# Microsoft OneNote vs Just an Idea!

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Just an Idea! at none against Microsoft OneNote's 3. Just an Idea! also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). Microsoft OneNote's advantage is chart position (#97 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence 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. Just an Idea! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Just an Idea! every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Just an Idea! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 44.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#97** | — |
| Size | 419 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Fabrizio Novelli](https://appshunter.io/developer/1256510961) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #97 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

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

**Highlights:** AI-powered Copilot notebooks, Voice transcription and smart notes, Note-taking scanner with text extraction, Cross-device syncing, 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


### Just an Idea!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/just-an-idea/id6772349065)

**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 Just an Idea! free?

Just an Idea! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or Just an Idea! have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor Just an Idea! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft OneNote or Just an Idea!?

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and Just an Idea! every 2 weeks. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on November 9, 2026 and Just an Idea! 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.*