# Microsoft OneNote vs Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notes at none against Microsoft OneNote's 3. Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Microsoft OneNote's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and chart position (#88 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft OneNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Microsoft OneNote against 4.8 for Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1M and 641K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of Microsoft OneNote's written reviews are positive against 51% of Notes's.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Notes every 9 months. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews) | **[4.8 (641K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 641K |
| Positive reviews | 44.8% of reviews | **51.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#88** | — |
| Size | 404 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246)

**Currently charting:** #88 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture thoughts, ideas, and plans in a digital notepad. Organize, search, and secure your notes, memos, and sketches. Sync across devices for access anywhere, anytime. Collaborate with others on shared notepads.

**Highlights:** Capture thoughts and ideas, Digital sketchbook, Organize and search notes, Sync notes via OneDrive, Collaborate on shared notepads, Handwritten notes and drawings

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $11.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple, works well
- 👍 Great for planning
- 👍 Powerful note-taking app
- 👍 Invaluable tool for note taking
- 👍 Used for years, couldn't be without this app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔨 Could be better
- 🔨 Formatting issues on mobile app
- 🔨 Buggy widget, no dark app icon
- 🐛 Glitchy, crashes often
- 🐛 Terrible sync speeds

**Reported bugs**

- Cursor positioning is erratic
- Search function does not work well
- Ink to text conversion missing on iPad
- Syncing issues, notes not syncing properly across devices
- Crashing, freezing, and performance issues

**Requested features**

- Native Markdown support and merged cell support
- Ruler, ability to choose or create notebook covers
- Ability to password protect app or individual notebooks
- Option to open on last opened page instead of Home
- Ability to turn note into task that appears on To Do and Planner


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109)

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and important information with a versatile note-taking app. Attach various file types, scan documents, create checklists, and even sketch directly within your notes. Organize with folders, tags, and smart searches, and collaborate with others on shared notes.

**Highlights:** Add attachments (PDFs, images, links), Scan paper documents, Create checklists, Sketch with finger or stylus, Search text in notes and handwriting, Collaborate on shared notes, Quick Note feature

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Versatile note-taking app
- 🔒 Secure with password/biometric lock
- 🌐 Seamless sync across devices
- 🚀 Quick and responsive
- 📂 Organized with folders and tags

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/retrieving notes
- 🔋 High battery drain when using Apple Pencil
- 📝 Limited formatting options (font, color, etc.)
- 🔒 Password reset issues with locked notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or not syncing
- Cursor jumping around when editing text
- Typing lag and performance issues
- Inconsistent behavior when adding images
- Formatting problems when pasting content

**Requested features**

- Add undo/redo functionality
- Improve table formatting and calculations
- Allow custom folder colors and icons
- Implement a page view for longer notes
- Integrate with Reminders app for to-do lists


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft OneNote free?

Microsoft OneNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Notes free?

Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft OneNote or Notes?

Notes is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Notes averages 4.8 from 641K ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or Notes have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft OneNote or Notes?

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and Notes every 9 months. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on September 26, 2026 and Notes on September 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*