# how to export Apple Notes

Apple Notes has no built-in bulk export.

## what Apple gives you

On Mac you can export a single note as PDF (File > Export as PDF), one note at a time. There is no "export all", no Markdown, and attachments do not come along.

## free routes

- Obsidian's official Importer plugin: free, made by the Obsidian team, imports Apple Notes into an Obsidian vault as Markdown. For a one-time move into Obsidian, use this ([Apple Notes to Obsidian](/apps/notes-exporter/notes/obsidian)).
- open-source exporters on GitHub (for example apple-notes-exporter and similar projects): free, script-style tools that read the Notes database and write files.

Both are one-time exports: they copy what exists today; later edits are not reflected.

## Notes Exporter

[Notes Exporter](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12) keeps a current plain-text copy of your data:

- it keeps syncing after the first export — edit a note and the file updates, automatically, in the background
- Markdown with YAML front matter (dates, folders, tags, word counts) and deep links that reopen each note in Apple Notes; attachments exported alongside
- it is not only Notes: Messages (iMessage), Contacts, Bear, and Logseq export the same way, and chats, people and notes cross-link
- a built-in MCP server serves it all to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code
- works great with Obsidian: real date properties, pre-built bases, a companion sync-status plugin

The free tier is 100 notes (plus 100 contacts and 10 conversations), and re-syncing what you exported stays free. Unlimited export of a source is a one-time $4.99 (US price, [adjusted per country](/apps/notes-exporter/pricing)), not a subscription.

[Download Notes Exporter for Mac](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notesexporter/id6741618455?mt=12)

Questions are answered in the [faq](/apps/notes-exporter/faq). More guides: [all guides](/apps/notes-exporter/guides) · [use Apple Notes in Claude](/apps/notes-exporter/notes/claude)