantage.
For example, you can use the spell check Package to check and correct spelling when typing notes.
Atom: interface and use
The Atom app has a double-edged interface. From our observations, it can be a bit complicated to learn since it’s not a traditional note-taking app. However, it’s something you’ll likely enjoy once you learn how to use it, thanks to its extensive customizability.
The main downside here is that you can only use Atom as a native desktop app. The lack of a web-based interface or mobile app severely limits accessibility.
Atom: support
Atom is a free app, so there are no employed account managers to turn to if you encounter any difficulties. However, to make up for this, the app has extensive official documentation to help users get acquainted with all aspects.
We also found an unofficial discussion forum for Atom users hosted on Google Groups, where participants often share solutions to each other’s problems.
Atom: The competition
There is no shortage of note-taking apps on the market. Popular alternatives to Atom are Dropbox Paper (opens in new tab)Zoho Notebook (opens in new tab)Simplenote (opens in new tab)and Ulysses (opens in new tab). These apps are easier to use compared to Atom, making them ideal for mainstream users. However, technical users who value customizability will likely enjoy Atom more than other platforms.
Atom: Final Verdict
After testing Atom, we can say with confidence that it is a good note-taking app. However, we think it’s not ideal for the majority of users, but best caters to the niche of technical users with a knack for computer programming.
We have featured the best note taking apps for Android.