There is no doubt that Onenote is by far one of the most powerful note taking applications available today, but what if you are looking for something that does the same without having the problems of Microsoft Onenote? Don’t worry, in this post we will cover the best Onenote alternatives for Windows.
Why you may be looking for Onenote alternatives?
Microsoft Onenote is a good note taking gem for many people. It has a great feature set and it is completely free to use, Still it has its own set of problems.
While the desktop versions is feature packed, it is resource hungry as hell. If you have not yet upgraded to a SSD, The app takes some time to load. For some users, the UI if Onenote is too complex and confusing to use at first.
While Onenote has acceptable performance at syncing, the mobile apps are too big for entry level iPhones and Android devices. Also if you are a fan of markdown, you are out of luck. If any of the above is a concern for you, you should also consider switching for a better Microsoft Onenote alternatives.
Simplenote
Simplenote is a better Microsoft Onenote alternative if you are looking for a minimal note talking app that supports Markdown. Simplenote was recently bought by auttomatic, the company behind WordPress. The app is available for free and it is completely cross platform. You can use it even on Linux and the Web versions is also good enough to use.
Simplenote has a really simple UI
The biggest draw back is probably lack of image support. Simplenote is tiny in resource usage compared to Onenote, sizing around 6 MB for the Android version.
Good for: Programmes, people who are looking for simplicity and want it for free.
Google Keep
Google Keep is a simple Google service to store notes and to do lists. The app is available for Android and iOS, but there is no desktop applications available right now. Keep may be a better Microsoft Onenote alternative for you if you are a regular Google app user and you want note talking to be as simple as possible. Also Keep has tight integration to Google’s other services such as reminders and mail.
Keep has full supports for stoing images which may make it a bit better than SimpleNote.
Good For: People who want simplicity but still some more features than Simplenote.
EverNote
You saw that coming didn’t you? EverNote has been a long time rival to Microsoft Onenote. And there is a good reason for this too. EverNote has a fantastic web clipper and the app is a bit easier to use and undersatnd. The openiion may be defferiend for everyone, but, I find the android app better than Microsoft’s offering.
Evernote has both Paid and Free version,if you are using the free tier, you are limited to less data upload per month and online only access, but once you have paid for it, you get some of the best Note taking experiences currently available.
EverNote is more expensive than OneNote
So who should Evernote is for? Keeping its price in mind, if you don’t like Microsoft’s product line, EverNote may be the best Microsoft Evernote alternative for you.
Apple Notes
Not everyone is runninng an installaton of OS X so it can be easily undrstoond that Apple Notes is often ignored. Still, it is a really good and simple note taking sollution if you are using any Apple device.
Apple Note is available by default on almost all apple devices, in case you don’t have access to your iPhones or MacBook, you can still access your notes on the web-version. You get free access to Apple Note if you own any Apple Devices. Keep in mind that you may have to pay for any additional iCloud storage if you run out of space.
Who Should consider Apple Notes as a Microsoft Onenote Alternative ? You should only think of switching to Apple Notes if you own any Apple Device.
OneNote UWP App
Surprised to see OneNote as a OneNote alternative? Well, Microsoft makes two different versions of OneNote for Windows. The first one (about which, we talked in first part of today’s post) initially came with Microsoft Office and it is named OneNote 2016. It is free and for most people the biggest downside may be its resource hungry nature, In case you are among those people, you can try the Modern App names OneNote which is available in Windows Store and is installed on all Windows 10 devices by default.
The Modern Version is lightweight and quick to start , but you will loose some more advanced features such as docking and screenshots capability.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, following are the best alternatives for Microsoft OneNote:
- Evernote
- Simplenote
- Google Keep
- Apple Notes
- OneNote modern (UWP) App
Which one is good for you?
In all the above apps, which one is your favorite ? Do you know about any other app that can be used as a good Microsoft OneNote alternative? share with others in the comments below.
There is a Google Keep desktop application available. It syncs with your mobile phone even. Check it out.