Alternatives
Best Microsoft OneNote alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best Microsoft OneNote alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/onenote
5 direct alternatives to Microsoft OneNote and 3 more tools in the same category, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- Evernote is the top alternative to Microsoft OneNote on our list, followed by Notion and Joplin.
- 6 of the 8 alternatives have a free plan, starting with Evernote.
- Highest rated: Fathom, 4.9 out of 5 from 7,187 ratings, Sep 2026.
- 8 alternatives
- 5 direct
- 6 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to Microsoft OneNote
Evernote
#1 Top pickThe original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years
Starting price
From $14.99 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 10,296 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Best overall
Notion
#2Unite docs, projects, knowledge, and AI workflows in one collaborative workspace
Starting price
From $10 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
3.5 /5 across Trustpilot, TrustRadius and PeerSpot · 407 ratings, Aug 2026
Our take
Most reviewed
Joplin
#3Capture your thoughts and securely access them from any device with this open-source note-taking app.
Starting price
From $3.22 /mo
Cheapest paid plan, monthly, as of November 2026
4.4 /5 across SourceForge, G2 and Trustpilot · 73 ratings, Oct 2026
Microsoft OneNote vs 8 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Nov 2026) | Free plan | Rating | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price: $6.99/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.0 out of 5, from 3,864 ratings across G2, Capterra and Trustpilot (3,864) | ||
| Price: $14.99/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.4 out of 5, from 10,296 ratings across G2 and Capterra (10,296) | Direct alternative |
| Price: $10/mo | Free plan: Yes | 3.5 out of 5, from 407 ratings across Trustpilot, TrustRadius and PeerSpot (407) | Direct alternative |
| Price: $3.22/mo | Free plan: No | 4.4 out of 5, from 73 ratings across SourceForge, G2 and Trustpilot (73) | Direct alternative |
 | Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.2 out of 5, from 54 ratings across G2 and Capterra (54) | Direct alternative |
 | Price: $0.99/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.1 out of 5, from 14 ratings on SourceForge (14) | Direct alternative |
 | Price: Usage-based | Free plan: No | 4.6 out of 5, from 13,842 ratings on G2 (13,842) | Same category as Microsoft OneNote |
 | Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 4.6 out of 5, from 13,835 ratings on G2 (13,835) | Same category as Microsoft OneNote |
 | Price: $19/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.9 out of 5, from 7,187 ratings across G2 and Trustpilot (7,187) | Same category as Microsoft OneNote |
Why people consider alternatives to Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a free-form digital notebook that lets you capture notes, drawings, screenshots, and audio recordings in organized notebooks.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- A feature or quota ceiling that a paid specialist covers and this free tool does not.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in note-taking.
The 5 direct alternatives below cover the same core job (note-taking) with different trade-offs. The 3 tools marked "Same category as Microsoft OneNote" fit the category but replace Microsoft OneNote less directly.
Microsoft OneNote by the numbers
Toolradar data: Microsoft OneNote's entry paid plan ($6.99/mo, billed monthly) ranks #4 of 12 for price among the Whiteboard tools with a verified entry price and no stated unit, where the median is $9.99/mo. It is listed as an alternative to 17 other tools on Toolradar, ranking #5 of 46 in Whiteboard. As of Nov 2026.
- #28 most compared in Productivity, out of 484 tools with 20+ compare-page visits in Productivity. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
- #142 (joint) most-listed alternative in Productivity, out of 1877 tools in Productivity. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
- #8 most compared in Note-Taking, out of 83 tools with 20+ compare-page visits in Note-Taking. Source: Toolradar data, Nov 2026.
| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $6.99/mo, billed monthly | $9.99/mo | #4 of 12 tools with no stated price unit, verified price |
| Free plan | Yes | 35 of 46 have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 17 tools | 2 | #5 of 46 |
| User rating | 4.0/5 (across the web, 3,864 ratings) | 4.4/5 | #24 of 24 tools with 20+ reviews |
| Compare-page visits, last 30 days | 168 visits | 47 | #3 of 22 tools with 20+ compare-page visits |
Visitors most often compare Microsoft OneNote with Notion, Evernote and Apple Notes (last 30 days, Nov 2026).
