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Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes

Free plan · from $9.99/moNote-TakingChecked Oct 5, 20264.7 on the App Store
Visit microsoft.com

Our verdict

Third of our top three note-taking apps

For: A free notebook on almost any device

OneNote is free to use on the web, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android. It takes typed, handwritten and scanned notes, and its iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from more than a million ratings. It is third because it leans on a Microsoft account: storage is the 5 GB shared with OneDrive and Outlook.com, only the Windows app can keep notebooks on a local drive, and there is no Linux app.

See all three and how we rank

What is Microsoft OneNote?

OneNote is Microsoft's digital notebook app for typed notes, handwriting, voice recordings and web clippings. It is free to download on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android and also runs in a browser, with notebooks kept in Microsoft cloud storage so they open on every device. A Microsoft 365 subscription is optional and adds 1 TB of storage, Copilot features in the desktop apps and a few premium tools.

Microsoft OneNote has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Personal). See every plan

Good for

  • People who already have a Microsoft account or a Microsoft 365 subscription
  • Handwritten notes and sketches with a pen or stylus
  • Teachers and students working in Class Notebooks
  • Free note-taking across Windows, Mac, phones and the web

Worth knowing

  • A free Microsoft account stops at 5 GB of cloud storage, shared with OneDrive files and Outlook.com attachments.
  • Only the Windows desktop app can keep notebooks on a local hard drive; the other versions work with cloud notebooks.
  • Microsoft 365 AI features are limited to the subscription owner, with usage limits, even on the Family plan.
  • Microsoft lists apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android but none for Linux, where OneNote is browser-only.

Key features

Typed, handwritten and scanned notes
Pages hold typed text, digital ink from a pen or stylus, pictures and videos. The mobile app also scans documents and extracts their text.
Voice transcription and dictation
Voice transcription captures spoken notes for later review, and the iPhone and iPad app takes dictation in 27 languages, some of them in preview.
Copilot in OneNote
Copilot responds to prompts to draft plans, generate ideas, create lists and organize information. Microsoft 365 plans include the desktop apps with Copilot, subject to usage limits.
Sharing and collaboration
Notebooks are cloud-connected, so they can be shared with other people and opened on a PC, a Mac, a phone, a tablet or in a browser.
Web Clipper
A free browser add-on for Edge and Chrome captures web content into a notebook, where it can be edited, annotated and shared.
Class and Staff Notebooks
Class Notebook gives each student a personal workspace, a content library for handouts and a collaboration space. Staff Notebook does the same for school teams.

Microsoft OneNote pricing

Starts at
$9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Personal)
Free plan
OneNote is free to download and use on every supported platform. A free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of cloud storage, shared with OneDrive files and Outlook.com attachments.
Free trial
1-month free trial of Microsoft 365. A credit card is required, and it converts to a paid subscription unless canceled.
OneNote$0The standalone app on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, used with a free Microsoft account and its 5 GB of cloud storage.
Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99per month, or $99.99 per yearFor 1 person: 1 TB of cloud storage and the OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps with Copilot, on up to 5 devices at once.
Microsoft 365 Family$12.99per month, or $129.99 per yearFor 1 to 6 people, with 1 TB of storage per person (up to 6 TB). AI features are for the subscription owner only.
Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99per month, or $199.99 per yearEverything in Family, plus extensive Copilot chat usage, agentic AI features for research and analytics, and more AI image creation.

Read from microsoft.com on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Microsoft OneNote before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Ways to pay less

  • Annual discountAbout 17% lower cost with yearly billing

    Microsoft 365 Personal is $99.99 per year against $9.99 per month ($119.88 over twelve months). Family and Premium show the same gap between yearly and monthly prices.

    Stated on microsoft.com
  • EducationFree Office 365 Education for students and educators

    Microsoft's education site says students and educators with a valid school email address are eligible for Office 365 Education, which includes OneNote, at no cost.

    Stated on microsoft.com

What people say about Microsoft OneNote

4.7

out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app

  1. 5 stars84%
  2. 4 stars9%
  3. 3 stars3%
  4. 2 stars<1%
  5. 1 star3%

1,066,911 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 7, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing

Often praised

  • The layered structure of notebooks and sections is what several reviewers say lets them keep many subjects, classes and lists in order. App Store reviews
  • Reviewers and a commenter like mixing handwriting with typed text and imported documents on one page, including writing on top of a PDF or transcript. App Store reviews · Hacker News
  • Having the same notes on phone, tablet and computer is a reason reviewers and a commenter give for relying on it. App Store reviews · Hacker News

Often criticised

  • Syncing draws repeated complaints: reviewers describe notes or images that are slow to reach another device or do not arrive, in one case after switching accounts. App Store reviews

Based on 10 App Store reviews, seven of them more than three years old, and about 5 Hacker News comments from March 2025 to May 2026, read Oct 7, 2026. These are themes summarised in our words, not our own verdict. Follow the links to read what was said.

Microsoft OneNote reviews, and where to read more

Works with

Microsoft OneNote alternatives

All Microsoft OneNote alternatives comparedAll note-taking apps

Common questions

Is Microsoft OneNote free?

Microsoft OneNote has a free plan. OneNote is free to download and use on every supported platform. A free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of cloud storage, shared with OneDrive files and Outlook.com attachments. Paid plans start at $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year (Microsoft 365 Personal).

How much does Microsoft OneNote cost?

Microsoft OneNote lists 4 plans. OneNote: $0. Microsoft 365 Personal: $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year. Microsoft 365 Family: $12.99 per month, or $129.99 per year. Microsoft 365 Premium: $19.99 per month, or $199.99 per year. Prices were read from microsoft.com on Oct 5, 2026.

What platforms does Microsoft OneNote work on?

Microsoft OneNote is available on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.

Does Microsoft OneNote offer any discounts?

Microsoft OneNote publicly lists the following: About 17% lower cost with yearly billing; Free Office 365 Education for students and educators.

How is Microsoft OneNote rated?

Microsoft OneNote's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1,066,911 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 7, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.

Is Microsoft OneNote any good?

We have not tested Microsoft OneNote, so this is what reviewers say. Often praised: The layered structure of notebooks and sections is what several reviewers say lets them keep many subjects, classes and lists in order. Often criticised: Syncing draws repeated complaints: reviewers describe notes or images that are slow to reach another device or do not arrive, in one case after switching accounts. The reviews page has every theme with its sources.

Does Microsoft OneNote have a Linux app?

No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Microsoft OneNote is listed for Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

Is Microsoft OneNote open source?

Microsoft OneNote is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.

Does Microsoft OneNote work offline?

Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.

What does Microsoft OneNote integrate with?

Microsoft OneNote's listing names OneDrive, SharePoint, Word and Excel. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does Microsoft OneNote have a student discount?

Free Office 365 Education for students and educators. Microsoft's education site says students and educators with a valid school email address are eligible for Office 365 Education, which includes OneNote, at no cost.

Does Microsoft OneNote have a free trial?

Yes. 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365. A credit card is required, and it converts to a paid subscription unless canceled.

Who makes Microsoft OneNote?

Microsoft OneNote is made by Microsoft.

What are the alternatives to Microsoft OneNote?

The closest alternatives to Microsoft OneNote in our directory are Evernote, Notion, Google Keep, Apple Notes and Goodnotes. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Microsoft OneNote.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.