# Microsoft OneNote vs small

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: small at none against Microsoft OneNote's 3. small also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). Microsoft OneNote's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.1M vs 1). On price, ads 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. small asks for nothing beyond the download.

small holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, small every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | small |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/small-step-app/id6762166278/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 44.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#139** | — |
| Size | 414 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [SHUGO TANAKA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893203993) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #139 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture and organize your thoughts, ideas, and plans with a powerful digital note-taking tool. Utilize AI features for summaries and transcription, and seamlessly sync notes across all your devices. Collaborate on projects and integrate with other Microsoft Office apps.

**Highlights:** AI-powered Copilot notebooks, Voice transcription and smart notes, Document scanning and text extraction, Cross-device synchronization, Collaboration on notes and ideas, Integration with Microsoft Office

**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


### small

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/small-step-app/id6762166278)

This app offers a unique and calming approach to habit tracking. It visualizes progress with particles filling a jar, which then transforms into stars in a personal vault. The focus is on small, consistent actions without pressure or guilt.

**Highlights:** Mason jar visualization with particles, Flexible frequency tracking, Sky Vault for collected stars, Dark space aesthetic, Local notifications, Completion history and stats

**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 small free?

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

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

small is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while small averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or small have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor small shows ads.

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

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and small every 2 months. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on November 8, 2026 and small on October 31, 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.*