Listed as an alternative to: #5 on 2026-10-16 to #5 on 2026-11-02 (rank among 46 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. A lower entry price ranks higher; prices are read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis. All Whiteboard data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Microsoft OneNote by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Note-Taking leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Note-Taking tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 77 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ReadyTab | $0.58/mo, billed yearly |
| 2 | Apple Notes | $0.99/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | GoodNotes | $0.99/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | Fide Island | $1/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | SaidTrace | $1.50/mo, billed yearly |
Lowest entry price, per-user plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 15 tools priced per user, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noty.ai | $3.33/user/mo, billed yearly |
| 2 | Obsidian | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | XMind | $4.92/user/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | Dayboard | $5/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 4 | WebCatalog | $5/user/mo, billed yearly |
Most visited, last 30 days
Distinct visitor sessions on the tool's Toolradar page over the last 30 days, with bots excluded by our analytics. A session counts once however many times it reloads the page.
Counted among 13 tools with 50+ visits.
| # | Tool | Visits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notion | 354 visits |
| 2 | Joplin | 314 visits |
| 3 | Obsidian | 293 visits |
| 4 | Simplenote | 280 visits |
| 5 | Logseq | 222 visits |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 92 of 213 Note-Taking tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Note-Taking leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Note-Taking statistics.
8 alternatives to Microsoft OneNote
Direct alternatives come first, ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review. Tools marked "Same category as Microsoft OneNote" follow, ranked the same way.
- 1
Evernote
Free plan Higher rated by usersThe original note-taking app, still kicking after all these years
4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 10,296 ratings, Sep 2026
From $14.99/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 2
Notion
Free planUnite docs, projects, knowledge, and AI workflows in one collaborative workspace
3.5 /5 across Trustpilot, TrustRadius and PeerSpot · 407 ratings, Aug 2026
From $10/member/mo, billed yearly; free plan available
- 3
Joplin
Free plan Higher rated by usersCapture your thoughts and securely access them from any device with this open-source note-taking app.
4.4 /5 across SourceForge, G2 and Trustpilot · 73 ratings, Oct 2026
From $3.22/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
- 4
Simplenote
100% free Higher rated by usersThe simplest way to keep notes, synced across all your devices.
4.2 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 54 ratings, Sep 2026
Free
- 5
Apple Notes
100% freeFree note-taking for Apple users
4.1 /5 on SourceForge · 14 ratings, May 2026
From $0.99/mo, billed monthly
- 6
Notion AI
Free plan Higher rated by usersAI that works where you already work
4.6 /5 on G2 · 13,842 ratings, Sep 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
Same category as Microsoft OneNote
- 7
Notion Calendar
Free plan Higher rated by usersUnify work and personal schedules with integrated deadlines and scheduling links
4.6 /5 on G2 · 13,835 ratings, Sep 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
Same category as Microsoft OneNote
- 8
Fathom
Free plan Higher rated by usersAI notetaker that summarizes your meetings so you can focus on the conversation.
4.9 /5 across G2 and Trustpilot · 7,187 ratings, Sep 2026
From $19/user/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
Same category as Microsoft OneNote
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Microsoft OneNote are Evernote, Notion, Joplin. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
Microsoft OneNote is already 100% free (no paid upgrade path). Simplenote is another fully free option listed here (The simplest way to keep notes, synced across all your devices). Freemium tools on this list have a free tier plus paid plans; they are not the same as 100% free.
Why do people look for Microsoft OneNote alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Microsoft OneNote even though it is free: missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in note-taking. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with a different feature set.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Microsoft OneNote versus each alternative.
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