Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS. Even if you’ve never used it, you’ve probably heard. While you can purchase OneNote as part of a subscription to Microsoft 360, OneNote is also available for free. The free version is called OneNote 2016 and is the version that initially appeared. Microsoft OneNote with a Microsoft 365 subscription is the latest version of OneNote. Previous versions include OneNote 2016, OneNote 2013, and OneNote 2010. Availability of mobile apps varies by country/region. Follow Microsoft 365. Collaborate for free with online versions of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. Save documents, spreadsheets, and presentations online, in OneDrive. Share them with others and work together at the same time.
Microsoft OneNote is one of the most popular note-taking tools, but it is primarily for Windows users, and limited functionality with Linux, macOS, Android, or iOS.
Create Multiple Notebooks. I like OneNote because it offers a hierarchical folder structure.
If OneNote isn’t your cup of tea, We’ve handpicked 11 alternatives to OneNote for you to choose. Let’s get right into first.
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Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Even if you’ve never used it, you’ve probably heard of Evernote. It is probably the most popular note-taking app today. And we pick it as the first and best alternative to OneNote.
Firstly, it offers the same basic functionality as OneNote – the ability to create, organize and sync notes among multiple platforms, including Windows PCs, Macs, iPads and iPhones, Windows Phones, Android devices and the web.
Then, Evernote has a handful of features that support collaboration. Among them, you can share any notebook by right-clicking on it and selecting “share notebook.” Input the email addresses of those with whom you want to share your notebook and select the type of access permissions you want to grant them: view, edit or edit and invite.
Finally, Evernote has a handy chat feature that can be used to discuss notes.
Related Post:Evernote vs OneNote: The Best App for Note-Taking in 2020
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Pricing: Evernote Basic- Free, Evernote Premium- $69.99/year, and Evernote Business- $14.99/user/month.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Web
Notion is an all new task and project management tool which stands out different from the peers. It’s basically like a folder that contains everything you need such as documents, notes, tasks, wikis, database, and more to help you manage workload quite efficiently.
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Pricing: Notion has four pricing tiers—a Free plan, a Personal plan for $4 a month, a Team plan at $8 per member per month, and an Enterprise plan at $20 per member per month.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web
Google Keep is similar to OneNote but with a simpler approach. It lets you take down short notes with just a basic title and your note content. You can also choose to add an image to a note and color code each note.
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Pricing: Free
Platforms: iPhone/iPad/Mac
OneNote is default for Windows users. Similarly, as for Apple users, Apple Notes is the default option for them. Starting with Apple Notes, the software allows you to create multiple notebooks. You can create sub-notebooks inside it. When editing a note, you can choose from Title, Headings, Subheading, Monospaced, Bullet list, and Numbered list. Users can also integrate photos and documents inside a note.
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Pricing: Free
Platforms: iOS, macOS, Android, Chrome, and Windows
Notability is a powerful note-taker to annotate documents, sketch ideas, record lectures, take notes and more. It combines, typing, handwriting, audio recording, and photos so you can create notes that fit your needs.
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Pricing: $8.99 on iOS / $4.99 macOS/In-app purchases in the Notability shop.
Platforms: iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices
GoodNotes is a note-taking app, but it’s nothing like note-taking apps you’re used to using. It isn’t meant to be used for typing (though you can type). It’s specifically designed as a handwriting app so you can use your Apple Pencil or another stylus. You can create sketches for presentation, annotate PDFs that you’ve imported, and even search all of your notes — handwritten, typed, or imported as a PDF. Here are dozens of paper styles, including lined paper in a variety of sizes, dotted paper, grids, column pages for accounting, and more.
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Pricing: GoodNotes 5 costs $7.99. If you previously purchased a prior version of the app, there is a Complete My Bundle option that lets you just pay the difference between whatever you previously paid and $7.99.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
Simplenote is another good alternative to OneNote. It offers markdown support, cross-platform apps, and can be accessed through most web browsers. On Simplenote, users are permitted to record an almost unlimited number of text-based notes on the platform. Once the note has been composed, it can be pinned to the top of a list for immediate access.
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Pricing: Free
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android
Zoho Notebook sets itself apart by allowing you to incorporate graphics, colors, and photos into your notes. If you’re a visual person, using these features to store your notes will help simplify the organization of your data. You can also add multiple types of media to your notes, including audio, checklists, and files.
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Pricing: Free
Platform: iOS, Mac, Apple Watch
This simple note-taking app was released in 2016 and has quickly become one of the most popular tools of its kind thanks to its simplicity and clean, intuitive UI. Also, It features powerful Markdown capability and an excellent writing experience.
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Pricing: Free or $1.49 monthly and $14.99 annually
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Web
Laverna is a JavaScript note taking application with Markdown editor and encryption support.
Laverna’s main selling point is its focus on privacy. Your notes are never stored on the company’s servers. However, you can store your data on Dropbox or RemoteStorage if you want to sync across devices. It’s also possible to set a password that’ll encrypt your notes, too.
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Pricing: Free
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
Turtl is a secure OneNote alternative. It lets you take notes, bookmark websites, and store documents for sensitive projects. From sharing passwords with your coworkers to tracking research on an article you’re writing, Turtl keeps it all safe from everyone but you and those you share with.
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Pricing: Turtl has a free to use plan that allows you to store up to 50mb of data and it’s paid plans start at $3 a month.
To wrap it up, there are many note-taking apps are better than OneNote for specific tasks you’re doing.
Evernote is still the top pick for most people who looking for a OneNote alternative. Its vast feature set ensures that it does everything well enough and has the fewest quirks
For Mac and iOS users, Apple Notes and Bear might be good OneNote alternatives.
If you focus on privacy and data security, Laverna and Turtl are good choices.
Finally, the true best OneNote alternative is the one that fits your needs.
If you’re looking for something that’s similar to one of the templates already available within OneNote but don’t want to create one from scratch, you can just modify a pre-made template.
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