When it comes to jotting down notes, it’s not only important that the affair is done as fast as possible but it’s also an absolute essential that the apps are available across multiple platforms.
Not so long ago, Evernote was the hot favorite of smartphone users, but unfortunately, it fell from grace after changing the product pricing.
Until Google introduces a version for iTunes, however, it can’t truly compete with Evernote. Microsoft OneNote. Microsoft OneNote is, perhaps, the closest that any application has come to being a true Evernote alternative. OneNote comes officially as a part of the Microsoft Office Suite, which hugely improves its usefulness and functionality. Evernote is the best alternative to OneNote and OneNote is the best alternative to Evernote. Evernote already listed in our free productivity apps for iPhone and iPad list. With Evernote app you can easily organize your day-to-day life. Evernote helps you to Write notes, checklists, and research, organize web articles, docs, and photos.
So we are left with the ever-popular Google Keep and Microsoft’s OneNote apps. These not only possess tremendous features but are also free in the market. So, it’s only fair that we pit both the apps against each other and see who wins at the end. Let the game begin.
Note: We are comparing the Web app of Keep and OneNote.An Overview
Google Keep is more than just a note-taking app, it can also disguise as a personal assistant when it comes to reminding you about your task or an image reader (built-in OCR). The best thing about Keep is that you can just click on the note bar and it’ll make sure that your thoughts are properly captured. It’s incredibly light and is pretty much available anywhere — iOS, Android, Windows and as a web app.
On the contrary, OneNote does the same task in an organized manner by segregating all the notebooks neatly and color coding them. My only gripe about this app is that the setup process is rather slow and tedious.
Beyond that, you get the option to scribble and scrawl on the notebooks, as you guessed, anywhere. And yeah, it’s also available on all the major platforms.
So, that was a brief overview, let’s have a quick roundup of the common tools of both the apps
The Common Features
1. Remembering Notes
Of course, the first feature has to be about notes, rather, how well it can store notes and how well you can access them. Google Keep lets you write a note basically anywhere meaning it has a notebook handy anytime you open it. This feature proves to be helpful when you’re running out of time.
Later when you have ample time to build and organize, you can move the notes among the different labels.
OneNote’s perspective is a tad different, it assumes that you need to keep everything neatly organized irrespective of the essence of time.
So, if you have to jot down a quick something, you have to go through the process of opening the right notebook and the right page in it.2. Collaboration vs Share
They say that a problem shared is a problem halved and both the apps adhere to this thought beautifully. While Keep has it in the form of a collaborator, OneNote has gone a notch higher and lets you share a notebook’s page or the whole notebook with your buddies.
Plus, OneNote has another nifty feature that lets you set the permission level.
I did face an issue with Keep’s collaborator feature many times. It just doesn’t show up the shared notes in my app, and eventually, I had to take help from a different app.3. Moving Notes Across
Moving notes across the different tabs in OneNote and Keep is a child’s play. Just in case you have managed to make an entry in the wrong section in OneNote, right-click and move the respective note to your desired section.
In Keep, you can choose to do the same by clicking Change Labels in the hamburger menu. Both these features are same in all respects, the only difference is that OneNote takes a tad longer time to move the notes between the labels.
4. Read Text from Images
Can these two apps read text from images? Oh yes, they can and they excel in it. The OCR feature in Keep is disguised in the form of ‘Grab image text’ and it automatically converts the image’s text to editable text seamlessly and instantly.
The same feature is present in OneNote in the form of Alt Text and while it does a decent job of filtering the text from images, again the same issue of speed springs up. OneNote’s feature was slow and the text riddled with typos. For instance, it keeps mistaking W as VV or m as r and n.
Discover 5 ways to efficiently extract text from images (OCR)5. Keep Search vs OneNote Search
Both the apps come packed with a great search tool, but when it drills down to the comparison, Keep seems to be the outright winner. It fetches the results instantly (remember, Google Search) and OneNote’s feature seems dull and sluggish when compared to it.
Furthermore, if you look at the handiness, Keep’s search tool is always there on the page while OneNote requires a couple more clicks to get to the point.
There are loads of other common features such as the audio note, video notes, scribble and scrawl and these features are at par with each other.The Un-Common Features
1. Internal Links
OneNote is more of a power user tool, it’s built on the belief that a user would store loads of notes, annotations, and ideas on it. Building on that fact, it has a clever design which lets you create an internal link to other notebooks, individual pages or to a particular section.
