Evernote vs Microsoft OneNote

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Evernote

Long-running note app for capturing and organizing everything.

Free plan + paid

Visit Evernote Evernote profile

Microsoft OneNote

Free-form digital notebook from Microsoft.

Free

Visit Microsoft OneNote Microsoft OneNote profile

The short answer

OneNote is free with a Microsoft account and suits free-form, pen-friendly notebooks inside Microsoft 365. Evernote suits people who capture a lot of mixed material, with an excellent web clipper and search inside images and PDFs, but its free tier is restrictive and the real experience is paid. The core difference is free-form binders at no cost versus a searchable capture archive.

Evernote or Microsoft OneNote: our take

The two have been the default answer to 'which note app' for years, and they organise notes differently. OneNote mirrors a physical binder: notebooks, sections and pages, with a free-form canvas where text, drawings and pasted content can go anywhere. It is especially good with a pen on a tablet and connects to Outlook, Teams and the rest of Microsoft 365. Evernote is built around capture and retrieval: web clippings, scanned documents, audio and handwritten notes land in notebooks, and search can find text inside images and PDFs. Recent versions add tasks, calendar integration and AI-assisted search.

Price is a big part of the decision. OneNote is free with a Microsoft account and syncs through OneDrive, with extra storage coming from a Microsoft 365 subscription. Evernote has a free plan with limits, and since its acquisition by Bending Spoons the plans and free-tier limits have changed several times, which has pushed many long-time users to look elsewhere. Both run on the web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

Neither is great at getting data out. OneNote's export to other apps is awkward, and its flexible structure can get messy in large notebooks. Evernote's export works but its value is tied to its search and clipper.

Choose OneNote for class notes, handwritten notes and anyone already in Microsoft 365 who wants a capable notebook at no extra cost. Choose Evernote when clipping web pages, scanning paper and finding things later is the main job, and a paid subscription is acceptable.

Choose Evernote if…

Capturing web clippings, scans and mixed media in one searchable archive
Excellent web clipper
Search inside images and PDFs

Choose Microsoft OneNote if…

Handwritten and free-form notes inside the Microsoft ecosystem
Free with a Microsoft account
Great pen and handwriting support

What is Evernote?

Evernote is one of the original cloud note-taking apps, known for capturing web clippings, scanned documents, audio and handwritten notes into searchable notebooks. Notes sync across the web, desktop and mobile apps, and search can find text inside images and PDFs. Recent versions added tasks, calendar integration and an AI-assisted search. The company was acquired by Bending Spoons, which has since restructured plans, so long-time users often look for alternatives after pricing or limit changes on the free tier. It suits people who capture a lot of mixed material.

What is Microsoft OneNote?

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook where you can type, draw and paste content anywhere on a free-form page. Notes are organized into notebooks, sections and pages, which mirrors a physical binder. It works especially well with a pen on tablets, and it integrates with Outlook, Teams and the rest of Microsoft 365. Notebooks sync through OneDrive, and the app is free to use with a Microsoft account, with extra storage coming from a Microsoft 365 subscription. It is a natural fit for students and Windows users.

Side by side

Attribute	Evernote	Microsoft OneNote
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Best for	Capturing web clippings, scans and mixed media in one searchable archive	Handwritten and free-form notes inside the Microsoft ecosystem
Status	Acquired	Active