# Microsoft OneNote vs Passwordstate

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Passwordstate at 100% against Microsoft OneNote's 44%. Passwordstate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Microsoft OneNote's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). 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. Passwordstate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Microsoft OneNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Microsoft OneNote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Passwordstate's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Passwordstate every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Passwordstate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews)** | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passwordstate/id1522616129/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 44.5% of reviews | **100.0% 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 | **#105** | — |
| Size | 409 MB | 188 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Click Studios (SA) Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1521946553) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #105 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


### Passwordstate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passwordstate/id1522616129)

Securely access and manage your team's sensitive password resources from anywhere. This mobile app syncs with your existing installation, offering encrypted storage, offline access, and biometric authentication for convenience and peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Sync with Passwordstate vault, AES-256 bit encryption, Add, update, delete password records, Scan and retrieve OTP records, Offline access, Biometric authentication, AutoFill integration

**Features:** 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 Passwordstate free?

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

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

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Passwordstate averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or Passwordstate have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor Passwordstate shows ads.

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

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and Passwordstate every 2 months. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on October 18, 2026 and Passwordstate on October 7, 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.*