# Microsoft OneNote vs Note To Self Mail

Microsoft OneNote and Note To Self Mail both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Note To Self Mail's written reviews are positive against 45% of Microsoft OneNote's. Note To Self Mail also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Microsoft OneNote's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 374). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft OneNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Note To Self Mail sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Microsoft OneNote against 4.8 for Note To Self Mail. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 374, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of Microsoft OneNote's written reviews are positive against 90% of Note To Self Mail's.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Note To Self Mail every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Note To Self Mail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews) | **[4.8 (374 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-to-self-mail/id1135553707/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 374 |
| Positive reviews | 44.8% of reviews | **90.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#90** | — |
| Size | 404 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Mathias Lipowski](https://appshunter.io/developer/668302586) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #90 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


### Note To Self Mail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-to-self-mail/id1135553707)

Quickly capture your thoughts and send them directly to your inbox. This app integrates with popular to-do list applications, streamlining your workflow by sending notes via email. It offers basic note-taking with advanced features available in the pro version.

**Highlights:** Send notes directly to inbox, Integrates with Trello, Evernote, etc., Attach photos (pro), Create sketches (pro), Attach audio notes (pro), Scan documents (pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $4.99 | per year |
| Pro Version | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy me a coffee | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Extremely fast and quick to use
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- ⚙️ Highly customizable settings and options
- 🔒 Secure SMTP-based email delivery
- 📧 Seamless email integration with multiple accounts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Google OAuth authentication issues
- 🔐 Requires SMTP server configuration (technical barrier)
- ⚠️ Occasional reliability issues after extended use
- 📱 Limited Apple Watch support
- 🌐 Browser sharing functionality sometimes fails

**Reported bugs**

- Google OAuth doesn't work properly
- Messages stuck in outbox with Google authentication
- App stops working after several weeks of use
- Safari share extension crashes or fails silently
- Browser sharing shows grey rectangle and fails

**Requested features**

- Scheduled/delayed send functionality
- Apple Watch native app
- Document scanning with PDF export
- YouTube title preservation in sharing
- iOS 26 UI updates


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft OneNote free?

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

### Is Note To Self Mail free?

Note To Self Mail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft OneNote or Note To Self Mail?

Note To Self Mail is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Note To Self Mail averages 4.8 from 374 ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or Note To Self Mail have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor Note To Self Mail shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft OneNote or Note To Self Mail?

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and Note To Self Mail every 6 weeks. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on September 26, 2026 and Note To Self Mail on September 20, 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.*