Evernote vs OneNote
Evernote and OneNote are both notebook apps for desktop, mobile and the web. Evernote adds tasks, a calendar, web clipping and AI tools, and it sells a Free plan plus paid tiers. OneNote gives you free-form pages and is free to download and use. Some of its premium features and Copilot need a Microsoft 365 subscription or a Copilot license.
The short verdict
Evernote
Choose Evernote if you want notes, tasks, a calendar, web clipping and built-in AI tools together in one app on desktop, mobile and the web.
Microsoft OneNote
Choose OneNote if you use OneDrive or SharePoint and want free notebooks with free-form pages on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web.
Evernote vs Microsoft OneNote, side by side
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What it is for
- A note-taking app that keeps your notes, tasks and schedule in one place.
- A digital notebook where notes sit in containers you can move anywhere on a page.
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What you can keep in it
- Notes, tasks, linked calendar events, recordings with transcription, scans, and web clips of pages, articles and PDFs.
- Typed notes, pictures, file attachments, audio recordings, tables and tags.
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How it organizes
- Notebooks and spaces with search; tasks and a calendar are built in.
- Notebooks hold sections, sections hold pages; tags categorize notes; search covers the content.
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AI features
- AI Assistant chat, Semantic Search, AI Transcribe, AI Edit, mobile-only AI Cleanup and MCP connections; plan coverage not confirmed.
- Copilot with a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Work) license, or an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription on Windows only.
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Platforms
- Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and web apps, plus a Web Clipper browser extension.
- Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android and the web.
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Offline use
- Offline notebook access exists and generally requires a paid subscription.
- Only the Windows desktop app supports local notebook storage; offline use elsewhere not confirmed.
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Export
- Not confirmed
- Whole notebooks export as a Zip from OneNote for the web, for personal OneDrive notebooks only.
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Pricing model
- Free plan plus several paid tiers with free trials; tiers differ in notes, notebooks, storage and device sync. Evernote pricing
- Free to download and use; an optional Microsoft 365 subscription adds some premium features. Microsoft OneNote pricing
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Sharing
- Real-time team collaboration and easy sharing are listed; permission details not confirmed.
- Notebooks saved in OneDrive or SharePoint can be shared with edit or view permission, or by link.
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Where your data lives
- Cloud-synced; only in-note text encryption on Mac and Windows is documented as end-to-end.
- Cloud notebooks on OneDrive or SharePoint; the Windows desktop app also supports local storage.
| Feature | Evernote | Microsoft OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | A note-taking app that keeps your notes, tasks and schedule in one place. | A digital notebook where notes sit in containers you can move anywhere on a page. |
| What you can keep in it | Notes, tasks, linked calendar events, recordings with transcription, scans, and web clips of pages, articles and PDFs. | Typed notes, pictures, file attachments, audio recordings, tables and tags. |
| How it organizes | Notebooks and spaces with search; tasks and a calendar are built in. | Notebooks hold sections, sections hold pages; tags categorize notes; search covers the content. |
| AI features | AI Assistant chat, Semantic Search, AI Transcribe, AI Edit, mobile-only AI Cleanup and MCP connections; plan coverage not confirmed. | Copilot with a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Work) license, or an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription on Windows only. |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and web apps, plus a Web Clipper browser extension. | Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android and the web. |
| Offline use | Offline notebook access exists and generally requires a paid subscription. | Only the Windows desktop app supports local notebook storage; offline use elsewhere not confirmed. |
| Export | Not confirmed | Whole notebooks export as a Zip from OneNote for the web, for personal OneDrive notebooks only. |
| Pricing model | Free plan plus several paid tiers with free trials; tiers differ in notes, notebooks, storage and device sync. See Evernote pricing | Free to download and use; an optional Microsoft 365 subscription adds some premium features. See Microsoft OneNote pricing |
| Sharing | Real-time team collaboration and easy sharing are listed; permission details not confirmed. | Notebooks saved in OneDrive or SharePoint can be shared with edit or view permission, or by link. |
| Where your data lives | Cloud-synced; only in-note text encryption on Mac and Windows is documented as end-to-end. | Cloud notebooks on OneDrive or SharePoint; the Windows desktop app also supports local storage. |
Where each one is stronger
Evernote
Strengths
- Apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android and the web.
- Notes, tasks and a calendar in one app.
- Clips web pages, articles and PDFs into Evernote.
- Built-in AI tools, including an assistant chat, semantic search, transcription and MCP connections to AI tools.
Limitations
- The Free plan limits the number of notes, notebooks and synced devices; the plans page lists the details.
