The Best Microsoft OneNote AlternativesTop Note-taking Tools & Todo List Managers like Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is described as 'Part of the Microsoft 365 (Office) , is a digital notebook application that gives people one place to gather notes and information. It also offers shared notebooks, syncing between multiple computers and devices via Windows' and is a leading Note-taking tool in the office & productivity category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Microsoft OneNote for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone apps. The best Microsoft OneNote alternative is Obsidian. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try NoteLedge or Zim. Other great apps like Microsoft OneNote are sNotes – Students Notes, Joplin, Xournal++ and Notion.

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Microsoft OneNote alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools but may also be Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Microsoft OneNote.
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Microsoft OneNote, part of the Microsoft 365 (Office) , is a digital notebook application that gives people one place to gather notes and information. It also offers shared notebooks,...

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Microsoft OneNote alternatives page was last updated Sep 27, 2024
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    359 monday.com alternatives
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    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
  1. Obsidian icon
     914 likes

    Obsidian is a note-taking app that lets you create a personal knowledge graph with ease. It is designed for non-linear thinking and allows you to easily link your notes together wiki-style.

    89 Obsidian alternatives
    Obsidian screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub

    Top Obsidian Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Local Storage
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Graph view
    5.  Bidirectional links
    6.  Mind Mapping
    7.  Personal Information Manager (PIM)
    8.  No registration required
    9.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    10.  Knowledge Management
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Backlink
    Obsidian iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Obsidian VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Obsidian a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    • Most users think Obsidian is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • Obsidian is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Microsoft OneNote.

    • Obsidian is the most popular free alternative to Microsoft OneNote.

    • Obsidian is Free Personal and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
  2. NoteLedge icon
     195 likes

    Note-taking tool tailored for creatives offering idea capture from Pinterest, YouTube, and the web. Allows mood board creation, drawing, and sketching with varied brushes. Present work, share with teams using multimedia and exportable notes in PDF format

    36 NoteLedge alternatives
    NoteLedge screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet

    Top NoteLedge Features

    1.  Audio Recording
    2.  Drag and Drop
    3.  Web Clipper
    4.  Sync on many devices
    5.  Handwritten Notes
    6.  Multi-choice brushes
    7.  Portable
    8.  Video Import
    9.  Cloud Sync
    10.  Tag based
    11.  Better formatting
    12.  Stickers
    NoteLedge iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    NoteLedge VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is NoteLedge a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about NoteLedge as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
    Harry Ryan

    With this app you can organize everything including your daily activity or special event.

    Positive commentJun 19, 2019
    -1
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    NoteLedge icon
    • Almost everyone thinks NoteLedge is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • NoteLedge is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is also Freemium and Proprietary
  3. Zim icon
     492 likes

    Zim brings the concept of a wiki to your desktop. Store information, link pages and edit with WYSISYG markup or directly typing some lightweight markup syntax and see it previewed as-you-type. Creating a new page is easy by either clicking on the "Create new note"...

    289 Zim alternatives
    Zim screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Plain text file
    3.  Wiki-like interface
    4.  Hierarchical Structure
    5.  Cross-Platform
    6.  Note organization
    7.  WYSIWYG Support
    8.  Outliner
    9.  Text formatting
    10.  Portable
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Notebook
    Zim iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Zim VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Zim a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about Zim as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
       
    LordMax

    Wonderful. Every file is a .txt file, so you're in total control.

    Top positive commentMay 6, 2018
    18
    Guest

    Zim is more like simplenote, or a desktop wiki. It is missing most of the functionality of onenote.

    Top negative commentSep 28, 2018
    19
    axcqhsbsadoukciozt

    You are better of using a cellulose notepad rather than OneNote which siphons all your data unencrypted to "the cloud"

    Positive commentJul 3, 2023
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 11 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Zim icon
    • Most users think Zim is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • Zim is the most popular Open Source alternative to Microsoft OneNote.

    • Zim is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Zim is LightweightMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  4. sNotes – Students Notes icon
     119 likes

    Students Notes is a note-taking app designed for online learners to overcome information overload, organization, and memorization challenges.

    38 sNotes – Students Notes alternatives
    sNotes – Students Notes screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Knowledge base
    2.  Note organization
    3.  Hierarchical Structure
    4.  Handwritten Notes
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  Full-Text Search
    9.  Ad-free
    sNotes – Students Notes iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    sNotes – Students Notes VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is this a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about sNotes – Students Notes as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
    dida_james

    The ability to organize knowledge with snotes and easily save snotes files for later access and review significantly enhances its usability. This makes snotes a strong competitor to OneNote.

    Positive commentMar 26, 2024
    4
    ceka-feyam

    A Real alternative to OneNote, especially for study purposes.

    Positive commentMar 6, 2024
    2
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    sNotes – Students Notes icon
    • Almost everyone thinks sNotes – Students Notes is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • sNotes – Students Notes is the most popular Web-based alternative to Microsoft OneNote.

