⚡ Quick Verdict:
- Pricing: Evernote paid plans start at $10.83 for the Personal plan. Microsoft OneNote is listed as contact for the exact pricing.
- Best for: Evernote for web clipping and search. Microsoft OneNote for free-form note taking inside Microsoft 365.
- Key difference: Evernote gates most essential features behind paid plans. OneNote offers its core app free with a Microsoft account.
- Our pick: Microsoft OneNote for most users, because you get multiple notebooks and syncing without a paid subscription.
The free app usually loses a head-to-head like this one.
Not here.
Microsoft OneNote asks for nothing up front and still scores higher.
Evernote starts at $10.83 before you get past its trial-sized free version.
That single gap shapes almost every decision below.
Overview
This Evernote vs Microsoft OneNote comparison covers pricing, features, and daily note taking.
We also break down who each app suits best.
Our writers reviewed documentation, pricing pages, and public user reviews for both tools.
They also spent hands-on time inside each app.
Those observations appear in the “What Our Team Noticed” sections below.
What is Evernote?
Evernote is a popular note taking app for capturing ideas, tasks, and documents.
It stores text based notes, audio notes, images, pdf files, and web pages.
You can organize notes with notebooks, tags, and notebook stacks.
Search is where Evernote makes its strongest case.
Bending Spoons acquired the company in early 2023.
Since then, Evernote introduced AI search, a cleaner user interface, and four pricing plans.
Here is a closer look at how the app works day to day.
Evernote
Built for people who save everything. The Evernote web clipper and OCR search pull text out of images, scans, and web clips.
Our standalone Evernote review goes deeper on daily use.
Evernote Pricing
Here is what Evernote costs in 2026.
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $10.83 | Solo users who want 10 GB monthly uploads |
| Professional | $14.16 | Advanced features, AI tools, and 20 GB uploads |
| Enterprise | Custom | Larger teams and organizations |
Pricing verified July 2026.
Free trial: Yes. The free version works as an open-ended trial, but it caps you at 50 notes and one notebook.
Money-back guarantee: Refunds follow the app store or billing terms you signed up through. Check the terms before you pay.
📌 Note: The Personal plan includes 150,000 notes, 2,000 notebooks, and 10 GB of monthly uploads. The Professional plan adds AI features and 20 GB.
⚠️ Pricing conflict flagged: Our CSV lists three tiers at $10.83, $14.16, and Custom. Evernote’s own site has published annual totals of $129.99 and $169.99, plus a separate Teams plan at $249.99 per user. We kept the CSV figures in every table. Treat the annual totals as the billed amount and the CSV rates as the monthly equivalent.
Key Benefits of Evernote
Here is what makes Evernote worth considering:
- Evernote web clipper: A browser extension saves articles, screenshots, and web pages straight into your Evernote account. It is the most valuable feature for research-heavy work.
- Search that reads images: Optical character recognition pulls text out of scans and photos. Reviewers say it copes with sloppy cursive handwriting better than most rivals.
- Deep organization: Notebooks, stacks, and custom tags give you a real hierarchy. You can create notebook stacks to group related notebooks together.
- Task management: Create to do lists inside notes, set due dates, and add reminders. Higher tiers let you assign tasks to teammates.
- Calendar and meeting notes: Connect Evernote to Google Calendar to pull calendar events into your notes automatically.
- Integrations: Evernote offers links to Google Drive, Salesforce, and Slack, so notes sit near the rest of your digital life.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer signed up for Evernote and spent several days moving real research into it. Here is what stood out:
Evernote Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Search covers text, images, and attachments using natural language
- Web clipper captures articles and screenshots accurately
- Notebooks, stacks, and tags create a clear hierarchy
- Paid plans sync unlimited devices with no size cap
❌ Cons
- High pricing next to other note taking apps
- Free plan stops at 50 notes and one notebook
- Collaboration stays basic compared with dedicated team tools
What is Microsoft OneNote?
Microsoft OneNote is a free-form note taking app built by Microsoft.
It uses a notebook metaphor with multiple notebooks, sections, and pages.
Click anywhere on a page and a text box appears there.
You can create notes, sketch, record audio, and clip web pages.
The app runs on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and the web.
You need a Microsoft account, but most features need no paid subscription.
This walkthrough shows how the notebook structure works in practice.
🏆 Winner: Microsoft OneNote
Unlimited notebooks and syncing at no cost. It plugs straight into Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Microsoft OneNote Pricing
So how much does OneNote cost in 2026?
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft OneNote | Contact for the exact pricing | Students, solo users, and teams of any size |
Pricing verified July 2026.
Free trial: Not needed. The stand-alone app is free through the official website and app stores, and no card is required.
