20 alternatives to Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is a Note-taking & Editors product. The community recommends 20 alternatives: 20 open source, 20 self-hostable and 20 free to use. They are ranked by community votes, ratings and favorites, with the key differences from Microsoft OneNote highlighted.
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About Microsoft OneNote
Freeform digital notebook from Microsoft for typed, handwritten and clipped notes, synced through OneDrive.
Quick picks
All alternatives
- 0
Minimal pastebin supporting client-side encryption, fulltext search, one-time messages. Intended for one to few users looking for a simple pastebin deployment.
Open source · Apache-2.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Simple Document Management System for private use with basic functionality to organize your documents digitally.
Open source · GPL-3.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Database-less note-taking web app that utilises a flat folder of markdown files for storage.
Open source · MITSelf-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
A privacy-first, open-source platform for knowledge management and collaboration. Download link: http://github.com/logseq/logseq/releases. roadmap: https://logseq.io/p/NX4mc_ggEV
Open source · AGPL-3.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Markdown note-taking web application designed for simplicity
Open source · MITSelf-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
C# .NET 10 Blazor habit tracker application. Works on Web, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS and macOS.
Open source · GPL-3.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
A modern note taking application for the cloud, utilizing the best features of progressive web apps technology.
Open source · GPL-3.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Note-taking application optimized for people with a hacker mindset.
Open source · MITSelf-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Simple and private notes app. Protect your privacy while getting more done. That's Standard Notes.
Open source · GPL-3.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Reusable non-linear personal web notebook.
Open source · BSD-3-ClauseSelf-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Build your personal knowledge base with Trilium Notes
Open source · AGPL-3.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Block-based notebook for the terminal. Plain Markdown files, Vim editing, live preview, boards, calendars and 96 themes.
Open source · MITSelf-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Local-first desktop markdown editor
Open source · GPL-3.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Lightweight distraction-free text editor, in the browser (Markdown and LaTeX supported). No lag when writing.
Open source · MITSelf-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
- 0
Graphical text editor used to maintain a collection of wiki pages. Each page can contain links to other pages, simple formatting and images.
Open source · GPL-2.0Self-hostableCompared with Microsoft OneNote
- + Open source (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Self-hostable (Microsoft OneNote is not)
- + Free to use (Microsoft OneNote is paid)
Microsoft OneNote vs. alternatives
| Service | Open source | Self-hosted | License | Pricing | Platforms | Rating | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft OneNote Current | No | No | proprietary | Freemium | Web / Windows / macOS / iOS / Android | — | — |
| BinPastes | Yes | Yes | Apache-2.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Blinko | Yes | Yes | AGPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| EveryDocs | Yes | Yes | GPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| flatnotes | Yes | Yes | MIT | — | — | — | 0 |
| Joplin | Yes | Yes | MIT | — | — | — | 0 |
| Logseq | Yes | Yes | AGPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Many Notes | Yes | Yes | MIT | — | — | — | 0 |
| Memos | Yes | Yes | MIT | — | — | — | 0 |
| Note Mark | Yes | Yes | AGPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| OpenHabitTracker | Yes | Yes | GPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Plainpad | Yes | Yes | GPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| SilverBullet | Yes | Yes | MIT | — | — | — | 0 |
| SiYuan | Yes | Yes | AGPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Standard Notes | Yes | Yes | GPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| TiddlyWiki | Yes | Yes | BSD-3-Clause | — | — | — | 0 |
| TriliumNext Notes | Yes | Yes | AGPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| tsuzuri | Yes | Yes | MIT | — | — | — | 0 |
| writer-computer | Yes | Yes | GPL-3.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
| Writing | Yes | Yes | MIT | — | — | — | 0 |
| Zim | Yes | Yes | GPL-2.0 | — | — | — | 0 |
FAQ
What is the best alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
Community-recommended alternatives to Microsoft OneNote include BinPastes, Blinko, EveryDocs, flatnotes, Joplin, and Logseq. Compare open source, self-hosting, pricing and platforms to choose.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
Yes. BinPastes, Blinko, EveryDocs, flatnotes, Joplin, and Logseq can be used for free; the open-source, self-hostable ones can be run on your own server at no cost.
Is there an open-source alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
Yes. Open-source alternatives include BinPastes, Blinko, EveryDocs, flatnotes, Joplin, and Logseq.
Can I self-host an alternative to Microsoft OneNote?
Yes. BinPastes, Blinko, EveryDocs, flatnotes, Joplin, and Logseq can run on your own server, so you keep control of your data.
Other Note-taking & Editors services
Services in the same category that haven't been suggested as Microsoft OneNote alternatives yet. If one fits, add it as an alternative.
- EEvernote
Long-running note-taking app for capturing notes, web clips, documents and to-dos in searchable notebooks.
- HedgeDoc
Realtime collaborative markdown notes on all platforms, formerly known as CodiMD and HackMD CE.
Open sourceSelf-hostable - draw.io
Diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams.
Open sourceSelf-hostable - DailyTxT
Encrypted diary Web application to save your personal memories of each day. Includes a search function and encrypted file upload.
Open sourceSelf-hostable - Livebook
Realtime collaborative notebook app based on Markdown that supports running Elixir code snippets, TeX and Mermaid Diagrams. Easily deployed using Docker or Elixir.
Open sourceSelf-hostable
Know another Microsoft OneNote alternative?
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