Microsoft OneNote vs Apple Notes: Which is Better in 2026?
OneNote and Apple Notes are both free note-taking apps bundled with a platform you probably already own, Microsoft 365 and iCloud respectively, which makes this less about price and more about which ecosystem you actually live in and how much AI and formatting power you want inside your notes. This comparison is for anyone deciding which built-in notes app to standardize on across their devices.
Bottom line: Microsoft OneNote wins this matchup. Our overall Note-Taking pick is Fathom. Our free Note-Taking pick is Fathom. Pick Apple Notes if you need a fully free option.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
Microsoft OneNote
Digital notebook for organizing everything
Best for you if:
- • Users who need notes to sync across Windows, Android, and Apple devices together, or who already pay for Microsoft 365 and want Copilot inside their notes
- • You want completely free
- • You want great handwriting/tablet support
Apple Notes
Free note-taking for Apple users
Best for you if:
- • Users fully inside the Apple ecosystem who want fast, native sync, strong handwriting and Pencil support, and native Markdown without paying anything
- • You want free with Apple devices
- • You want good for quick notes
| At a Glance | Apple Notes | |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | FreeFree tier available | FreeFree tier available |
Best For | Note-Taking | Note-Taking |
Rating | 4.0/5 | 4.1/5 |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Choose Microsoft OneNote or Apple Notes?
Choose Microsoft OneNote if
Digital notebook for organizing everything
- Users who need notes to sync across Windows, Android, and Apple devices together, or who already pay for Microsoft 365 and want Copilot inside their notes
- You want completely free
- You want great handwriting/tablet support
Choose Apple Notes if
Free note-taking for Apple users
- Users fully inside the Apple ecosystem who want fast, native sync, strong handwriting and Pencil support, and native Markdown without paying anything
- You want free with Apple devices
- You want good for quick notes
| Feature | Microsoft OneNote | Apple Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Free | Free |
| User Rating | ★4.0/5 3,864 reviews | ★4.1/5 14 reviews |
| Categories | Note-TakingProductivity | Note-TakingProductivity |
In-Depth Analysis
Microsoft OneNote
Strengths
- +Free with unlimited notebooks and cross-platform sync across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and the web, not locked to one hardware ecosystem
- +2026 added Copilot Chat directly inside OneNote for drafting, summarizing, and reorganizing notes without leaving the app
- +Copilot Notebooks now let users reference SharePoint and OneNote content together, generate Word or PowerPoint output from notes, and explore content with mind maps and study tools
- +Multimodal capture on mobile combines audio transcription, images, and typed notes into a single structured Copilot Page
Weaknesses
- -Some of the newest Copilot features are still limited to Microsoft 365 Insider or commercial and education environments and have not reached every free user yet
- -Free tier's 5GB OneDrive storage is shared with the rest of OneDrive, so heavy note-takers with attachments fill it faster than Apple Notes' comparable free allowance
- -Full Copilot capability requires a Microsoft 365 subscription starting at $6.99/mo, so the most powerful features are not entirely free
Best For
Users who need notes to sync across Windows, Android, and Apple devices together, or who already pay for Microsoft 365 and want Copilot inside their notes.
OneNote is the stronger pick for anyone outside a pure Apple household or who wants AI-assisted note organization built in today.
Apple Notes
Strengths
- +Fully free with no locked features at the base tier, and iCloud sync works instantly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac without separate setup
- +iOS 26 added full Markdown support, letting users format notes with headers, lists, links, and code blocks natively
- +iOS 26's Liquid Glass redesign brought an adaptive toolbar and horizontally swipeable tool access, reducing clutter as features have grown
- +Enhanced Apple Pencil integration includes new brushes, shapes, smart shape snapping, and improved handwriting-to-text conversion
Weaknesses
- -No meaningful presence outside the Apple ecosystem; Windows and Android users get only limited web access via iCloud.com rather than a native app
- -No AI assistant comparable to Copilot Chat as of 2026, so drafting or summarizing notes inside the app is not currently supported
- -iCloud storage tiers are cheap but separate from any other productivity suite bundle the way Microsoft 365 bundles Office apps with OneNote's expanded storage
Best For
Users fully inside the Apple ecosystem who want fast, native sync, strong handwriting and Pencil support, and native Markdown without paying anything.
Apple Notes is the stronger pick if every device you use is an iPhone, iPad, or Mac and you have no need to share notes with Windows or Android users.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Pricing
TieBoth apps are free at the base tier. OneNote's storage-and-features upgrade is $6.99/mo via Microsoft 365, which also includes full Office apps. Apple Notes' upgrade path is iCloud+ storage alone, starting at $0.99/mo for 50GB up to $2.99/mo for 200GB, cheaper but narrower in scope than the Microsoft 365 bundle.
