Microsoft OneNote AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Text Editors

The best Text Editor 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 12 are Text Editors so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Text Editor alternatives to Microsoft OneNote are Notion, Zettlr, Beaver Notes and QOwnNotes.

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Microsoft OneNote alternatives are mainly Note-taking Tools, but if you're looking for Text Editors or Todo List Managers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Open Source, iPhone, EU, Free, Android and Self-Hosted. 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. Obsidian icon
     1107 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.

    202 Obsidian alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • AppImage
     
  2. Notion icon
     654 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.

    205 Notion alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
    |
    5
    Notion vs Microsoft OneNote Comments
    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.

    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
  3. Zettlr icon
     250 likes

    Unified writing platform offering note-taking, easy citations with Zotero integration, LaTeX/Word templates, snippets, themes, dark modes, code highlighting, multi-language support, and knowledge management with Zettelkasten for seamless writing from notes to books.

    187 Zettlr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
     
  4. Beaver Notes icon
     61 likes

    Your personal note-taking haven for privacy and efficiency.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Flathub
     
  5. QOwnNotes icon
     96 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.

    278 QOwnNotes alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Qt
     
  6. Script icon
     1 like

    Script is a text editor for digitally interconnected documents. A bit like Notion but for formal business & industrial processes. It turns text into dynamic workflows for seamless collaboration across work streams.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
     
  7. A lightweight, distraction-free notepad with instant access, no registration or ads, auto-saves notes locally, supports manual export, and works seamlessly on modern browsers and mobile devices while prioritizing privacy with a clean interface and dark mode.

    82 Online Notepad alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
     
  8. Riraen icon
     1 like

    Riraen is a specialized AI-powered content management and creation engine designed to operationalize data-driven workflows for marketing teams, entrepreneurs, and digital creators. Unlike general-purpose AI assistants, Riraen focuses on "growth-ready" content by...

    97 Riraen alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
  9. Kraa.io icon
     1 like

    Kraa is for writing., It's a note-taking app, a text editor, a messaging app, a story book, a community hub, a shared document, a blogging platform, a family board, ...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
     
  10. MindNote icon
     1 like

    MindNote, the smartest, simplest, most customizable note-taking app designed to keep your ideas, thoughts, and memories organized and accessible wherever you go.

    69 MindNote alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Kindle Fire
     
  11. PocketMark icon
     2 likes

    PocketMark is an editor for Markdown (.md) files elegant and powerful, it's feature include, but are not limited to:

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
     
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