Evernote vs Microsoft OneNote
Evernote: Long-running note app with tasks, calendar and AI features, on tiered plans. Microsoft OneNote: Microsoft's digital notebook, free to use and bundled with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
| Evernote | Microsoft OneNote | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan, paid tiers (Starter, Advanced, Flexible, Unlimited) | Free to use, Microsoft 365 plans from $9.99 per month |
| Free option | Free: 50 notes, 1 notebook, 1 synced device, 1 GB storage | Microsoft advertises OneNote as free ("Take notes anywhere for free") |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web, Windows, Mac | Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac |
| Notes stored as | Evernote cloud with offline notes | Microsoft cloud notebooks, synced across your devices |
Choose Evernote if
- you want one app for notes, tasks and calendar
- you collect lots of clipped web pages and emails
- you do not need Markdown as your storage format
Strengths
- Tasks, calendar and external calendar connections in the same app
- Web clipping and email-in for collecting material
- Apps for every major platform
Limits
- The free plan caps you at 50 notes and one synced device
- Proprietary and cloud based, with no plain Markdown file storage
- Not built around Markdown, so formatting comes from its own editor
Pricing details
- Starter: 1,000 notes, 3 synced devices, 5 GB. Advanced: unlimited notes and devices (subject to safeguard limits)
- Exact prices were not shown on the plan comparison page when checked, so see the vendor page
- Paid plans have a 7 day trial, and eligible students get 40% off a one-year Advanced plan
Choose Microsoft OneNote if
- you already use Microsoft 365 and want notes next to Word and Outlook
- you take handwritten or annotated notes with a pen
- you want a free notebook that works on every device
Strengths
- Sketch, annotate and highlight freely, which suits handwriting and pen input
- Share and collaborate on notebooks
- Voice transcription, and Copilot to draft plans and organize notes on paid plans
- Part of the Microsoft 365 set alongside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
Limits
- Proprietary and tied to a Microsoft account
- Microsoft does not describe Markdown or plain file storage for OneNote, so moving notes to other tools usually means exporting
- Copilot features need a paid Microsoft 365 plan
Pricing details
- Microsoft 365 Personal: $9.99 per month, 1 person, 1 TB cloud storage, OneNote desktop app with Copilot
- Microsoft 365 Family: $12.99 per month, 1 to 6 people, 2 TB shared storage
- Microsoft 365 Premium: $19.99 per month, adds more extensive Copilot and agentic AI usage
- All three plans include a 1 month free trial. Prices checked on the Microsoft OneNote page and may vary by region
Evernote
Long-running note app with tasks, calendar and AI features, on tiered plans.
Proprietary
- Price: Free plan, paid tiers (Starter, Advanced, Flexible, Unlimited)
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Web, Windows, Mac
- Storage: Evernote cloud with offline notes
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft's digital notebook, free to use and bundled with Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Proprietary
- Price: Free to use, Microsoft 365 plans from $9.99 per month
- Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac
- Storage: Microsoft cloud notebooks, synced across your devices
Details come from each vendor's own website and were checked on 2026-10-20. Confirm current prices on the vendor page.