- Offline notebook access generally requires a paid subscription.
- In-note encryption covers text inside a note, and only in the Mac and Windows desktop apps.
Who it suits
- People who want notes, tasks, a calendar and web clipping in one app
- People who want AI search and transcription inside their notes app
Microsoft OneNote
Strengths
- Free to download and use on Windows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android and the web.
- Free-form pages with movable note containers, plus attachments, audio, tables and tags.
- Notebooks can be shared with edit or view permission through OneDrive or SharePoint.
- The Windows desktop app supports local notebook storage.
Limitations
- Whole-notebook export works only in OneNote for the web, and only for notebooks on personal OneDrive accounts.
- Sharing needs the notebook to be saved in OneDrive or SharePoint.
- Copilot needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Work) license, or an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription for OneNote on Windows only.
- No Linux app is listed among the supported platforms.
Who it suits
- People who already store files in OneDrive or SharePoint
- People who like to place notes anywhere on a page instead of writing one long document
The same weekly meeting notes in each tool
Say you keep notes from a weekly meeting. In Evernote you can write the note in a notebook, add a task for each follow-up and link the calendar event to the note. A recording of the meeting can be transcribed. Articles you read beforehand can go in with the Web Clipper.
In OneNote you would add a page to a section of your notebook. You can place typed notes, a picture or an audio recording anywhere on that page. Tags mark the notes that need to stand out, and search finds them later. If you still use OneNote for Windows 10, it reached end of support on October 14, 2025 and became read-only. Microsoft directs users to OneNote on Windows.
How each one is priced
Evernote sells a Free plan and several paid tiers, with free trials. The tiers differ in note, notebook, storage and device-sync limits, and offline notebooks generally need a paid plan. OneNote is free to download and use on every supported platform. An optional Microsoft 365 subscription adds some premium features, and Copilot in OneNote needs a Copilot license or an eligible subscription. Check each vendor's page for current terms.
Where Qind fits
If you mostly save web pages, PDFs and notes and want to find them again, Qind is a third option. It tags what you save and files items into collections when it is sure. You ask questions in plain language, and each answer links to the saved items behind it.
When Qind is not the right choice: Qind is the wrong choice if you need shared notebooks, tasks and a calendar, or free-form page layouts. It has no real-time collaboration or offline mode on the web, and its iPhone and Android apps are not yet released.
Frequently asked questions
Is OneNote free?
Yes. Microsoft says all supported versions of OneNote are free to download and use. An optional Microsoft 365 subscription adds some premium features. Copilot in OneNote needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Work) license, or an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription in OneNote for Windows only.
Is Evernote free?
Evernote has a Free plan and several paid tiers, with free trials. The Free plan limits the number of notes, notebooks and synced devices, and offline notebook access generally requires a paid subscription. Evernote's compare-plans page lists what each tier includes.
Which one works offline?
Evernote's FAQ says offline notebook access generally requires a paid subscription and may depend on your plan. For OneNote, Microsoft says the Windows desktop app is the only version that supports local notebook storage. We could not confirm offline behavior in OneNote's Mac, mobile and web versions from Microsoft's pages.
How do I export notebooks from OneNote?
Microsoft documents whole-notebook export only in OneNote for the web, and only for notebooks stored on personal OneDrive accounts. The export comes as a Zip file. Importing those exports is now deprecated, and exporting to PDF is a separate process.
Do Evernote and OneNote have AI features?
Evernote lists an AI Assistant that searches, organizes and enriches notes from a chat, plus Semantic Search, AI Transcribe, AI Edit and MCP connections to AI tools. OneNote has Copilot. It needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot (Work) license, or an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription in OneNote for Windows only.
Can I share notebooks with other people?
Evernote lists real-time team collaboration and easy sharing among its features. A OneNote notebook can be shared with edit or view permission, or by link, once it is saved in OneDrive or a SharePoint site. Only the people you invite can open a notebook you share by invitation.
Sources
We checked these facts on against each product's own website, help center and pricing page. Products change often; if you spot something out of date, tell us through the contact form.
Evernote
Microsoft OneNote
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/onenote-help-and-learning/introducing-onenote
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/welcome-to-copilot-in-onenote
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/how-to-download-onenote
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/what-s-the-difference-between-the-onenote-versions
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/export-and-import-onenote-notebooks
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-share-a-onenote-notebook-d4a74a14-44a3-411e-8fb5-06e73ddf047f
Keep what you save in one place you can ask.
Save articles, PDFs and notes to Qind. Ask a question later and get an answer that links to the item it came from.