Free Online Microsoft OneNote Alternatives

There are many alternatives to Microsoft OneNote as a web app if you are looking for a replacement. The best free Online alternative is Joplin, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Microsoft OneNote and many of them are free and available as a web app so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Online alternatives to Microsoft OneNote are sNotes – Students Notes, Notion, Logseq and Standard 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 Team Collaboration Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Open Source, iPhone, Android, Free, Self-Hosted 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. Joplin icon

    Joplin

     861 likes
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    Open source app for managing notes and to-dos with Markdown support. Syncs seamlessly across devices using services like Dropbox and OneDrive. Offers end-to-end encrypted synchronicity, offline access, rich import/export options, and a Web Clipper for browsers.

    105 Joplin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • AppImageHub
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    • Termux
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Desktop and mobile apps
     
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    13
    69
    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.
    Top Positive Comment
    dasonic
    13

    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 Negative Comment
    Martin Ligabue
    7

    it doesn't have pen input support

    Nuncio Bitis
    Negative
    1

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

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    3 of 13 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Joplin icon

    • Most users think Joplin is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

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

    • Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Joplin is Privacy focused, Lightweight and MinimalisticMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  2. sNotes – Students Notes icon

    sNotes – Students Notes

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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    sNotes – Students Notes screenshot 1
     
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    2
    99
    Comments about sNotes – Students Notes as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
    dida_james
    Positive
    4

    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.

    ceka-feyam
    Positive
    2

    A Real alternative to OneNote, especially for study purposes.

    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    sNotes – Students Notes icon

    • Almost everyone thinks sNotes – Students Notes is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • 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
  4. Notion icon

    Notion

     644 likes
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    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.

    149 Notion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Notion screenshot 1
     
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    5
    31
    Comments about Notion as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
    Top Positive Comment
    raphaelaguiar
    3

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

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    9

    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Leo T
    Positive
    0

    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.

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    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 Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is also Freemium and Proprietary
    • Notion is CustomizableMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
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    Workflowy icon
    Workflowy

    Offers limitless nested lists for outlining, instant sync on web and mobile, real-time collaboration, file and photo uploads, kanban boards, tagging, offline editing, hoisting for branch focus, content sharing, text highlighting,...

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  6. Logseq icon

    Logseq

     313 likes
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    Local-first, privacy-focused notebook supporting Markdown and Emacs Org mode. Offers offline use, encrypted backups, plugin extensibility, LaTeX support, real-time collaboration, and hierarchical organization for personal knowledge management.

    161 Logseq alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    • Flathub
    Logseq screenshot 1
     
  7. Standard Notes icon

    Standard Notes

     679 likes
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    Secure note-taking app with end-to-end encryption, unlimited syncing across all platforms, offline access, detailed organization through tags, strong passcode and biometric protections, and premium features like encrypted files, themes, web clipper, super note types, and hardware key support.

    115 Standard Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
    Standard Notes screenshot 1
     
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    7
    33
    Comments about Standard Notes as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    1

    Encrypted, very lightweight and not owned by Microsoft.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    5

    The free version is only plain text editing - can't even paste images or use bold and italics. There simply aren't enough features in the free one to determine whether I like it enough to pay for premium.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    k71
    0

    Good for those options to store online or sync between devices. Devices: Windows app, web-browser, android app...

    I prefer this one than SimpleNote, in any case, to share between devices nowadays i recommend telegram or protectedtext. For text, Onenote. I didnt like turtl, joplin or elephant.

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    3 of 7 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Standard Notes icon

    • Most users think Standard Notes is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative.

    • Standard Notes is Freemium and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Standard Notes is Privacy focused, Minimalistic, Security-focused and CustomizableMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  8. Notesnook icon

    Notesnook

     169 likes
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    Notesnook is a simple and cross-platform private notes app that keeps your notes organized and synced on your phone, tablet and computer. Take notes, capture ideas, create to-do lists, keep a journal, write your assignments and manage projects, we have got you covered.

    290 Notesnook alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Flatpak
    Notesnook screenshot 1
     
  10. Evernote icon

    Evernote

     2481 likes
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    App designed for cross-platform note-taking and organizing. Create notes with text, images, and audio, tag and search them. Features offline access, business card scanning, and presentation modes. Integrate with LinkedIn and secure with a passcode lock.

    78 Evernote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Blackberry
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Kindle Fire
    Evernote screenshot 1
     
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    10
    87
    Comments about Evernote as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
    Top Positive Comment
    Britly Novus
    6

    Evernote is clunky, overwhelming, and slow. It has a lot of cool features that used to be relatively unique, but it's grown stagnant. Also the mobile version is pretty buggy.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    60

    It is far and away lacking many features of onenote, most noticeably the ability to have sections and subsections of notes in binders. Making it not good for keeping ORGANIZED notes.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    k71
    0

    I dont use it for writing text (much better OneNote), i just use it for saving webpages or text from webpages. I think it´s quite slow, and somehow i dont like that much. Also, I dont trust neither expect any privacy with Microsoft, but it´s the best option i have to store the webpages.

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    3 of 10 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Evernote icon

    • Some users think Evernote is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative, some don't.

    • Evernote is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is also Freemium and Proprietary
  11. Workflowy icon

    Workflowy

     313 likes
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    Offers limitless nested lists for outlining, instant sync on web and mobile, real-time collaboration, file and photo uploads, kanban boards, tagging, offline editing, hoisting for branch focus, content sharing, text highlighting, and Dropbox auto-backup.

    347 Workflowy alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Workflowy screenshot 1
     
  13. Google Keep icon

    Google Keep

     830 likes
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    Google Keep is a multifunctional tool that merges note-taking with browsing, allowing capture of thoughts, checklists, or voice notes, with cross-device synchronization. Features include color-coded notes, voice transcription, geo-fencing, collaboration, cloud storage, and seamless Google integration.

    103 Google Keep alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Android Wear
    Google Keep screenshot 1
    Google Keep screenshot 2
    Google Keep screenshot 3
     
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    15
    62
    Comments about Google Keep as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
    Comment summary: Google Keep is often compared to a basic sticky note application, lacking the robust features of Microsoft OneNote, such as multiple notebooks, subfolders, and advanced formatting options. While Keep offers simplicity and ease of use for quick notes and lists, it is seen as too lightweight for users seeking more detailed and organized note-taking solutions. OneNote's ability to structure and manage information comprehensively makes it a preferred choice for complex tasks.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    51

    I love Keep, but it's not anywhere near as detailed as OneNote. Keep is basically for making sticky notes, which is helpful, but OneNote has way more features. I know a lot of students, as well as myself, who use OneNote for taking school notes. You can draw, add tags to notes, and add formattings, such as fonts, colors, bullets, and number lists. You can even draw on top of things you type. You can't any of that in Google Keep.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Far more basic than OneNote and not a comparable alternative

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    2

    Keep is like sticky notes which is completely different from Onenote

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 15 comments
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Google Keep icon

    • Some users think Google Keep is a great Microsoft OneNote alternative, some don't.

    • Google Keep is Free and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Google Keep is LightweightMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  15. Craft icon

    Craft

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

    90 Craft alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Craft screenshot 1
     
12 of 46 Microsoft OneNote alternatives