Platform reach
Microsoft OneNote winsOneNote runs natively on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and the web. Apple Notes is native only on Apple devices, with just a limited web interface via iCloud.com for anyone outside that ecosystem.
AI features
Microsoft OneNote winsOneNote's 2026 Copilot Chat and Copilot Notebooks bring AI drafting, summarizing, and multimodal capture directly into notes. Apple Notes has no comparable built-in AI assistant as of 2026.
Formatting and writing
Apple Notes winsApple Notes gained full native Markdown support in iOS 26, letting users write headers, lists, links, and code blocks in plain text syntax. OneNote's formatting remains primarily toolbar-driven rather than Markdown-native.
Handwriting and stylus support
Apple Notes winsApple Notes' 2026 Apple Pencil updates add new brushes, shapes, smart shape snapping, and improved handwriting-to-text conversion, tuned specifically for iPad and Pencil hardware. OneNote supports inked handwriting and analysis but is not built around a single first-party stylus the way Apple Notes is.
Collaboration
Microsoft OneNote winsOneNote supports real-time collaboration and, through Copilot Notebooks, sharing a notebook with a Microsoft 365 Group for team use. Apple Notes supports shared notes between Apple users but has no equivalent group or enterprise sharing layer.
Migration Considerations
Moving from Apple Notes to OneNote means exporting notes individually, since Apple does not offer a native bulk export to OneNote's format; expect to copy content note by note or use a third-party converter for large libraries. Moving from OneNote to Apple Notes has the same limitation in reverse, and any Copilot-generated pages or SharePoint links do not carry over. Because both are free, many mixed-device households simply run both rather than migrating, using Apple Notes for quick capture on Apple hardware and OneNote for anything shared with Windows or Android users.
Pricing: Microsoft OneNote vs Apple Notes
| Plan | Microsoft OneNote | Apple Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Free Free | 0 Free |
| Tier 2 | $6.99 month With Microsoft 365 | 0.99 iCloud+ 50GB |
| Tier 3 | N/A | 2.99 iCloud+ 200GB |
Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Microsoft OneNote pricing and Apple Notes pricing.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
Both are free. Compare plans on their websites.
Go with: Microsoft OneNote
Want the highest-rated option?
Microsoft OneNote: 4.0/5 (3,864 reviews). Apple Notes: 4.1/5 (14 reviews).
Go with: Apple Notes
Value user reviews?
Microsoft OneNote: 3,864 reviews (4.0/5). Apple Notes: 14 reviews (4.1/5).
Go with: Microsoft OneNote
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
Both are free. Pricing won't help you decide here.
What's your use case?
Both are note-taking tools. Compare their specific features to decide.
How important are ratings?
Apple Notes is rated higher: 4.1/5 vs 4.0/5.
Key Takeaways
Microsoft OneNote
- Larger review base (3,864 reviews)
- Completely free
- Our pick for this comparison
Apple Notes
- Higher user rating: 4.1/5 vs 4.0/5
The Bottom Line
Choose OneNote if you need notes to sync across Windows, Android, and Apple devices, or you already pay for Microsoft 365 and want Copilot inside your notes. Choose Apple Notes if every device you touch is made by Apple and you want the fastest native sync with no subscription required. Mixed-device households and Microsoft 365 subscribers should default to OneNote; single-ecosystem Apple users who value native Markdown and Pencil support should default to Apple Notes; anyone doing serious handwritten note-taking on an iPad specifically should lean Apple Notes for the Pencil integration alone.
What Users Say
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OneNote or Apple Notes better for cross-platform use?
OneNote, by a wide margin. It runs natively on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and the web, while Apple Notes is native only to Apple devices and offers just limited web access elsewhere.
Does either app have built-in AI in 2026?
OneNote does. Its 2026 Copilot Chat and Copilot Notebooks add AI drafting, summarizing, and multimodal capture directly inside notes. Apple Notes has no comparable AI assistant as of 2026.
Which app is better for handwritten notes on an iPad?
Apple Notes, thanks to its 2026 Apple Pencil updates adding new brushes, smart shape snapping, and improved handwriting-to-text conversion tuned specifically for Apple's own stylus hardware.
Do either OneNote or Apple Notes cost money?
Both are free at the base tier. OneNote's upgrade path is a Microsoft 365 subscription at $6.99/mo, which also includes Office apps. Apple Notes' upgrade path is iCloud+ storage alone, starting at $0.99/mo for 50GB.
Does Apple Notes support Markdown formatting?
Yes, as of iOS 26, Apple Notes added full native Markdown support for headers, lists, links, and code blocks. OneNote's formatting remains primarily toolbar-based rather than Markdown-native.