# The Best Alternatives To Microsoft OneNote! **URL:** \ **Category:** Tutorials & Methods\ **Tags:** tools\ **Created:** [September 27, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232 "2019-09-27T16:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aina](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/aina/32/167469_2.png) [@Aina](https://onehack.st/u/Aina)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232/1 "2019-09-27T16:19:51Z")
![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/5/7/57b49d0fa33b7f7d5791e18bbdc00d9ab22d5423.jpeg) Microsoft OneNote is an easy go-to for those looking to bring some organization into their lives. It’s a recognizable brand, it’s free, and it’s integrated into the world’s most popular operating system. But maybe you want to break out of Microsoft’s watchful ecosystem and try something a little different? Or are you looking for something alternative that visualizes your notes in more interesting and, ahem, noteworthy ways? We’ve handpicked the best OneNote alternatives that should make your note-taking a cinch. ## 1. Bear This one’s an Apple exclusive (iOS, Mac, Apple Watch), but [Bear](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bear-beautiful-writing-app/id1091189122?ls=1&mt=12) deserves a mention because it’s quite possibly the overall best-designed note-taking app out there. It uses a three-pane structure and prioritises a Search function in the top right corner which is so crucial to getting where you want. ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/d/5/d53ff0a0c901a5b24b2c2fa7fae3e241d79d351e.jpeg) So what makes it special? A big factor is that you can have any number of nested tags, letting you break down tags into as many levels as you like. It’s not as feature-rich as OneNote, but the experience is much faster and more efficient – making notes is _simple_ , and that’s what a lot of people look for. ## 2. Zoho Notebook **Platforms:** Windows, Mac, iOS, Android Multi-platform and brimming with features, [Zoho](https://www.zoho.com/notebook/) both looks and feels incredibly good. It’s vivid, colour-coded and elegant. Some of its more notable (hah!) features include the ability to create covers for your notebooks and a web-clipping tool that makes it easy to grab articles and other bits from the Internet. ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/4/0/40b22e851dcfc549f5350e6b67bde03fbfa39d5b.jpeg) You can sync your notes across as many devices as you like for free, giving it an edge over the notoriously restrictive. ## 3. Simplenote **Platforms** : Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS Perfect for those who find OneNote a little bit garish, [Simplenote](https://simplenote.com/) isn’t sprinkled with superfluous colors or other excesses. True to its name, it keeps things very simple and doesn’t offer any options for changing font sizes, text styles and so on. Instead, it relies on Markdown – an HTML-like open-source syntax that creates symbols using code. So it’s a bit techy, but some people like that. ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/3/9/39989a8e590f2406cc73822c6397aafdbb0550b7.jpeg) Simplenote syncs across multiple devices, allows you to share notes by uploading them to the Web, and allows you to collaborate on notes with your friends. It may not be flashy or particularly customizable, but if you’re looking for a solid no-frills notebook app, this is a good option. ## 4. Evernote **Platforms** : Windows, Mac, Android, iOS The arch-nemesis of OneNote went down in a lot of peoples’ estimations since limiting free users to syncing across just two devices, but if that’s all the devices you need, then [Evernote](https://evernote.com/) remains the most comprehensive option. ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/a/f/af26cdda382c1555b4938e4afe50b23d7cded8e8.jpeg) Web-clipping is the biggie in Evernote. This [browser extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/evernote-web-clipper/pioclpoplcdbaefihamjohnefbikjilc#) is capable of chucking Web pages into your notebook with extreme accuracy, allowing you to pull text, screenshots or simplified versions of articles. If you pull images, then the way they appear as thumbnails in Evernote really brightens the app up. While Evernote is less customizable than OneNote, it still offers plenty of flexibility, and its more sparse color palette may be a draw for some. ## 5. Laverna **Platforms** : Windows, Mac, Linux, Web The thing with using organizer apps from big corporations is that you just don’t know what your data is being used for. [Laverna](https://laverna.cc/) is an open-source app designed by people who prioritize privacy. None of your data is stored in any online servers, but you can still sync across multiple platforms thanks to Dropbox integration. ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/b/5/b56e77c0b07ddb2eccea7eba9240735e6bbf62f4.jpeg) Like Simplenote, Laverna uses Markdown, so some basic knowledge of that is useful, and highlighting is done using various popular syntax coding languages. If you’re up for getting just a little bit techy, though, give Laverna a go. ## 6. Google Keep **Platforms** : Android, iOS, Web Not many people talk about [Google Keep](https://www.google.com/keep/), which is a rare thing to say for a Google product, but over the past few years this app has been improving apace. It’s remarkably simple, and instead of splitting your notes up into notebooks, it divvies them up by tags and color-coding. (So if you do like the more vibrant style of OneNote, you’ll feel right at home here.) ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/d/d/dd61182b40a0f18d831d5a0aada99b9dd66dcadc.jpeg) As easyas it is to use, Google Keep also has a few fancy features, most notably the capability of turning images with text in them into editable text files and a [Chrome extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-keep-chrome-extens/lpcaedmchfhocbbapmcbpinfpgnhiddi) that lets you pull info from websites much like with Evernote’s beloved Web Clipper. ## 7. Turtl **Platforms** : Windows, Mac, Linux, Android If you want your organizer to resemble a corky notice board with pieces of paper pinned to it rather than your typical digital notebook, then [Turtl](https://turtlapp.com/) is for you. Much more visual than the other options, it lays your notes out like a Pinterest board, which is particularly handy if you use plenty of images and also a good way of making each note stand out, making it easier to remember. ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/9/2/927d0c4f7e7e7ab2b520684021db240486aa3026.jpeg) Turtl is security-focused, too, offering encryption from the get-go and creating dedicated encryption keys whenever you choose to share specific notes with other people across the Internet. Turtl perhaps isn’t as deep or tweakable as other note-taking apps, but it’s secure and stylish. ## Conclusion Different notes for different folks, as the saying goes. These apps accommodate people of varying tech-savviness and with differently-wired brains with their own ways of memorizing things. Work out which one suits you best and run with it. I’m sure this article would be handy, Best of luck! ## ENJOY & HAPPY LEARNING! 👍 ---
**Author:** ![Majid635](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/majid635/32/24364_2.png) [@Majid635](https://onehack.st/u/Majid635)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232/2 "2019-09-27T18:18:13Z")
I use Google Keep and Notion. Indeed very handy article, thank you for sharing captain @Aina. ---
**Author:** ![paytokiran](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/paytokiran/32/41164_2.png) [@paytokiran](https://onehack.st/u/paytokiran)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232/3 "2020-09-05T02:49:05Z")
Does anybody have old windows journal software file. One which is available on microsoft website doesn’t have print ability function and convert pdf to jnt. I love windows journal. One note is not even near to it! ---
**Author:** ![kucukti](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/kucukti/32/9398_2.png) [@kucukti](https://onehack.st/u/kucukti)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 6:03am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232/4 "2020-09-05T06:03:54Z")
I used many note taking apps (workflowy,keep,evernote,dynalist,notion etc.) IMO Onenote 2016 is the best overall. (not latest onenote - because local hyperlink is not possible on it) You can easily create your own documentation for anything with hyperlinks to even the files on your local drive with a simple ctrl+k With chrome extension it is super easy to clip anything to any of your onenote notebook’s any section section (in a multilevel structure - 2 multilevel max) Only thing it lacks is a better tag structure but you get used to it after creating hotkeys for tags. Other good ones I use are Workflowy Free version. (using it for around 1 year or so) Some apps like Slack are planned and done with planning on workflowy pseudo structure I’m leaving here a affiliate link for workflowy [https://workflowy.com/invite/5cbb7de9.lnx](https://workflowy.com/invite/5cbb7de9.lnx) This affiliate only gives me 100 free bullet points if you subscribe from the link nothing more nothing less. I strongly advice workflowy because it is super simple without the distracting features of others. It helps you create pseudo style structure and you can just focus steps with one click. This