Notesnook vs OneNote

Notes only you can read, on every platform — including the Linux app OneNote has never had.

Notesnook encrypts every note on your device, so Microsoft, we, and anyone else are equally locked out. OneNote notebooks live in OneDrive, where password protection covers the sections you choose and nothing else. We also run on Linux, which OneNote never has.

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OUR CASE

Where Notesnook is better

Microsoft can't read them. Neither can we.

Encrypted on your device before it syncs.
OneNote sits in OneDrive, where Microsoft can read it.
Its password protection covers only the sections you pick.

It runs where OneNote doesn't.

A real Linux desktop app.
Plus Windows, macOS, Android, iOS and the web.
Microsoft has never shipped OneNote for Linux.

Your notes come out as easily as they went in.

Export to Markdown, HTML, PDF or plain text.
OneNote's export is limited and its format closed.

Privacy

	Notesnook	OneNote
Zero-knowledge encryption of everything, by default
Password-protected sections
Open source clients
Self-hostable sync server
App lock (passcode / biometrics)

Platforms

	Notesnook	OneNote
Linux desktop app
Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, web
Works fully offline

Writing and organising

	Notesnook	OneNote
Handwriting and stylus input
Real-time collaboration on shared notebooks
Rich text, tables, checklists
Note version history	100 free, unlimited on Pro
Bidirectional and block-level note links
Full export to open formats

Price

	Notesnook	OneNote
Free plan	$0 — 50MB/mo attachments	$0 — OneDrive storage
Paid plan	$19.99/yr — Essential	$9.99/mo — Microsoft 365 Personal
Free trial	14 days

OneNote and Microsoft 365 are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. This comparison was written from Microsoft’s published support and product pages on 2026-07-30 and is not endorsed by them. Found something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.

MOVING OVER

Moving your OneNote notes across

Export your notebooks from OneNote, create your account, then import. Create the account first — the import needs somewhere to put your notes.

Step 1
Export your OneNote notebooks
Use the OneNote desktop app to export each notebook. Handwritten ink will not come across as text — if most of your notes are stylus notes, this move is not for you.
Step 2
Create your free Notesnook account
Unlimited notes on every device, no card. Your password encrypts your notes and cannot be reset, so pick one you will keep.
Step 3
Import into Notesnook
Import from the app. Text, formatting and attachments arrive encrypted.

THE OTHER SIDE

In fairness to OneNote

Where OneNote is stronger, in our own words. If one of these decides it for you, we would rather you read it here than find out later.

Handwriting and inking — nothing here comes close.

Microsoft's own line is “combine the power of digital ink with the natural feel of a pen”, and it's true: stylus input, palm rejection, ink-to-text and the infinite page canvas are excellent. We have no handwriting support at all. If you take notes with a pen on a tablet, stop reading and stay with OneNote.

It's free, and the storage is generous.

OneNote costs nothing and syncs through OneDrive, and a Microsoft 365 subscription bundles 1TB. Our free plan includes 50MB of attachments a month. On raw storage, OneNote wins comfortably.

Office integration and real-time collaboration.

Shared notebooks several people edit at once, plus Outlook, Excel, Teams and Copilot. We have no real-time collaboration and no Office integration.

Questions & answers

Can Microsoft read my OneNote notes?

Your notebooks live in OneDrive, so they're protected by Microsoft's account security rather than by encryption only you can undo. OneNote does let you password-protect individual sections on Windows, Mac and iOS, which covers those sections. We encrypt everything on your device before it syncs, so we can't read any of it — that's a construction, not a policy.

Is OneNote really free?

Yes, and that's a fair reason to use it. Microsoft 365 adds storage and the Office apps, but OneNote itself costs nothing. Our free plan is genuinely free too — unlimited notes on unlimited devices — with less attachment storage.

Does Notesnook work on Linux?

Yes, there's a Linux desktop app. Microsoft's list of OneNote versions covers Windows, Mac, web, iPhone, iPad and Android — there's never been a OneNote app for Linux, though the web version runs in a browser.

What do I lose leaving OneNote?

Handwriting and stylus support, the infinite page canvas, real-time collaboration and Office integration. The first one is the big one: if you write with a pen, we have no answer for that.

Is there a trial?

14 days on every plan, cancel any time — plus a free plan that doesn't expire.