Open Source Microsoft OneNote Alternatives

The best open source alternative to Microsoft OneNote is Zim. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Microsoft OneNote and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Microsoft OneNote are Joplin, Xournal++, Logseq and CherryTree.

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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 Copilot, is a digital notebook application that gives people one place to gather notes and information. It also offers shared notebooks,...

More about Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote alternatives page was last updated Mar 17, 2025
  1. Markor icon
     79 likes

    Markor is a TextEditor for Android, versatile, flexible, and lightweight. Markor utilizes simple markup formats like Markdown and todo.txt for note-taking and list management. It is versatile at working with text; it can also be used for keeping bookmarks, copying to clipboard...

    136 Markor alternatives
    Markor screenshot 1
    Markor screenshot 2
    Markor screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Distraction-free
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Markdown preview
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Share notes
    4.  Offline Reading
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Export to PDF
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Code Formatting
    9.  Handwritten Notes
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Syntax Highlighting
    12.  Todo.txt based
    Markor iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Markor VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Markor a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about Markor as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
    zokris

    Markor is light, fast and uses Markdown text so your notes can be read on all devices. With OneNote you need the app to open your notes.

    Positive commentSep 16, 2020
    0
    Guest

    Open-source, feature-filled and uses open formats so it is future-proof. Actively updated with new features. A great app for notes, to-do lists and jotting down thoughts and ideas.

    Positive commentAug 24, 2020
    0
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    Markor icon
    • Markor is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Markor is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  2. Reor icon
     26 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.

    74 Reor alternatives
    Reor screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux

    Reor Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  No registration required
    5.  AI-Powered
    6.  Note organization
    7.  Semantic Search
    Reor iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Reor VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Reor a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
  3. QOwnNotes icon
     93 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.

    227 QOwnNotes alternatives
    QOwnNotes main screen

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Support for Themes
    3.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Support for MarkDown
    2.  Local Storage
    3.  Plain text file
    4.  Tagging
    5. Nextcloud icon  Nextcloud integration
    6.  End-to-End Encryption
    7.  Syntax Highlighting
    8.  Subtasks
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Synchronization
    QOwnNotes iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    QOwnNotes VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is QOwnNotes a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
  4. Docmost icon
     23 likes

    Docmost is an open-source collaborative wiki and documentation software. It is an open-source alternative to Confluence and Notion.

    61 Docmost alternatives
    Docmost screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Full-Text Search
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Real time collaboration
    4.  File Versioning
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Built-in Commenting System
    7.  Attachments
    8.  Knowledge Management
    9.  Nested Notes
    10.  Wiki
    11.  Knowledge base
    12.  Activity history
    Docmost iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Docmost VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Docmost a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
  5. OpenBoard Whiteboard icon
     60 likes

    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.

    87 OpenBoard Whiteboard alternatives
    OpenBoard Whiteboard screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Interactive Whiteboard
    2.  Handwritten Notes
    3.  Fullscreen support
    4.  Freeform notes
    5.  Pressure Sensitivity
    6.  Pencil
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Real time collaboration
    10.  Handwriting
    11.  Dual screen support
    12.  Export to PDF
    OpenBoard Whiteboard iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    OpenBoard Whiteboard VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is OpenBoard Whiteboard a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
    Comments about OpenBoard Whiteboard as an Alternative to Microsoft OneNote
     
    Mutaz_Abusaad

    The most important feature in OneNote, for me, is the "free-hand" writing feature on any PDF file. OpenBoard allows you to do so. It is also set up to take the whole screen with little distraction on it, so you can work and explain things to your students and collaborators.

    Positive commentApr 2, 2020
    2
    Microsoft OneNote Icon
    OpenBoard Whiteboard icon
    • OpenBoard Whiteboard is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
    • OpenBoard Whiteboard is LightweightMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
  6. Blinko icon
     8 likes

    Open-source note-taking tool offering AI-enhanced retrieval with RAG technology, secure self-hosted data storage, Markdown support, and transparent community collaboration on GitHub for efficient, private, and effortless note management.

    40 Blinko alternatives
    Blinko screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Full-Text Search
    2.  Support for MarkDown
    3.  No Tracking
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Natural Language Processing
    6.  AI-Powered
    7.  Idea management
    8.  Notebook
    Blinko iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Blinko VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Blinko a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
  7. Docs icon
     8 likes

    A collaborative note-taking, wiki, and documentation platform that scales. Built with Django and React. Open source alternative to Notion, Confluence, or Outline.

    24 Docs alternatives
    Docs screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    • Online

    Top Docs Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Real time collaboration
    4.  Support for MarkDown
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Text formatting
    7.  Export to PDF
    8.  Simultaneous Users
    9.  Knowledge Management
    10.  Add subpages
    11.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
    12.  Integrated Search
    Docs iconMicrosoft OneNote Icon

    Docs VS Microsoft OneNote

    Is Docs a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
     
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