Money-back guarantee: Refunds only apply to a Microsoft 365 subscription, and they follow Microsoft’s standard billing terms.
📌 Note: The free version bundles 5GB of OneDrive cloud storage. For more storage, Microsoft offers 1TB with a Microsoft 365 subscription, which also unlocks premium features across other Microsoft apps.
⚠️ Pricing conflict flagged: Our CSV records OneNote as “contact for the exact pricing,” so that is what our table shows. In practice the app itself is free with a Microsoft account. Paid tiers arrive only through Microsoft 365 bundles, which is why a single OneNote cost is hard to quote.
Key Benefits of Microsoft OneNote
Here is what makes Microsoft OneNote worth considering:
- Truly free: The great news is that OneNote offers unlimited notes with no cap per notebook. It also syncs across multiple devices with no monthly upload limit.
- Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can co-author one page at once. Sharing notes takes a click, and you pick edit or view-only access.
- Drawing tools: You can handwrite notes, sketch diagrams, and add annotations on top of anything on the page.
- Microsoft Office applications: It links to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Microsoft Teams integrations put shared notebooks inside channels.
- OCR technology: Search features reach inside images and handwritten notes, so scanned pages stay easily accessible.
- Capture anything: Record audio and video into a page, drop in custom templates, or grab an article with the web clipper.
This short video runs through the benefits that matter most in daily use.
What Our Team Noticed
Our writer set up OneNote on both desktop and mobile and used it for lecture-style notes. Here is what stood out:
Microsoft OneNote Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Free across Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and the web
- Unlimited notes and syncing with no upload cap
- Real-time co-authoring on a shared notebook
- Free-form canvas suits drawing and handwritten notes
❌ Cons
- Steep learning curve for new users
- Few export options for moving notes elsewhere
- Formatting shifts between different platforms
Feature Comparison
Ready for a closer look at Evernote vs Microsoft OneNote? We compare eleven areas that decide which app fits your workflow.
| Feature | Evernote | Microsoft OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $10.83 (Personal plan) | Contact for the exact pricing |
| Free Plan | ✅ 50 notes, 1 notebook | ✅ Unlimited notes |
| Web Clipper | ✅ | ✅ |
| OCR / Handwritten Notes | ✅ Stronger | ✅ |
| Task Management | ✅ Due dates, reminders | Basic to do lists |
| Real-Time Co-Authoring | ❌ | ✅ |
| Drawing Tools | Limited | ✅ Full canvas |
| Microsoft Office Applications | ❌ | ✅ |
| Export Options | ✅ | ❌ Limited |
| Best For | Research and archiving | Free-form notes and teams |
1. Note Taking & Organization
Evernote: Structure comes first. You organize notes into notebooks, then create notebook stacks to group those notebooks, then layer custom tags on top. Every new note lands somewhere specific, which is exactly what Evernote users tend to want.
Microsoft OneNote: The hierarchy runs notebooks, sections, then pages, and sections can be colour-coded. You can create multiple notebooks and organize information however you like, with no cap on note count.
2. Task Management & To-Do Lists
Evernote: You can create to do lists inside any note, add due dates, and set reminders. Higher tiers let you assign tasks to other people. Its task management capabilities still trail dedicated project apps.
Microsoft OneNote: Task management here means checkbox lists and tags. There is no built-in due date engine, so most people push tasks out to Microsoft To Do or Planner instead.
3. Calendar & Meeting Notes
Evernote: Connect Evernote to Google Calendar and your calendar events drop into the app. Each entry can open a meeting notes page that is already labelled with the right date and attendees.
Microsoft OneNote: Calendar linking runs through Outlook rather than Google Calendar. Microsoft Teams integrations matter more here, since a shared notebook can live inside a Teams channel.
4. Templates & Formatting Options
Evernote: A template gallery helps you take notes quickly, and you can save custom templates for reuse. Reviewers note the library is smaller than what several competitors ship.
Microsoft OneNote: Pre-designed templates cover meeting notes and project plans, and custom templates save time on repeat pages. Formatting options include fonts, colours, and highlighters, though customization options are heavier on desktop.
⚠️ Warning: OneNote formatting can shift when the same page opens on different platforms. Check a template on mobile before you build a workflow around it.
5. Handwritten Notes & Drawing Tools
Evernote: Sketching exists but stays limited. Evernote’s real strength is reading ink after the fact, since its OCR handles sloppy cursive handwriting that trips up other tools.
Microsoft OneNote: This is the free-form canvas. Drawing tools let you handwrite notes with a stylus, sketch diagrams, and add annotations over images or printouts. A math assistant can solve written equations too.
