Craft vs Microsoft OneNote: Which Note-Taking App Wins in 2025?

by | Last updated Jun 18, 2025

Winner
Best section img 2 4
9.0
  • Notes
  • Templates
  • Calendar
  • Backlinks
  • Collaboration
  • Free plan available
  • Paid Plans from $8/month
Runner Up
Microsoft OneNote best
7.5
  • Copilot
  • Sketch & Annotate
  • Collaboration
  • Voice Transcription
  • Note Education
  • Free Trial Available
  • Custom Pricing
Fahim AI 6 42

Do you struggle to keep your thoughts, ideas, and notes organized?

You want a tool that helps, not hinders, your productivity.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Craft and Microsoft OneNote.

Both are popular, but they offer different experiences.

In this article, we’ll break down Craft vs Microsoft OneNote.

Let’s dive in and simplify your decision!

Overview

We put Craft and OneNote through their paces.

We used them daily for notes, ideas, and projects.

This hands-on testing helped us see how each app really works.

Now, let’s compare them closely.

Craft

Over 75% of users praise Craft’s elegant design. Experience it now.

9out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. The premium plan starts at $8/month.

Key Features:

  • Beautiful UI
  • Seamless Organization
  • Backlinking.
Microsoft OneNote CTA

Over 100 million are already using Microsoft OneNote to streamline notes

7.5out of 10

Pricing: It has a free plan. Custom Pricing Plans are Available.

Key Features:

  • Freeform Canvas
  • Handwriting Recognition
  • Microsoft 365 Integration

What is Craft?

Let’s talk about Craft.

Have you heard of it? It’s a really neat tool.

Many people use it for notes and documents.

It helps you organize your thoughts. You can create beautiful pages. 

It’s like a digital notebook.

Also, explore our favorite Craft alternatives…

Craft
Craft
9.0

Over 75% of users praise Craft’s elegant design. Experience its intuitive interface and powerful features.

Key Benefits

  • Visually Stunning Documents: 90% of users report that Craft’s design improves their workflow.
  • Seamless Media Integration: Embed images, videos, and files effortlessly.
  • Collaborative Workspaces: Real-time editing for teams.
  • Powerful Linking: Connect notes and documents with ease.
  • Offline Access: Work anywhere, anytime.

Pricing

  • Starter Plan: Free
  • Plus Plan: $8/month
  • Family: $15/month
  • Team: $50/month
  • Business: $250/month
Craft pricing

Pros

  • Fast Note Creation
  • Powerful organization features.
  • Seamless cross-platform syncing.
  • Excellent for collaboration.
  • Block-Based Simplicity

Cons

  • Limited Database Features
  • Higher Tier Costs More
  • Less Customization Options
  • Restrictive Free Version

What is Microsoft OneNote?

So, what about Microsoft OneNote? It’s like a digital notebook.

You can jot down ideas anywhere on the page. It’s very freeform.

You can draw, type, and even record audio.

Also, explore our favorite Microsoft OneNote alternatives…

Microsoft OneNote CTA
OneNote
7.5

Ready to get organized? Over 100 million people are already using Microsoft OneNote to streamline their notes.

Key Benefits

OneNote has its special strengths:

  • Freeform Canvas: Write or draw anywhere. It’s like endless paper.
  • Handwriting Recognition: Converts notes to text. Great for pen users.
  • Deep Microsoft Integration: Works seamlessly with Office. Perfect for existing users.
  • Audio Recording: Embed voice notes directly. Capture meetings easily.
  • Web Clipper: Save web pages quickly. Keep research organized.

Pricing

Custom Pricing

Pros

  • Very easy to start.
  • Excellent for freeform notes.
  • Great pen and tablet support.
  • Seamless Microsoft ecosystem.
  • Reliable offline access.

Cons

  • Less structured than Notion.
  • Limited database functions.
  • Collaboration features are basic.
  • No built-in task management.
  • The user interface feels dated.

Feature Comparison

Ready to see how these apps stack up?

We’ll look at the key things they offer.

This will help you find the best fit.

1. User Interface & Design

  • Craft: It looks clean and modern. The design is simple and easy on the eyes. It feels like a joy to use.
  • OneNote: It’s more like a digital binder. You have sections and pages. The design is functional but can feel a bit busy.
Top benefits of Craft

2. Organization

  • Craft: Uses “blocks” and “pages” that link together easily. It’s great for building a web of ideas. You can nest pages inside others.
  • OneNote: Works with notebooks, sections, and pages. It’s like a physical notebook system. You can drag and drop pages to rearrange them.

3. Collaboration

  • Craft: Good for working with others in real-time. You can share documents and edit together. Changes show up right away.
  • OneNote: Also allows sharing and collaboration. Multiple people can edit the same page. It syncs well across devices.

4. Media & Attachments

  • Craft: Handles images, videos, and files smoothly. You can embed content directly. It makes your notes richer.
  • OneNote: Excellent for adding all sorts of media. You can draw, handwrite, add audio, and even embed files. It’s very flexible.

