Free Microsoft OneNote Alternatives

The best free alternative to Microsoft OneNote is Obsidian. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Microsoft OneNote and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Microsoft OneNote are Joplin, NoteLedge, Zim and sNotes – Students Notes.

filter to find the best alternatives

Microsoft OneNote alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Todo List Managers or Task Management Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Open Source, iPhone, Free, Self-Hosted, Android and EU. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Microsoft OneNote.
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Alternatives list

  1. QOwnNotes icon
     100 likes

    Plain text notepad with markdown support and todo list manager for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows, that works together with the notes application of ownCloud.

    291 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
     
  2. Notebook PEA icon
     22 likes

    Protects your private notes with a password. Notebook PEA is a self-decrypting archive, that will never store unencrypted text on your disk.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
  3. La Suite Docs icon
     23 likes

    Collaborative platform for real-time note-taking, documentation, and wikis, featuring offline editing, granular permissions, AI-assisted writing, multiple export formats, user-friendly formatting, scalable team support, customizable templates, and open-source licensing.

    90 La Suite Docs alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
     
  4. jotty·page icon
     13 likes

    Lightweight, self-hosted app for managing personal checklists and notes with drag and drop, progress bars, Kanban boards, Markdown WYSIWYG editor, file-based data, user management, sharing options, themes, open source, and API access.

    126 jotty·page alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
     
  5. Reor icon
     33 likes

    Reor is an AI-powered desktop note-taking app: it automatically links related ideas, answers questions on your notes and provides semantic search. Everything is stored locally and you can edit your notes with an Obsidian-like markdown editor.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
     
  6. Rnote icon
     38 likes

    Rnote aims to be a simple but functional note taking application for freehand drawing or annotating pictures or documents. It eventually should be able to import / export various media file formats.

    26 Rnote alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
     
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    1
  7. OpenBoard is a cross-platform (Linux / Windows / macOS) interactive whiteboard application. It is currently maintained by the Education Department (DIP) of the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland.

    100 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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    1
  8. Lockbook icon
     20 likes

    Provides end-to-end encrypted note-taking, file storage, and sketching with syncing across platforms, zero data collection, no personal info or passwords required, open-source code for transparency, and optional premium storage, all via native and CLI tools.

    74 Lockbook alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Self-Hosted
     
  9.  Craft icon
     45 likes

    Craft offers document creation with stunning visuals, seamless navigation, and effortless sharing. Nest notes, use AI for summaries, and export in multiple formats.

    119 Craft alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  10. Anchor icon
     15 likes

    Offline-first, self-hostable note app supporting rich text formatting, tag-based organization, customizable backgrounds, pinning, search, archiving, admin management, trash recovery, mobile and web access, sync, privacy safeguards, and dark or light themes.

    69 Anchor alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
     
  11. Microsoft Loop icon
     20 likes

    Microsoft Loop is an app designed for co-creation that brings your team and ideas together in one place. With Loop components that sync across apps in real-time, you can stay in sync without switching apps and get more done right where you are.

    91 Microsoft Loop alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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