# Microsoft OneNote vs Nextcloud Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft OneNote at 4.7 against Nextcloud Notes's 2.2. Microsoft OneNote also leads on ratings volume (1.1M vs 94) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Nextcloud Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Microsoft OneNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 94, 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 27% of Nextcloud Notes's.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Nextcloud Notes every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Nextcloud Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews)** | [2.2 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextcloud-notes/id813973264/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 94 |
| Positive reviews | **44.8% of reviews** | 27.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 404 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Nextcloud GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296825573) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

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

**Currently charting:** #73 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


### Nextcloud Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextcloud-notes/id813973264)

This app allows you to create, edit, and organize notes on your mobile device. It syncs seamlessly with a Nextcloud server, ensuring your notes are accessible across all your devices and the web interface. Supports plain text and markdown formatting for versatile note-taking.

**Highlights:** Syncs with Nextcloud server, Create and delete notes, Organize notes in categories, Plain text editing, Markdown formatting, Export notes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Successfully syncs with Nextcloud instances
- ⚡ Improving performance and reliability over time
- 📝 Simple, lightweight note-taking interface
- 🔒 Privacy-focused with self-hosted option
- 📱 Cross-platform availability (iOS, Android)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent data loss and note deletion issues
- 🔌 Unreliable synchronization with server
- 🔐 Login and authentication failures
- ⚠️ Poor handling of connection interruptions
- 📉 App crashes and force-closes required

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly appear empty and lose content
- Empty files being saved to server
- Login resets to default server address
- 404 errors when getting settings
- Sync fails with large note collections

**Requested features**

- Text formatting options (bold, underline, italics)
- File and image attachment support
- Note categorization and organization
- Pin important notes to top
- Ability to rename notes easily


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft OneNote free?

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

### Is Nextcloud Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft OneNote or Nextcloud Notes?

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Nextcloud Notes averages 2.2 from 94 ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or Nextcloud Notes have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor Nextcloud Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft OneNote or Nextcloud Notes?

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and Nextcloud Notes every 6 weeks. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on September 25, 2026 and Nextcloud Notes on September 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.*