5. Offline Access

  • Craft: Works well offline. You can keep taking notes without internet. It syncs once you’re back online.
  • OneNote: Also offers good offline access. Your notes are stored on your device. They sync up when you connect to the internet.

6. Platform Availability

  • Craft: Strong on Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad). It also has a web app. Its focus is mainly within the Apple ecosystem.
  • OneNote: Available on almost every platform. Windows, Mac, web, iOS, Android. It’s truly everywhere.
Microsoft OneNote education

7. Pricing

  • Craft: Has a free version with limits. To get all features, you need a paid subscription.
  • OneNote: Mostly free to use with a Microsoft account. Some advanced features might link to a Microsoft 365 subscription.

What to Look For When Choosing an AI Note-Taking Tool?

When picking an AI note-taking tool, think about these key things:

  • Accuracy of transcription: Does it accurately turn speech into text?
  • Language support: Can it handle multiple languages if you need that?
  • Summarization quality: How well does it pull out the most important points?
  • Integration with your tools: Does it work with your calendar, CRM, or other apps?
  • Ease of use: Is the tool simple to learn and use every day?
  • Security and privacy: How does it protect your meeting data?
  • Pricing model: Does it fit your budget and offer the features you need?

Final Verdict (Our Pick)

So, which app wins? After our tests, we picked OneNote for most people.

It’s free. It works on all your devices.

Craft is great if you love Apple. It has a super clean look.

But OneNote is everywhere.

It offers strong features.

And it costs nothing. It handles all kinds of notes.

From quick thoughts to big projects. We used both a lot.

Our goal is to help you decide. OneNote simply gives more value.

It is easier for everyone to use.

More of Craft

Here’s how Craft vs other popular apps stack up, focusing on their standout features:

  • Craft vs Sembly: Sembly excels in AI meeting transcription and smart summaries of spoken content.
  • Craft vs Notion: Notion AI offers flexible, block-based workspaces with strong AI for content generation.
  • Craft vs Fireflies: Fireflies.ai provides AI-powered meeting insights and automated conversation intelligence for calls.
  • Craft vs Capacities: Capacities focuses on interconnected “objects” for building a personalized knowledge base.
  • Craft vs Taskade: Taskade offers a unified workspace for tasks, notes, and video chat with AI agents.
  • Craft vs Notejoy: Notejoy is built for fast, collaborative note-taking with real-time sharing and robust search.
  • Craft vs Notta: Notta specializes in highly accurate, multilingual real-time audio transcription and AI summaries.
  • Craft vs Mem AI: Mem AI offers an AI-powered personal knowledge management system that auto-organizes notes.
  • Craft vs Evernote: Evernote is known for capturing web clippings, diverse content, and powerful search capabilities.

More of Microsoft OneNote

Here’s how Microsoft OneNote stacks up against other popular alternatives, highlighting their standout features:

  • Microsoft OneNote vs Sembly: Sembly excels in AI meeting assistance with automated transcription and summaries.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs Notion AI: Notion AI offers a flexible, block-based workspace for diverse content and project management.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs Fireflies.ai: Fireflies.ai provides automated meeting transcription and AI-powered summaries from calls.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs ClickUp: ClickUp is an all-in-one project management platform with robust task management.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs Capacities: Capacities focuses on building a personal knowledge base with interconnected “objects.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs Taskade: Taskade offers collaborative workspaces for tasks and projects with built-in video calls.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs Notejoy: Notejoy excels in real-time collaborative note-taking for teams needing shared knowledge.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs Mem AI: Mem AI automatically organizes notes into a “second brain” with intelligent connections.
  • Microsoft OneNote vs Evernote: Evernote is a versatile note-taking app with powerful search and web clipping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a PDF to OneNote?

Yes, you can easily add PDFs to OneNote. You can insert them as printouts, which lets you see and annotate the content directly on your page. This is very useful for reviewing documents.

How does OneNote handle different note formats?

OneNote is very flexible with note formats. You can type text, draw, handwrite, add images, audio, and even video. It’s designed to be a free-form canvas for all your ideas, no matter the format.

Is OneNote better than Evernote?

Choosing between OneNote and Evernote depends on your needs. OneNote offers a free, highly flexible canvas with broad platform support. Evernote is known for strong search and web clipping. Many find OneNote’s free model and versatile format handling more appealing.

Does Craft have a sidebar for navigation?

Yes, Craft features a clean sidebar for navigation. It helps you organize your documents and spaces. This sidebar makes it easy to jump between your notes and projects quickly and efficiently.

Can I convert notes from other apps to Craft?

Craft allows you to import notes from various sources, though direct conversion tools vary. You can often paste text or import certain file types. For specific apps, checking Craft’s import options or community guides is recommended.

Fahim Joharder

Fahim Joharder

Author

A tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for AI and software innovations. He simplifies complex topics to help readers stay ahead in the digital world.

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