6. Collaboration & Sharing Notes
Evernote: You can share individual notes or a whole notebook with a link. G2 reviews criticise the Spaces feature for missing functions that teams expect, and there is no live co-editing.
Microsoft OneNote: Multiple users can edit one page at the same time. You choose edit or view-only access, and changes from other OneNote users appear live.
7. AI Features & Search
Evernote: AI search lets you describe an idea in plain language instead of guessing keywords. It also generates summaries and meeting notes. Most of it sits in the premium version, which longtime subscribers still call Evernote Premium.
Microsoft OneNote: Copilot summarises pages and pulls out key points. Search features cover typed text, images, and ink thanks to optical character recognition.
8. Audio Notes & Voice Transcription
Evernote: You can attach audio notes to any page, and AI transcription turns speech into searchable text. Text-to-speech reads notes back when you are away from a screen.
Microsoft OneNote: You can record audio and video straight into a page while you keep typing. That pairing is useful for lectures, and voice transcription turns the recording into text.
9. Web Clipper & Browser Extension
Evernote: The Evernote web clipper is widely rated the more accurate of the two. It saves full articles, trimmed selections, and screenshots into your Evernote account with tags applied.
Microsoft OneNote: Its browser extension grabs a whole site, part of a page, or just the article body. Clips land in a chosen section and stay easily accessible later.
10. PDF Files, Devices & Platform Coverage
Evernote: A built-in editor opens pdf files so you can add annotations without leaving the app. Desktop apps cover Mac and Windows, and paid plans sync unlimited devices. You need an internet connection for syncing.
Microsoft OneNote: Feature depth varies depending on where you open it. The Windows version of OneNote is the fullest, while the Android version and other mobile apps are a simplified version. You can access OneNote on Linux only through the web.
⚠️ Warning: OneNote is not word processing software. If you need Microsoft Word or Google Docs style layout control, keep those tools in your stack.
11. Pricing & Cost
Let’s compare the pricing plans side by side.
| Plan | Evernote | Microsoft OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | $10.83 | Contact for the exact pricing |
| Professional | $14.16 | Contact for the exact pricing |
| Enterprise | Custom | Contact for the exact pricing |
Evernote: The Personal plan buys you 10 GB of monthly uploads, and the Professional plan adds AI tools. High pricing is the complaint that shows up most often in reviews, and it is the main reason people search for Evernote alternatives.
Microsoft OneNote: Our CSV lists contact pricing, but the app costs nothing to install. Premium plans only enter the picture through Microsoft 365, and that bundle covers far more than notes.
Different Scenarios
| If You Need… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A zero-cost app | Microsoft OneNote | No paid plan required |
| The best web clipper | Evernote | Cleaner captures of web pages |
| Live team editing | Microsoft OneNote | Real-time co-authoring |
| Stylus and drawing tools | Microsoft OneNote | Free-form canvas |
| Search across scans | Evernote | Stronger OCR technology |
| Google Calendar links | Evernote | Native calendar events sync |
| Easy export options | Evernote | OneNote export is limited |
💰 Your Budget
Evernote’s free version behaves like a trial once you pass 50 notes. If you refuse to pay anything, OneNote is the only realistic answer here.
🔌 Your Tech Stack
Already inside Microsoft 365? OneNote slots into Microsoft Office applications with no extra setup. Google Drive and Slack users get more mileage from Evernote.
📝 Your Writing Style
Structured writers who file everything will prefer Evernote’s notebook stacks. People who sketch, scribble, and drop a text box anywhere will prefer OneNote.
🎓 Your Experience Level
OneNote packs many features behind a busier interface, and new users often feel lost at first. Evernote’s cleaner layout is gentler on day one, and taking notes there feels closer to other apps you already know.
🆓 Free Trials and Demos
Install both and run one real project through each. Two weeks of honest use tells you more than any spec sheet.
🛟 Support Options
Microsoft support runs through documentation and community forums, and OneNote support tickets are tied to your Microsoft 365 plan. Evernote routes help by tier, so premium plans get faster answers.
Switching Guide
Already using one of these apps? Here is what to expect if you move.
🔄 Switching from Evernote to Microsoft OneNote?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- A free app with no note limit and no monthly upload cap
- Real-time co-authoring with multiple users on one page
- Full drawing tools and stylus support on a free-form canvas
❌ What you’ll lose:
- The sharper web clipper and its cleaner article captures
- Google Calendar sync and Google Drive links
- Notebook stacks and the deeper tagging hierarchy
📋 How to switch:
- Export each Evernote notebook to ENEX from the desktop app
- Sign in to OneNote with a Microsoft account and create the target notebooks
- Run the Microsoft import tool, then spot-check attachments and tags
🔄 Switching from Microsoft OneNote to Evernote?
