The best D&D note-taking apps for DMs in 2026
There isn't one best app for D&D notes. The right one depends on when you do your note-taking and how much of it you enjoy. I build one of these apps, so I've put it last and tried to be fair to the rest.
By Peter Neale, a DM who builds SCRY. Updated 16 September 2026.
A Google Doc
Free, already open on your laptop, and perfectly fine for the first few sessions. It gets hard to live with once the campaign is long enough that finding anything means Ctrl+F and hoping.
Good for: short campaigns and one-shots.
Obsidian
A free notes app that stores everything as markdown files on your own computer. You link notes with double brackets, so an NPC's page can point to the town she lives in, and community plugins add extras like statblocks and maps.
Good for: DMs who enjoy building their own system and keeping it up.
Notion
A general workspace built from pages and databases. DMs use it for campaign trackers, with one table for NPCs and another for quests, and there are plenty of free templates to start from.
Good for: DMs who like structured databases and already use Notion for other things.
World Anvil
A worldbuilding platform with article templates, maps and timelines, plus tools for running a campaign in the world you've built. It works best when the setting itself is the project.
Good for: DMs who build a detailed world before play and want to share or publish it.
LegendKeeper
A worldbuilding wiki that runs in your browser, with a quick editor and maps that sit right next to your articles.
Good for: DMs who want a tidy wiki with maps and less to learn than World Anvil.
Kanka
A campaign manager with ready-made page types for characters, locations, organisations, quests and more, all linked together. The core is free, and paid options add extras.
Good for: DMs who want structure out of the box without building it themselves.
SCRY
This one's mine. SCRY records your session on Discord and writes a session recap and a linked campaign wiki from what was said, with each entry showing the line it came from. Your players get their own wiki with only what's been revealed, and you can export everything to markdown for Obsidian. It needs your game to run over Discord voice, so it isn't for in-person tables yet.
Good for: DMs whose notes keep falling behind the campaign.
How to choose
If you enjoy writing notes, pick by how much structure you want. Obsidian, Notion and Kanka cover that range between them. DMs who build the world before anyone plays in it tend to be happiest in World Anvil or LegendKeeper. When the notes are the part that keeps slipping, look for something that captures the session for you.