Microsoft OneNote

An infinite paper notebook that has quietly been free for twenty years.

By Microsoft · since 2003 · onenote.com

7.8

B+ · out of 10

OneNote keeps the notebook / section / page metaphor from 2003 and pairs it with a freeform canvas where text, ink and images can sit anywhere on the page. It is the strongest free option for handwriting on a Surface or iPad, and Copilot now sits inside it if you pay Microsoft for that separately.

How it scores

  • Features25% of score

    8.4

    Depth and breadth of what the app can do.

  • Ease of use20% of score

    6.6

    Speed, polish and how long it takes to feel at home.

  • AI15% of score

    6.8

    Quality and usefulness of the built-in AI, not just its presence.

  • Sync & reliability15% of score

    7.4

    How dependably notes move between devices.

  • Value15% of score

    9.2

    What you get for what you pay.

  • Platform coverage10% of score

    8.4

    How many places you can actually use it.

Pricing

No paid plan

Free tier: The whole app, free. Notebooks count against your 5 GB OneDrive quota.

Microsoft 365 (from $9.99/month) buys storage and Copilot, not the app itself.

Platforms

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Web

41 tracked features supported

What it does well

  • Free with no note limit, no paywall, no trial countdown
  • Ink and typing mix on the same page, and ink is searchable
  • Runs on almost everything, including a decent web version
  • Section groups and subpages handle big notebooks well

Where it falls short

  • The interface differs on every platform, which is confusing
  • Sync stalls on large notebooks and the errors are cryptic
  • No markdown, no backlinks, nothing resembling linked thinking
  • Copilot costs extra and is not tuned for notes specifically

Our take

The best free handwriting notebook if you are already in the Microsoft world. Old-fashioned in structure, but it never asks for your card.

Best for: Students and Windows users who want free handwriting plus typing on one page.

Handwriting & tabletsGenuinely freeStudents & study

Feature by feature

YesPartlyVia pluginNo

Capture & input

How notes get into the app in the first place.

  • Voice recording
  • Audio transcriptionPartly
  • Speaker identificationPartly
  • Meeting recordingPartly
  • Handwriting / stylus
  • Drawing canvas
  • OCR / handwriting search
  • Web clipper
  • Share extension
  • Quick capture
  • Images
  • PDF & documents
  • Document scanning

Organization

How notes are structured, linked and found again.

  • Tags
  • Folders / notebooks
  • Multi-level foldersPartly
  • Internal links
  • Backlinks
  • Graph view
  • Databases / boards
  • Daily notes / journal
  • Note templates
  • Saved searches
  • Pins / favorites
  • Merge notesPartly

AI

Assistants, generators and meaning-based search.

  • AI chat / writing assistantPartly
  • AI agent with tools
  • Custom AI agents
  • Semantic search
  • AI web search
  • Connected apps for AI
  • Prompt templates
  • Custom AI instructions
  • AI memoryPartly
  • Scheduled AI tasks
  • Flashcard generator
  • Spaced repetition
  • Quiz generator
  • Fill in the blank
  • Mind maps
  • AI image generation
  • Infographic generator
  • Slide deck generator
  • AI mini apps
  • Brainrot video generator
  • AI audio overview
  • Bring your own model
  • AI job notifications

Writing & editing

What the editor itself can actually do.

  • Markdown
  • Rich text
  • Code blocks
  • Math / LaTeX
  • Tables
  • Find and replace
  • Version history
  • Note infoPartly

Sync & data ownership

Where your notes live and how easily they leave.

  • Cloud sync
  • Sync through your own cloud
  • Offline support
  • Offline-first / own your data
  • Self-hosting
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Locked notesPartly
  • Daily backup
  • ImportPartly
  • Export
  • Public API
  • Command line tool
  • Remote MCP server
  • Plugins / extensions

Sharing & collaboration

Working with other people inside your notes.

  • Share with people
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Comments
  • Public sharing

Experience

The everyday polish around the writing surface.

  • Dark mode
  • Custom themesPartly
  • Multi-language
  • Command palette
  • Split viewPartly
  • Focus mode
  • Home screen widgets
  • Apple Shortcuts

Compare with

All Microsoft OneNote alternatives

Microsoft OneNote vs Grape

Adds: AI agent with tools, Semantic search

9.0

Microsoft OneNote vs Apple Notes

Already on your phone, and better than it has any right to be.

8.1

Microsoft OneNote vs GoodNotes

Handwriting on a tablet, done better than anyone else.

8.0

Microsoft OneNote vs RemNote

Take notes and generate the flashcards in the same keystroke.

7.9