    • sNotes – Students Notes is Free and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • sNotes – Students Notes is Privacy focused and LightweightMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  5. Joplin icon
     795 likes

    Joplin is a open source note taking and to-do application, which can handle a large number of notes organised into notebooks. The notes are searchable, can be copied, tagged and modified either from the applications directly or from your own text editor.

    64 Joplin alternatives
    Desktop and mobile apps

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  End-to-End Encryption
    4.  Web Clipper
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Local Storage
    7.  Tagging
    8. Android icon  Android Sync
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  File Sync
    11.  Encrypted Notes
    12.  WebDAV Support
    Joplin iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Joplin VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Joplin a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about Joplin as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
       
    Comment summary: Critics of Joplin note limitations such as lack of features compared to OneNote, like pen input support and drawing capabilities. However, Joplin's advocates highlight its strengths in privacy, open-source nature, and compatibility with Linux. Joplin supports markdown editing and allows users to store data on personal servers with encryption. While some praise its clean interface and cross-platform sync, others consider OneNote more feature-rich, especially for writing and organizing notes.
    dasonic

    Same structure as Onenote, supports images, looks modern.

    Doesn't have all the same features (like drawing on the screen) but also has its own unique features Onenote doesn't have.

    Also runs on Linux, which is the biggest plus for me.

    Top positive commentMar 7, 2020
    13
    Martin Ligabue

    it doesn't have pen input support

    Top negative commentOct 15, 2021
    6
    Nuncio Bitis

    it doesn't do diagrams, and the plain text files it creates are given obscure names so you can't find them.

    Negative commentJul 17, 2024
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 13 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Joplin icon
    • Most users think Joplin is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • Joplin is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Microsoft OneNote.

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Privacy focusedMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  6. Xournal++ icon
     161 likes

    Xournal++ (a fork of Xournal) is a handwriting Notetaking software with PDF annotation support. Written in C++ with platform independent GTK, supporting Linux, e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Suse, macOS and Windows 10. Supports Pen input like Wacom Tablets.

    50 Xournal++ alternatives
    Xournal++ screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Top Xournal++ Features

    1.  Handwritten Notes
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Support for styluses
    4.  Handwriting
    5.  Export to PDF
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  LaTeX Math
    8.  Pen Support
    9.  Pressure Sensitivity
    10.  Freehand Writing
    11.  Multi layer drawing
    12.  Audio with notes
    Xournal++ iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Xournal++ VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Xournal++ a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about Xournal++ as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
       
    violoncello

    With Xournal++ you own your notes and can save them wherever you want - you are not forced to store them somewhere in the cloud as it's the case with OneNote

    Top positive commentDec 31, 2020
    2
    Guest

    In the version available for Chromebooks, the option for typed text is not working.

    Top negative commentMay 19, 2022
    0
    Guest

    Nearly similar interface. Lightweight, open source with latex support and voice notes. Flexible layout which was missing in xournal.

    Positive commentAug 26, 2021
    1
    Show more comments
    3 of 7 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Xournal++ icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Xournal++ is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
  7. Notion icon
     599 likes

    Enhance team collaboration and content organization with Notion. Experience real-time access, intuitive drag-and-drop functionalities, and visually simple interfaces designed for productivity in managing tasks, notes, and databases effectively. Ideal for teams of every size.

    91 Notion alternatives
    Notion screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)

    Top Notion Features

    1.  Database Management Tool
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Wiki
    4.  Custom templates
    5.  Team Collaboration
    6.  Visual bookmarks
    7.  Relational Database
    8.  Knowledge Base structuring
    9.  Data export/import
    10.  Kanban Board
    11.  Real time collaboration
    12. LaTeX icon  Support for LaTeX
    Notion iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Notion VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Notion a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about Notion as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
       
    raphaelaguiar

    Better visualization and flexible organization. Keeps your information in a multi-hierarchical wiki, not in notes,

    Top positive commentJul 28, 2017
    3
    Guest

    Biggest feature of Onenote is drawing & typing everywhere, which Notion doesn't support. Notion is good to store highly structured data, while Onenote is more like a digital paper.

    Top negative commentMar 25, 2020
    9
    Leo T

    Notion is better for vizualisation and is free, but the huge drawback is the desktop application. It is an embedded browser (Chrome actually), so its RAM and CPU usages are far behind OneNote : around 1% CPU average for Notion, vs OneNote with 0% average ; 300Mb RAM usage, vs 60Mb for OneNote. This impacts directly user experience and battery life, and also loading times. OneNote is loading quasi instantly, and Notion is taking 5s to load.

    Positive commentSep 23, 2022
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 5 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Notion icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Notion is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • Notion is the most popular SaaS alternative to Microsoft OneNote.

    • Notion is Free Personal and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
8 of 85 Microsoft OneNote alternatives