also has a webclipper like onenote’s. (it also cloud saves) You can turn any multilevel structure into kanban style boards. It can also be used collaborative. You can easily export / import You can move any node to any place by just dragging like a lego It is like a personal space with super powers lol For usage examples just check their [blog](https://blog.workflowy.com/) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qPMVtkNrquU/hqdefault.jpg "How to use WorkFlowy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPMVtkNrquU) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/y4rnMsC2ReU/maxresdefault.jpg "WorkFlowy Intro Contest") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4rnMsC2ReU) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/l19R1J_wVSU/maxresdefault.jpg "Fractal Boards in WorkFlowy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l19R1J_wVSU) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XSySfBsutqA/maxresdefault.jpg "Workflowy Web Clipper") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSySfBsutqA) > **[Dates in WorkFlowy: Try it out](https://blog.workflowy.com/dates-in-workflowy-try-it-out/)** > > I’m happy to announce the first step toward date support in WorkFlowy. Today, we’re releasing the ability to quickly add dates to WorkFlowy, and to search for them. This lets people eas… > **[WorkFlowy: Bringing Order to Your Creative Chaos \[Screencast by Arcadia Page\]](https://blog.workflowy.com/workflowy-for-infps/)** > > In a recent conversation with WorkFlowy user, Arcadia Page, she let me in on how absolutely indispensable WorkFlowy is to her creative work: “Workflowy is essential for helping me stay organized so… > **[New Feature: Easy Tagging in WorkFlowy Mobile](https://blog.workflowy.com/new-feature-easy-tagging-in-workflowy-mobile/)** > > Tagging in WorkFlowy mobile just got a whole lot better. WorkFlowy’s iOS and Android apps now have shortcuts for adding #tags and @mentions that make them easy to use when adding content and … > **[Workflowy for Outlining & Brainstorming Short Stories](https://blog.workflowy.com/short-stories/)** > > I came across a fantastic show-and-tell by Brandon Abbott on how he uses WorkFlowy to outline and brainstorm short stories… so I reached out to him and asked him to put together a screencast for us… For simplicity and focus - I say Workflowy (free version is more than enough with 300 bullet points) For lots of features and documentation (even for bookmarking) - I say Onenote 2016 For lots of features but mostly for documentation - Notion If Google Keep had multilevel tags probably it would be my number one but only one level tags is just not efficient. Dynalist is just a copy of workflowy with extra features but most of extra features are paid. And it does not feel as fluid as workflowy. ---
**Author:** ![MikeBlueberry](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/mikeblueberry/32/34516_2.png) [@MikeBlueberry](https://onehack.st/u/MikeBlueberry)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 7:02am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232/5 "2020-09-06T07:02:15Z")
I’d add RemNote, Obsidian, and Roam to the list. Good list in either case. ---
**Author:** ![paytokiran](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/paytokiran/32/41164_2.png) [@paytokiran](https://onehack.st/u/paytokiran)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 11:54pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232/6 "2020-09-06T23:54:03Z")
> [@kucukti](#): > > With chrome extension it is super easy to clip anything to any of your onenote notebook’s any section section (in a multilevel structure - 2 multilevel max) can you please explain what do you mean by this line? ---
**Author:** ![kucukti](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/kucukti/32/9398_2.png) [@kucukti](https://onehack.st/u/kucukti)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/the-best-alternatives-to-microsoft-onenote/59232/7 "2020-09-07T14:50:02Z")
![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/b/6/b650d992e7473d0bc8674116fa25ef845ee12963.png) You can clip anything on a page (just one-click or hotkey) with options like; - Full Page - Snapshot of a page - The Article (Sometimes it doesn’t catch all) - but there is a workaround if you just select a text in chrome and then right click and choose clip selection, you can clip any section of an article on a page - Bookmark I didnt try more than 2 levels and I’m pretty sure ı read that it is max 2 lvls deep. But I think you can also bypass this by creating a section group. You need to use [Onenote Web Clipper](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/onenote-web-clipper/gojbdfnpnhogfdgjbigejoaolejmgdhk?hl=en) for this