# Microsoft OneNote vs CertaOne Mobile

The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft OneNote at 4.7 against CertaOne Mobile's 3.1. Microsoft OneNote also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 13). CertaOne Mobile's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Microsoft OneNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, CertaOne Mobile every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | CertaOne Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews)** | [3.1 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/certaone-mobile/id1337963659/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 44.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#78** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [CertaPro Painters](https://appshunter.io/developer/484308178) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #78 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


### CertaOne Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/certaone-mobile/id1337963659)

Streamline your project workflow with a tool designed for creating estimates and managing job details. This application helps professionals organize their tasks and client information efficiently.

**Highlights:** Estimate creation, Job management, Task organization, Client information management

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft OneNote free?

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

### Is CertaOne Mobile free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft OneNote or CertaOne Mobile?

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while CertaOne Mobile averages 3.1 from 13 ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or CertaOne Mobile have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor CertaOne Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft OneNote or CertaOne Mobile?

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and CertaOne Mobile every 2 months. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on October 22, 2026 and CertaOne Mobile on October 12, 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.*