# Microsoft OneNote vs ServiceWA

The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft OneNote at 4.7 against ServiceWA's 2.4. Microsoft OneNote also leads on review sentiment (44% vs 15%) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 1K). ServiceWA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Microsoft OneNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Microsoft OneNote's written reviews are positive against 15% of ServiceWA's.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, ServiceWA monthly. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | ServiceWA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews)** | [2.4 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/servicewa/id1599181775/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 1K |
| Positive reviews | **44.5% of reviews** | 15.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#84** | — |
| Size | 409 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Government of Western Australia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599182107) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #84 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


### ServiceWA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/servicewa/id1599181775)

Access select Western Australian State Government services conveniently in one app. Designed for residents, citizens, business owners, and visitors in WA, it streamlines your interaction with government offerings.

**Highlights:** Access WA State Government services, One-stop government service hub, Digital Identity integration, Location services integration, Camera services integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Centralizes multiple government services in one app
- 🚀 Fast load times and efficient performance (for some users)
- 🔒 Secure identity verification process
- 📱 Check-in functionality works well once set up
- 💉 Vaccination certificate integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😤 Extremely complex and frustrating setup process
- 🔐 Requires multiple app downloads (MyGovID, Medicare app)
- ❌ Poor user experience for non-technical users
- 🚫 Mandatory digital ID requirement (privacy concerns)
- ⏳ Time-consuming identity verification steps

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or gets stuck on loading screen
- Login authentication fails with MyGovID
- Verification code SMS never arrives or times out
- App freezes waiting for verification code with no way to exit
- Unspecified error messages during login

**Requested features**

- Check-in history visibility (at least 7-14 days)
- Manual check-in capability
- Dark mode option
- Ability to hide personally identifiable information (DOB)
- Digital driver's license support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft OneNote free?

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

### Is ServiceWA free?

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

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

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while ServiceWA averages 2.4 from 1K ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or ServiceWA have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor ServiceWA shows ads.

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

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and ServiceWA monthly. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on October 17, 2026 and ServiceWA on October 17, 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.*