--- title: Microsoft OneNote canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/onenote/ category: Note-Taking Apps points: 57 rank: 7 of 10 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Microsoft OneNote Free notebook app from Microsoft with pen and touch drawing, live co-authoring and sync through OneDrive. 57 points out of 100. #7 of 10 note-taking apps. Vendor: Microsoft. Website: https://www.onenote.com/ - OneNote is free to use on the web, iOS and Android [1]. - Microsoft 365 Basic costs $19.99 a year and adds 100 GB of cloud storage [1]. - You can draw, sketch or write with a finger, pen or mouse [7]. - Shared notebooks can be co-authored by several people at the same time [4]. - A whole notebook exports only as a ZIP of OneNote files, from OneNote for the web [5]. Verdict: OneNote suits people who write or draw by hand and want free notebooks on every device [1][3][7]. Notebooks sync through OneDrive, keep an offline copy, and can be co-authored live [3][4]. The catch: notes stay in OneNote's own format, with no Markdown or HTML export of a whole notebook [5]. Best for: People who write by hand or share notebooks with others. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Apps | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web | 15/18 | Microsoft develops OneNote for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web [3]. | | Systems | Works offline | Yes | 7/7 | All versions keep a cached copy of notebooks so you can use them offline [3]. | | Your data | Notes as plain files | No | 0/10 | Notebooks are stored in the cloud and export as OneNote files, not plain text [3][5]. | | Your data | Export everything to Markdown or HTML | No | 0/6 | A whole notebook exports only as a ZIP of OneNote files [5]. | | Your data | End-to-end encryption | Not published | 0/8 | Password-protected sections cannot be unlocked by Microsoft, but end-to-end encryption is not documented [8]. | | Your data | Open source | Not published | 0/6 | | | Features | Web clipper | Yes | 5/5 | The free OneNote Web Clipper has extensions for Edge and Chrome [6]. | | Features | Linked notes | Not published | 0/5 | | | Features | Real-time collaboration | Yes | 5/5 | OneNote syncs shared notebooks that several people co-author at the same time [4]. | | Features | Tables and databases | Not published | 0/5 | | | Features | Handwriting and drawing | Yes | 5/5 | Draw, sketch or write notes with a finger, a pen or a mouse [7]. | | Price | Free sync | Yes | 10/10 | Free on web, iOS and Android, and cloud notebooks stay in sync across devices [1][4]. | | Price | Cheapest paid plan | $1.67/mo | 10/10 | Microsoft 365 Basic, $19.99 a year, adds 100 GB of storage [1]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Free | Free [1] | $0 | | Microsoft 365 Basic | $19.99/year [1] | $1.67 | | Microsoft 365 Personal | $99.99/year [2] | $8.33 | OneNote has no plan of its own; Microsoft 365 plans add cloud storage and other Office apps [1][2]. ## Strengths - Free on the web, iOS and Android [1]. - Write, draw or sketch with a finger, stylus or mouse [7]. - Several people can co-author a shared notebook at the same time [4]. - Every version keeps a cached copy of notebooks, so you can work offline [3]. - The free Web Clipper saves web pages into OneNote from Edge and Chrome [6]. ## Limits - A whole notebook exports only as a ZIP of OneNote files, not Markdown or HTML [5]. - Notebook export works only in OneNote for the web, for personal OneDrive accounts [5]. - Notebooks are stored in the cloud in OneNote's format, not as plain files [3][5]. - Microsoft lists apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and the web, but not Linux [3]. ## Sources 1. [Microsoft 365 for Individuals User Guide | Microsoft 365](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/basic), Microsoft, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Compare Microsoft 365 Plans & Pricing (Formerly Office 365) - Microsoft Store](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products), Microsoft, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Frequently Asked Questions about OneNote in Office 2019 and Microsoft 365](https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/OneNote/frequently-asked-questions-about-onenote-in-office-2019-and-microsoft-365), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Sync a notebook in OneNote](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sync-a-notebook-in-onenote-1986c4cf-7716-4c78-b7e7-479be30992c7), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [Export OneNote notebooks](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-onenote-notebooks-a4b60da5-8f33-464e-b1ba-b95ce540f309), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Getting Started with the OneNote Web Clipper](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/getting-started-with-the-onenote-web-clipper), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Draw and sketch notes in OneNote](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/draw-and-sketch-notes-in-onenote-e34b425a-9431-4b73-b52d-63c44a67f67a), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Protect your notes with a password](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/protect-your-notes-with-a-password-e5ffd8fd-e811-441a-aa02-e13f0f445933), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-08