Best Microsoft OneNote alternatives
Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking app organized into notebooks, sections, and pages, supporting handwriting, voice transcription, and real-time collaboration so users can capture ideas and organize projects across devices.
About Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking app organized into notebooks, sections, and pages, supporting handwriting, voice transcription, and real-time collaboration so users can capture ideas and organize projects across devices. Positioned for individuals and teams already in the Microsoft ecosystem who want free-form, notebook-style note-taking with handwriting and voice capture across all their devices.
- Notebook, section, and page hierarchy for organizing notes
- Handwriting and digital ink with stylus support for sketching and annotating
- Voice transcription to capture notes from audio
- Real-time collaboration for multiple users working on shared notebooks
- Full-text search across notebooks
- Copilot in OneNote for drafting plans, generating ideas, and organizing information
- Free version, with additional features included in Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Platforms
Top alternatives
See how the top Microsoft OneNote alternatives compare on use case fit and core strengths.
Evernote
A note-taking app for capturing, organizing, and searching notes, documents, and web clippings.
Best for
Users who want strong web clipping and document scanning
Notion
An all-in-one workspace combining documents, databases, project tracking, and team knowledge.
Best for
Users who want structured databases alongside free-form notes
Craft
A notes and docs app with block-based editing, AI writing assistance, and real-time collaboration.
Best for
Users who want a more design-focused, block-based notes app
Pricing
Free plan: yes
Free trial: yes
Entry paid plan
USD 84.99/ annual
Annual billing required at this price.
Free Microsoft 365 web apps
USD 0 / monthly
Includes the web version of OneNote and other Microsoft 365 web apps.
Microsoft 365 Personal
USD 84.99 / annual
One person; includes OneNote desktop app, 1 TB cloud storage, other Microsoft 365 desktop apps, and Copilot features.
Microsoft 365 Family
USD 12.99 / monthly
For 1 to 6 people; includes desktop apps and up to 6 TB total cloud storage.
How to choose
Before switching to Microsoft OneNote, weigh it against its listed alternatives: Evernote (Users who want strong web clipping and document scanning); Notion (Users who want structured databases alongside free-form notes); Craft (Users who want a more design-focused, block-based notes app). Compare each against the workflow you actually run today — integrations, customization, and the effort required to migrate your existing data usually matter more than headline features. Confirm it runs on the platforms you need (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android) before switching.
Reasons to compare alternatives before committing: OneNote itself is available free on the web, but desktop Microsoft 365 apps, larger cloud-storage entitlements, and bundled Copilot capabilities require a Microsoft 365 subscription. Paid OneNote value is bundled with the broader Microsoft 365 subscription rather than sold as a simple standalone OneNote plan, so comparisons should account for the rest of the bundle.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best alternatives to Microsoft OneNote?
Based on core features and use case fit, the strongest Microsoft OneNote alternatives are Evernote, Notion and Craft. See the comparison above for what each one does best.
How do I migrate from Microsoft OneNote to a different tool?
Most teams start by exporting their existing Microsoft OneNote data, then importing it into the new tool while running both in parallel until the switch is complete.
Do Microsoft OneNote alternatives integrate with the tools my team already uses?
Integration support varies by tool — check each alternative's own integrations before switching workflows that depend on them.
What platforms does Microsoft OneNote run on?
Microsoft OneNote is available on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS and Android, per its official site.
Sources
The facts on this page come from official vendor documentation and product pages, accessed October 6, 2026. See our Sources Policy for how we handle sourcing.
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Microsoft OneNote comparisons
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