# Microsoft OneNote vs LabJAM

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LabJAM at none against Microsoft OneNote's 3. LabJAM also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). Microsoft OneNote's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 26 months). On price there is nothing between them.

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

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, LabJAM every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | LabJAM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 26 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#84** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)](https://appshunter.io/developer/517420575) |

## 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


### LabJAM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/labjam/id6450125459)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft OneNote free?

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

### Is LabJAM free?

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

### Do Microsoft OneNote or LabJAM have ads?

LabJAM shows ads; Microsoft OneNote does not.

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

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and LabJAM every 26 months. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on October 22, 2026 and LabJAM 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.*