Microsoft OneNote AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

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

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 iPhone, Open Source, Linux, Free, Android, Linux + Open Source 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.

More about Microsoft OneNote

Get a badge for your siteMicrosoft OneNote alternatives page was last updated Aug 18, 2026

Official Partner
PrivacyNotes
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Workspace with end-to-end encryption, zero-knowledge security, rich notes, private journal, encrypted file storage, password management, cross-platform browser access, open-source cryptography, optional Pro features, and no recurring subscription fees.
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- iPhone
- iPad
- Google Chrome
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- United States
More about PrivacyNotes Visit website
Obsidian
1223 likes
Privacy-oriented note-taking app for non-linear thinking, blending knowledge graph creation with wiki-style linking. Supports Markdown, end-to-end encryption, and plugins for customization. Offers distraction-free mode, tags, themes, syntax highlighting, and operates offline without tracking.
345 Obsidian alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Canada
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Snapcraft
Microsoft Edge
Google Chrome
Flathub
Safari
AppImage
Mozilla Firefox
Canada
+6
Good alternative?Is Obsidian a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
NoteLedge
200 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
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Taiwan
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Android
iPhone
iPad
Android Tablet
Taiwan
+5
Good alternative?Is NoteLedge a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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1comment
NoteLedge vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Positive comment by Harry Ryan · Jun 19, 2019
With this app you can organize everything including your daily activity or special event.
1 of 1 comments
NoteLedge is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is also Freemium and Proprietary
Zim
520 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"...
360 Zim alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
Netherlands
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Flathub
Flatpak
Netherlands
EU
+2
Good alternative?Is Zim a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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11comments
Zim vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Top Positive Comment by LordMax · May 6, 2018
Wonderful. Every file is a .txt file, so you're in total control.
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Sep 28, 2018
Zim is more like simplenote, or a desktop wiki. It is missing most of the functionality of onenote.
Positive comment by axcqhsbsadoukciozt · Jul 3, 2023
You are better of using a cellulose notepad rather than OneNote which siphons all your data unencrypted to "the cloud"
3 of 11 comments
Zim is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
Zim is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
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sNotes – Students Notes
124 likes
Students Notes is a note-taking app designed for online learners to overcome information overload, organization, and memorization challenges.
131 sNotes – Students Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Application type
Note-taking
Platforms
Online
Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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2comments
sNotes – Students Notes vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Positive comment by dida_james · Mar 26, 2024
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 comment by ceka-feyam · Mar 6, 2024
A Real alternative to OneNote, especially for study purposes.
2 of 2 comments
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
Joplin
945 likes
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.
223 Joplin alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
France
EU
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
France
EU
+7
Good alternative?Is Joplin a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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13comments
Joplin vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Top Positive Comment by dasonic · Mar 7, 2020
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 by Martin Ligabue · Oct 15, 2021
it doesn't have pen input support
Negative comment by Nuncio Bitis · Jul 17, 2024
it doesn't do diagrams, and the plain text files it creates are given obscure names so you can't find them.
3 of 13 comments
Joplin is Freemium and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
Joplin is Privacy focused, Lightweight, Minimalistic and DecentralizedMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
Notion
683 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.
407 Notion alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Software as a Service (SaaS)
United States
+9
Good alternative?Is Notion a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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5comments
Notion vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Top Positive Comment by raphaelaguiar · Jul 28, 2017
Better visualization and flexible organization. Keeps your information in a multi-hierarchical wiki, not in notes,
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Mar 25, 2020
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.
Positive comment by Leo T · Sep 23, 2022
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.
3 of 5 comments
Notion is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft OneNote is also Freemium and Proprietary
Notion is CustomizableMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
Xournal++
199 likes
Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation using pen input and pressure sensitivity, shape drawing, customizable toolbar layouts, image insertion, audio recording, multi-language options, LaTeX integration, and complete export in PDF or PNG formats across all platforms.
74 Xournal++ alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
PDF Reader
Origin
International
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Snapcraft
Flathub
Global
+1
Good alternative?Is Xournal++ a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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8comments
Xournal++ vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Top Positive Comment by violoncello · Dec 31, 2020
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 Negative Comment by syserss · Aug 18, 2026
This is really an annotation and sketching tool. While it looks like it may do that well, OneNote has so many more features.
Negative comment by Guest · May 19, 2022
In the version available for Chromebooks, the option for typed text is not working.
3 of 8 comments
Xournal++ is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
Xournal++ is Privacy focused and LightweightMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
Logseq
358 likes
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.
259 Logseq alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
iPad
Self-Hosted
Flathub
F-Droid
United States
Good alternative?Is Logseq a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
Anytype
313 likes
Manage notes, tasks, and projects offline with Markdown support. Enjoy encrypted storage, P2P syncing, and powerful dynamic collections across all devices, while allowing redistribution and modification for non-commercial uses.
237 Anytype alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Source Available
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
Switzerland
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Google Chrome
Flathub
Flatpak
Docker
Switzerland
+6
Good alternative?Is Anytype a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
CherryTree
334 likes
Hierarchical note-taking software that is free, open-source, cross-platform. Features include rich text, syntax highlighting, multi-level lists, embedded files, customizable interface, code execution, PDF export, spell check, images & tables, and comprehensive project management support.
151 CherryTree alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Flathub
PortableApps.com
Flatpak
+3
Good alternative?Is CherryTree a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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8comments
CherryTree vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Jan 13, 2017
its not OneNote, but its as close as I´ve found on linux. This finally frees me from Windows. Just started using it, but already i can see it will do. Now if only it accepts photos, voice clips, videos and webpages I can call it a day!
Top Negative Comment by syserss · Aug 18, 2026
This looks and feels more like a AppDev environment than a note taking tool. If you're a developer, you'll probably love it, but for me, this is the opposite of everything I like about OneNote.
Positive comment by Guest · May 13, 2020
hierarchical Nodes and Subnode with icons, quick tool bar, simple as well rich text format, import export option, extremely light weight set up, easy backup, adjustable font size with mouse button, complete set of editting tools, customizable lay out, stable, supports text upto million of words, word count, password protected, multiple data basis, free and easy to use.
3 of 8 comments
CherryTree is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft OneNote is Freemium and Proprietary
CherryTree is Customizable and Privacy focusedMicrosoft OneNote is not according to our users
Standard Notes
709 likes
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.
217 Standard Notes alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Todo List Manager
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
OpenAPK
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Standard Notes a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

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7comments
Standard Notes vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
Top Positive Comment by Guest · Sep 8, 2017
Encrypted, very lightweight and not owned by Microsoft.
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Aug 18, 2020
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.
Comment by k71 · Sep 24, 2022
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.
3 of 7 comments
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
Notesnook
221 likes
Offers open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes with device-based privacy, cross-platform support, private vault, secure sync, offline access, markdown editor, exports to multiple formats, automatic backups, organizational tools, and strong encryption.
393 Notesnook alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Note-taking
Task Management
Origin
Pakistan
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Google Chrome
Flathub
F-Droid
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Flatpak
Self-Hosted
Pakistan
+6
Good alternative?Is Notesnook a good alternative to Microsoft OneNote?

12 of 182 Microsoft OneNote alternatives

Microsoft OneNote AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Note-taking Tools

Alternatives list

PrivacyNotes

Obsidian

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NoteLedge

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Zim

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sNotes – Students Notes

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sNotes – Students Notes vs Microsoft OneNote Comments

Joplin

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Notion

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Xournal++

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Logseq

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Anytype

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CherryTree

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Standard Notes

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Notesnook

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