All you need to do is to right-click on the subject and click on Copy Link to Page and paste the link in the place of your choice.
Keep seriously lacks this feature but hopefully, this shortcoming will soon be mitigated.
2. The Microsoft Toolbar
While the Keep users have to be satisfied with some basic tools like checkboxes, drawing tools or add images, OneNote harnesses the power of it being an MS tool. It sports a slew of tools like inserting tables, changing the font styles, inserting shapes and attaching a file to a notebook’s page.
Beyond that, you have other features such as adjusting the indentation, bulleting points, adding a picture as a background image, etc
3. Reminders
This is the area where Keep races ahead of OneNote. Keep’s process of adding reminders is simple and barely takes time. All you have to do is click on the hand icon on the lower left corner and set the time. Most of the common options are already present, you just need to fill in the accurate timings. What’s more, you can also add a location to it.
On the contrary, this option is missing from OneNote. While the desktop app does allow one to make an Outlook task, but then, it’s missing from the online version which seems to be the preferred weapon of choice for the non-Windows users.
Windows user? Learn these amazing Windows 10 tips and tricks.
4. Links
If you have been thinking of adding an external link to a phrase or word in your Keep’s note, then you have to wait it out. At the time of writing, Keep still hasn’t gotten around to this feature yet.
Here, there’s a nifty link feature which lets you do just that. All you need to do is select the word or sentence and click on the link icon on the toolbar.
5. Recovery Options & Character Limit
There comes a time when we accidentally click on the delete button. Thankfully, Keep keeps an account of the deleted items for seven days. Head over to Trash in the left panel and click on restore.
Unfortunately, the web version of OneNote still hasn’t come up with a recovery option. So, if you delete a note by mistake, chances are that you have lost it forever.
When it comes down to the character limit, Keep has a limit of around 19952 characters, after which it gives you the option to switch to Google Docs.
We tested both the apps with a character set of 185116 and OneNote excelled in keeping the entire contents with absolutely no questions asked.
Worried aboutGoogle App Similar To Onenote Online
privacy? Here’s how to delete what Google is recording about youWhich One Would You Prefer?
So, which would be the weapon of your choice in keeping your thoughts in the written manner? If you ask me, Keep can be used to jot down quick notes and reminders while OneNote requires a more sophisticated approach. What’s your take on it? Let us know through comments.
Also Read: Gboard vs SwiftKey: Which is the Best?
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
Read Next
Top 11 Simplenote Android app Tips and Tricks to Use It like a Pro
Optimize your note-taking experience on the
There is no doubt that OneNote by Microsoft is perhaps one of the most reliable apps for you to take notes. This app has many features and it has also received very positive reviews from users, but the sad truth is that it is not something that everybody can use. If you are a beginner you may find this app a bit too complicated. This app will require you to register with a Microsoft Account. Some users have also complained that this app consumes a lot of space on the devices.
The good news is that you can have access to similar software to Microsoft OneNote here. So, let us learn a bit about them.
7 Free OneNote Alternatives for Windows 10 and macOS
Here is a list of the similar software to OneNote that people have been using for a while. Most importantly they are free so you should focus your attention to them:
Simplenote
The name is literally self-explanatory. There is no doubt that this app is super easy to handle. If you are the kind of person who wants to look for an app that is simple and the navigation is not tough, then Simplenote is what you should be aiming for. With this app, you can create a task list, make reminders, and also create notes. The app has gained a lot of popularity because of its user-friendly interface.
Features
- Use it anywhere: This feature will allow the notes to be updated for all the devices. So you do not have to press buttons, it gets saved automatically.
- Organized: You can locate any notes by using simple tags and by typing in the search option
- Easy sharing: You can share your personal notes, post instructions or even share your own list.
- Completely free: You can use all the features of this without having to pay anything as it is free.
Download: https://simplenote.com/
File Size: 98 Mb
System Support: Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac
Features Of Microsoft Onenote
Laverna
Most users are very concerned about their privacy as they do not like the fact that Microsoft has a reputation of scanning people’s private content. This app is completely open-source so you can use it the way you please. Also you can make your data password protected. Even if you are using such apps for the first time, you will not struggle with this one as it is very simple.
Features
- Easy To Use: This app is by far the easiest to handle. You can create notes and sync them with many devices using a RemoteStorage or Dropbox account.
- Simple interface: This feature makes the app perfect for users who do not like any complicated apps. The interface is neatly arranged with all the right options that make your work a lot easier and faster.
