The Apple Notes Plugin That Makes You Wonder Why Apple Hasn’t Done This Already
Why Apple?
Apple Notes is a fine tool.
It’s fast. It’s minimal. It’s baked right into macOS and iOS.
But what if you could take that clean, fast, Apple-native experience and supercharge it, without switching to a new app?
You can.
Enter ProNotes, a third-party plugin that feels like a native add-on, which quietly transforms Apple Notes into something far more capable.
Markdown formatting? Check. AI writing assistant? Yup. Custom templates? Hell yeah.
It’s basically the Apple Notes software upgrade that Apple forgot to ship.
Let’s take a look!
What Is ProNotes?
ProNotes is a free macOS-only plugin that integrates directly into Apple Notes, adding a host of modern writing features you’d normally only find in advanced note-taking tools like Notion or Obsidian.
It’s a power user layer that sits quietly on top of your existing Notes workflow, enhancing it without replacing anything.
It doesn’t mess with your iCloud syncing, and it doesn’t require you to learn a whole new interface. If you already use Apple Notes, ProNotes just makes it better.
There is a paid version (Gold) available, but you probably don’t need it. I don’t!
Why You’ll Actually Want This Plugin
Let’s break down what ProNotes brings to the table — because once you see the features, it’s hard to go back to the vanilla experience.
That’s how I feel.
1. The Formatting Bar You’ve Always Wanted
By default, formatting in Apple Notes is a bit clunky. Want to bold something? That’s a mouse trip up to the toolbar. Italicize a heading? Same. Or you learn the keyboard shortcuts. They’re not hard for those two formatting options, but can be trickier for others.
ProNotes fixes this by adding a contextual formatting bar that automatically appears right above selected text.
It’s minimal, out of the way, and does exactly what you need: bold, italic, links, checklists, and more — right at your cursor.
2. Markdown support, yeah
If you’ve spent any time with Markdown, you already know the beauty of typing # for a title or > for a quote. It’s easier and faster than finding menu entries or using keyboard shortcuts.
ProNotes supports all the classic Markdown patterns:
# for titles
## for headings
[] for checklists
* or — for bullet lists
1. for numbered lists
code blocks
> for quotes
and more.
The moment you press space after one of those patterns, it converts into the proper formatting, just like the Markdown we know and love in other tools.
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3. Slash Commands
For all the Notion nerds among us (like me), slash commands are perfect.
And ProNotes brings them to Apple Notes.
Type / and a menu pops up with every formatting and structural option you could need:
/title, /h1, /heading
/checklist, /bulletedlist, /quote
/table, /code, /body
Even custom slash commands for inserting templates (more on those in a second)
This means you can format your entire note without ever leaving the keyboard. And once you get used to slash commands, you’ll start wondering why this isn’t a native feature.
Really!
4. Templates That Save You Hours
Got a recurring structure you use? Weekly review notes, meeting minutes, daily journals? Or simply a block of stuff you always use.
Template it, baby!
ProNotes lets you save reusable snippets and call them up with a simple slash command. It’s perfect for anything you find yourself writing over and over again.
Create your snippets once, call them instantly. It’s really not complicated. Templates are just a note you create and call with a slash command.
Simple but beautiful.
5. AI Tools Built Right In
Modern, too.
ProNotes includes an AI assistant (powered by OpenAI) that lives right inside Apple Notes. No switching tabs, no copying into ChatGPT and back again.
You can use Apple Intelligence for some of this, but the built-in AI assistant in ProNotes can do much more, just like ChatGPT can.
You can:
Continue your writing with an auto-generated paragraph
Fix spelling and grammar without judgment
Summarize long text blocks
Make text shorter or longer (depending on how verbose you feel)
Rephrase for clarity, tone, or dramatic flair
Custom prompt the AI for anything — generate ideas, write outlines, or get feedback
The only downside: AI is only for the Gold version.
I don’t use it. I don’t pay for it. But if you want to, it’s a reasonable $7.99 per month subscription.
6. Command Palette for Fast Navigation
ProNotes adds a command palette that lets you quickly search and switch between notes.
It’s reminiscent of Spotlight or VSCode’s quick switcher and makes bouncing between projects or tasks way smoother.
You can even configure it with a global keyboard shortcut, turning Apple Notes into something far closer to a productivity powerhouse, similar to Notion.
The One Big Catch
Before you get too excited, let’s talk about one downside of ProNotes:
It is macOS-only.
There’s no iOS version. No iPadOS integration. Just good old-fashioned macOS.
And that’s a real limitation, because Apple Notes is at its best when it’s cross-device. You jot something down on your phone, expand on it later on your Mac, maybe reference it on your iPad. That’s the whole ecosystem magic.
But because Apple doesn’t allow third-party plugins or extensions on iOS the way macOS does, ProNotes can’t follow you to your mobile devices.
So if you do 90% of your note-taking on your Mac, ProNotes is perfect. If you live on your phone or iPad, you can still use everything like normal, but you don’t have the fancy new features like Markdown, slash commands, etc. I can live with that because I mainly write in Notes on Mac. On iOS, I use the voice notes feature way more.
But, yeah, it’s a downside. Keep that in mind!
A Quick Word on Alternatives: NotesCmdr
While we’re on the subject of upgrading Apple Notes, it’s worth mentioning NotesCmdr as a solid alternative.
It does much of the same.
NotesCmdr also brings slash commands, Markdown support, reusable templates, and a calculator (/calc) right into Apple Notes (the last one is a bit obsolete since Apple’s latest update with Math Notes).
NotesCmdr is also a bit more minimal than ProNotes and doesn’t include AI, but it’s a favorite among those who want fast, clean text workflows and don’t need the bells and whistles.
That said, NotesCmdr is also Mac-only. And it costs a one-time $14.99.
The Bottom Line
ProNotes is a rare kind of plugin. It does a lot, is lightweight, and feels native. While being free.
It doesn’t ask you to change your habits. It doesn’t require you to learn a new app or migrate your data. It simply enhances what’s already there.
If you’re someone who appreciates speed, structure, and writing without distractions, ProNotes might just be the missing piece in your Apple Notes workflow.
Sure, it’s not available on iOS, but if you do your serious thinking and writing on a Mac, it’s hard to beat. I can’t live without it anymore.
ProNotes is simple, efficient, and surprisingly powerful — just how Apple Notes should be.