# Microsoft OneNote vs Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notes at 100% against Microsoft OneNote's 45%. Notes also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). Microsoft OneNote's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft OneNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Microsoft OneNote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Notes's.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notebook-and-reminders/id1582204558/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 44.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#67** | — |
| Size | 404 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Planning Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618240887) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #67 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-notebook-and-reminders/id1582204558)

Capture ideas, plan events, and manage tasks with this versatile note-taking app. Organize notes with custom views, filters, and priority pinning. Enjoy voice notes, file attachments, and secure local accounts.

**Highlights:** Voice notes, Checklist creation, File attachments, Drag and drop organization, Board and list views, Local accounts, Day/night modes

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access for a Month | $1.49 | per month |
| Full Access for a Year | $11.99 | per year |
| Full Access Forever | $24.99 | one-time |


## 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 in-app purchases available.

### 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 4.9 from 8 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 3 months. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on September 24, 2026 and Notes on September 21, 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.*