✅ What you’ll gain:
- Search that reads scans, photos, and messy ink more reliably
- A home dashboard built from customizable widgets
- Tasks with real due dates plus calendar sync
❌ What you’ll lose:
- Free unlimited notes, since Evernote caps the free tier at 50
- Live co-editing with other OneNote users
- Tight links to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
📋 How to switch:
- Export each OneNote section as PDF or ONE files from the desktop version
- Create your Evernote account and pick the plan that fits
- Import the files, then rebuild your section colours as tags
What Our Review Didn’t Cover
This comparison focused on individuals, students, and small teams. We did not test Evernote’s Enterprise tier, OneNote inside a managed Microsoft 365 tenant, or admin controls on either side. Our notes reflect the July 2026 builds, so features may have shifted since. If you run 50 or more seats, your priorities will look different from ours.
Final Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| 💰 Pricing | Microsoft OneNote |
| 📒 Note Taking & Organization | Evernote |
| ✅ Task Management | Evernote |
| ✍️ Handwritten Notes & Drawing | Microsoft OneNote |
| 👥 Collaboration | Microsoft OneNote |
| 🔍 Search & OCR | Evernote |
| 🤖 AI Features | Microsoft OneNote |
| 🔌 Integrations | Microsoft OneNote |
| 🏆 Overall Winner | Microsoft OneNote |
🏆 WINNER: MICROSOFT ONENOTE
Microsoft OneNote wins 5 out of 8 categories.
Best for: students, Microsoft 365 teams, stylus users, and anyone who wants a serious note taking app for free
These two apps chase different ideas of what notes should be. Evernote is a filing cabinet with excellent search. Microsoft OneNote is a blank canvas that happens to sync everywhere.
Evernote is the better pick if you clip constantly, scan paper, and want tasks and calendar events in one place. Those great features are real, and the web clipper still leads.
But the maths is hard to argue with. OneNote gives most people what they need without a paid subscription, and it collaborates better while doing it.
More of Evernote Compared
Here is how Evernote stacks up against other note taking apps:
Evernote wins on: reading scanned handwriting, clipping full articles cleanly, offline capture on mobile devices
Notion wins on: relational databases, a far larger free tier, wikis that whole teams can edit
Evernote vs Craft
Evernote wins on: search depth across attachments, cross-platform parity, calendar and task linking
Craft wins on: typography and document polish, nested page blocks, publishing a note as a shareable web page
Evernote vs Capacities
Evernote wins on: mature desktop apps, OCR on images, a browser extension people already trust
Capacities wins on: object-based note linking, daily notes workflow, a graph view of connected ideas
Evernote vs Notejoy
Evernote wins on: personal archiving at scale, pdf editing, richer template library
Notejoy wins on: faster team commenting, lighter interface, cheaper per-seat pricing plans for small teams
More of Microsoft OneNote Compared
Here is how Microsoft OneNote measures up against other tools:
Microsoft OneNote wins on: handwriting and stylus input, working fully offline, zero cost for unlimited notebooks
Notion wins on: structured databases, public sharing links, a cleaner mobile editor
Microsoft OneNote vs ClickUp
Microsoft OneNote wins on: free-form page layout, ink annotation, native ties to Microsoft Word and Excel
ClickUp wins on: sprint and project tracking, workload dashboards, automation rules across teams
Microsoft OneNote vs Taskade
Microsoft OneNote wins on: drawing and diagram capture, OCR inside images, long-form lecture pages
Taskade wins on: outline-style task lists, built-in video chat, AI agents that run project workflows
Microsoft OneNote vs Mem AI
Microsoft OneNote wins on: manual organization control, offline access, no subscription to unlock core use
Mem AI wins on: automatic note surfacing, AI-first capture, self-organising timelines
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Evernote better than OneNote?
Only for clipping and OCR search. OneNote scores higher overall because it costs nothing, allows unlimited notes, and supports live co-authoring.
Is OneNote actually free?
Yes. The stand-alone app is free with a Microsoft account and includes 5GB of OneDrive space. Only extra storage needs a Microsoft 365 plan.
Why are people leaving Evernote?
Mostly cost. The free tier dropped to 50 notes and one notebook after 2023, while paid tiers rose. Cheaper rivals now cover the same ground.
Can I convert handwriting to text in OneNote?
Yes. Ink to Text converts stylus writing into typed characters, and OCR makes handwriting searchable. Accuracy drops on very messy cursive.
How much does Evernote cost per month?
Our verified figures put the Personal plan at $10.83 and the Professional plan at $14.16. Enterprise pricing is custom and quoted on request.
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