Download: https://github.com/Laverna/laverna/releases/download/0.7.1/laverna-0.7.1-win32-x64.zip
File Size: 49.3 Mb
System Support: Windows, iOS, and Mac
Zoho Notebook
This is a free app that has all the right features in it. It is compatible with all devices and it is a perfect substitute for One Note. This app is a good mix of Google Keep and Evernote. This app has received a lot of positive reviews from many users for its simplicity and flawless performance. The free version let you sync with two devices but if you want more out of this then you have to buy the premium version. However, the free version is not a disappointment too.
Features
- Versatile app: With this app, you can add pictures, voice-notes, and also create notes. You can also save links and articles from the internet.
- Easy access: The best thing is that all the notes that you create as many notes as you want and you can access them properly by simply swiping.
- Organized interface: The interface is well arranged and so you can find all the tools you need without trying too hard
- Free: As a user, you will not face any restrictions with this app is you can sync this with many devices without paying any money. This is the biggest USP of the app.
Download: https://www.zoho.com/notebook/
File Size: Not Required, it’d Cloud application
System Support: Windows 10/8/7, Mac and Android
Elephant
This is basically an improved version of Evernote, and most importantly it is open-sourced. This app facilitates smooth creation of separate notes that you can save within notebooks and you can also create a pile of notebooks. The notes are stored on the device and synced with the cloud. You can access or share these notes using services like Github and Dropbox. This is very compatible with Linux, macOS, and Windows. Here are some of the features worth noticing.
Features
- Easy to use: There is no denying that this app is very easy to use, which makes it very convenient for first-time users. You can create and edit notes as per your own requirement.
- Space saver: Unlike other apps, this does not take too much of space on the devices. Most importantly it is free despite the fact that it has features of a premium app.
Download: https://evernote.com/download
File size: 125 Mb
System Support: Windows 10/8/7, Linux and Mac
You may also like to read alternatives to Boxcryptor software.
Turtl
This is yet another app that provides the users with all the privacy they can get. This app is literally a vault where you can keep your document, photos, dream logs, bookmarks, passwords, research, and your notes protected by a password. The app will create a key which is cryptographic and with that, you can encrypt all the data that you can only access by using a password.
Features
- Easy to use: not only can you create and edit notes with this app but the app also facilitates smooth sharing with other users or even devices. This application lets you organize all your notes the way you want to.
- High level of privacy: This app does not boast of many features but it provides the users with a high level of privacy which a great feature of Turtl.
- Compatibility: This app is compatible with Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Download: https://turtlapp.com/download/
File size: 64.5 Mb
System Support: Windows 10/8/7, Android, Linux, and macOS
CintaNotes
Are you on the lookout for an app where you can create and store notes and access them whenever you please? Well, you should consider using the free version of CintaNotes. This app not only lets you create apps but you can also highlight certain important text and even capture certain notes from the internet. This app will outdo OneNote at any given point of time. Here are certain features of the app that will grab your attention.
Features
- Free: The good news is that as a user you will have access to the free version which is equally useful and helpful to you.
- Very efficient: The best part about using this app is that you can create links between different notes, so you can create your very own archive of notes. This is one feature that One Note does not have.
- Search Feature: The application also lets you search any note you may have created in the past with a lot of ease. Clearly this app is not just for creating important notes but also accessing them when you want to.
Download: http://cintanotes.com/download/
File Size: 5.37 Mb
System Support: Windows 10/8/7
Bear
If you are a user who sticks to Apple devices then this app is just right for you. This app is flawless when it comes to helping you take notes. This app earned Apple award for the best app of 2017. This features markdown editing and a very user-friendly interface that can arrange your thoughts in a systematic manner. Even if you are a first time user you should not hesitate from using this app. The app provides tags to all your notes so you can locate them very easily. Here are certain features of this app that are worth paying attention to.
Features
- Clean interface: Unlike most other apps, Bear has a very clean interface where you can find all the required tools neatly arranged. So, creating notes and sharing them are no complicated processes.
- Organized approach: With the help of tags you can organize your notes into suitable folders. This also permits you to locate your notes when you want to.
- Space saver: The good thing is that this app does not take up too much space on your device.
Download: https://bear.app/
File size: 13.5 Mb
System Support: iPhone, iPad, and Mac
So this is a complete list of the 7 Best Free OneNote Alternatives for Windows 10. These apps are simple to use and also packed with good features. The apps mentioned above have been tried and tested and have received many positive reviews from most users out there. So if you want to make the task of storing your notes an easier one, these apps can do the job for you.