# Microsoft OneNote vs Stylus Labs Write Pro

The clearest difference is price: Microsoft OneNote at Free against Stylus Labs Write Pro's $8.99. Microsoft OneNote also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 40). Stylus Labs Write Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (77% vs 45%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Microsoft OneNote is free to download; Stylus Labs Write Pro costs $8.99 up front. Microsoft OneNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Stylus Labs Write Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

Microsoft OneNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of Microsoft OneNote's written reviews are positive against 77% of Stylus Labs Write Pro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Stylus Labs Write Pro every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Stylus Labs Write Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $8.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews)** | [4.5 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write-pro/id1498369428/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 40 |
| Positive reviews | 44.8% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#120** | — |
| Size | 404 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Matthew White](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498369427) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #120 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


### Stylus Labs Write Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write-pro/id1498369428)

This app offers advanced tools for editing and navigating handwritten documents, combining note-taking and vector drawing capabilities. It supports flexible file organization, cloud services, and a non-proprietary SVG format for easy sharing.

**Highlights:** Intelligent handwriting selection and editing tools, Reflow handwritten text with insert space tool, Create handwritten links and bookmarks, Non-proprietary SVG file format export, Apple Pencil support, Split view for multi-document work, PDF export

**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 Stylus Labs Write Pro free?

Stylus Labs Write Pro costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft OneNote or Stylus Labs Write Pro?

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Stylus Labs Write Pro averages 4.5 from 40 ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or Stylus Labs Write Pro have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor Stylus Labs Write Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft OneNote or Stylus Labs Write Pro?

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and Stylus Labs Write Pro every 4 months. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on September 27, 2026 and Stylus Labs Write Pro on September 24, 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.*