Notion vs OneNote: which note-taking app is right for you?

Notion and OneNote are two of the best digital note-taking programs that can also be used to handle tasks and projects. Both apps can help you write down thoughts, organize data, and keep track of tasks. Even though they have some things in common, there are also some important differences. In this piece, we talk about the pros, cons, standout features, and prices of each software. We also tell you how to choose between Notion and OneNote.

Not sure if your team should use Notion or OneNote? You’re in the right spot. If you are looking for tools to share documents and take notes, Notion and Microsoft OneNote are probably going to be on your short list. It can be hard to decide which of the two is better.

OneNote comes from Microsoft, a well-known company all over the world, and has been around for a long time. On the other hand, Notion is a word processing program that is very famous. Knowing how they are different and what their pros and cons are will help you choose the best one. This piece compares Notion and OneNote in detail to help you decide which one is best for you.

Notion vs OneNote: Pricing

Notion pricing

• The free plan gives people unlimited blocks, but teams only get a certain number of blocks. You can ask up to 10 people, and you can see the past seven days of the page. Users also get simple page data, a shared workspace, and a few simple integrations.
• Plus: The Plus plan, which used to be called the Team plan, costs $8 per user per month if you pay for it all at once, or $10 per user if you pay for it each month. You can make as many teams as you want, ask up to 100 guests, and see a 30-day page history.
• Business: The Business plan costs $15 per user per month if you pay for it all at once, or $18 per user if you pay for it every month. You get everything in the Plus plan plus more guests, a longer page history, advanced page analytics, bulk data export, and secret team spaces.
  • Enterprise: Prices are made to order for the Enterprise plan. For features, you get everything in the Business plan plus user provisioning (SCIM), custom guest limits, audit logs, a specialized success manager, and several other advanced project management tools.

OneNote pricing

OneNote is offered as a part of Microsoft Office Suite or Microsoft 365, which is a subscription-based model. You will also have access to other Microsoft apps like Publisher and Calendar, as well as OneNote. Here are a few paid plans from Microsoft that give you access to OneNote:

Free Plan: OneNote has a great free plan that gives you 5 GB of cloud storage that you can share with other Microsoft apps. The free plan is perfect for teams that only need basic features, like taking notes, working as a team, using video, and searching.

Home plans: There are two home plans for Microsoft 365: Personal and Family. The price of the Personal plan is $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year. The Family plan costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 for the whole year.

Business Plans: You can choose from the Basic, Standard, Premium, or Apps for Business Business plans. The basic plan costs $6 per person per month if you sign up for it for a year. You have access to simple programs like Word and Excel. With an annual contract, the Standard plan costs $12.50 per user per month. You get Publisher and Access apps in addition to the apps in the basic plan. With an annual contract, the Premium plan costs $22 per user per month.

You get advanced tools for protection and control over your data. You also get access to apps for Azure Information Protection and Intune. Apps for Business costs $8.25 per month if you sign up for it for a year. The PC versions of the Microsoft 365 apps are included in this plan.

Notion vs OneNote Comparison table

The table below shows how Notion and OneNote are different and what they do well. Notion is great for ordered data and project management because it is flexible and can be changed to fit your needs. OneNote is great for taking standard notes and integrating with other Microsoft 365 apps. Choose based on how you work and what you like.

Ease of use and navigation

Notion has a modern, easy-to-use design that looks good and is easy to use. Its drag-and-drop feature and block-based system make it easy to organize material. The sidebar layout of Notion makes it easy to get to different areas and databases. But for new users, the sheer amount of features can be too much.

OneNote, on the other hand, has an interface that looks and works like a digital diary and is easy to use. Its tabbed parts look like a traditional notebook, making it easier to organize your notes. Formatting and changing tools are easy to find on the toolbar that looks like a ribbon. Even though it doesn’t have the visual style of Notion, OneNote’s strength is how simple it is. This makes it especially appealing to users who like to take notes in a more traditional way.

Notion vs OneNote: Note-Taking Features

Notion is a flexible and highly customizable way to take notes. It lets people make and arrange notes in different ways, like as text, tables, databases, or multimedia. Because you can make templates and databases, it’s a great choice for organizing organized data.

OneNote, on the other hand, is great for taking notes in a free-form way that feels like standard paper notebooks. Users can easily draw, write, and annotate notes, making it perfect for people who like to do things by hand. Also, digital pens and styluses work well with OneNote. Both Notion and OneNote have full note-taking features, but OneNote is more flexible and allows you to write or draw on your notes, while Notion is more focused on organized content and database management.

Collaboration and Sharing

Notion’s strong tools for working together help teams work together very well. It has real-time editing, comment threads, and the ability to give team members jobs, which makes it a great choice for projects where people need to work together. The flexible database structure of Notion makes it easy for teams to share and organize material in a way that keeps everyone on the same page.

On the other hand, OneNote is easier to use in this way, even though it has tools for working together. It lets people share notebooks so they can edit and write on them at the same time. However, it doesn’t have as many ways to work together as Notion.

Notion vs OneNote: Integrations and Ecosystem

Notion has a flexible environment with a wide range of integrations and a library of third-party apps that keeps growing. It works well with popular tools like Google Drive, Slack, Trello, and more. This lets users connect with each other and streamline their routine. With Notion’s API, developers can also make solutions that meet unique needs.

OneNote, on the other hand, works well with other Microsoft products. It works well with Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, and Outlook. This makes it a good choice for people who use Microsoft’s productivity tools a lot. OneNote also works well with Microsoft Teams, which makes it easier for people to work together in a business setting. Both Notion and OneNote have web clipper add-ons that make it easy to save web information. OneNote’s strength is that it works well with Microsoft’s environment. This makes it a good choice for companies that use a lot of Microsoft products.

Mobile Accessibility

Both apps know how important it is to work well on mobile devices so that users can access and change their notes while they’re on the go. Notion has apps for both the iOS and Android mobile platforms, so users can easily sync their info across devices. The apps for mobile devices are well-made and easy to use, and they have the same freedom and features as the desktop version. Users can create, edit, and organize their notes quickly, which makes it good for busy workers and students who need to access their information when they are not at their computers.

In the same way, OneNote has strong mobile apps for both iOS and Android, so users can have the same experience on all of their devices. It syncs with Microsoft’s cloud system to make sure that your notes on your mobile device are always up to date.

Notion vs OneNote: Privacy and Security

In Notion, you can’t lock things with a password like you can in OneNote. You can, however, decide who can view which files in the app. You can separate private information from public notes by setting permissions. So you can still share what you want other people to see without having to worry about people seeing your private information.

Microsoft made OneNote so that only you can see your notes. Whether you use the app for meeting notes, class notes at school, personal information, or a personal diary, you can password-protect certain note areas to control who can see them. This is very important if you want to share information with other people in the app. In a OneNote shared office, you don’t have to worry about people who shouldn’t be able to see your personal information.

You can’t forget the password that locks your notes, though. If you forget your password, even Microsoft support won’t be able to help you get it back. This tool doesn’t protect audio and video files in OneNote with a password. This part of OneNote is also only available on PCs.

Notion: Pros and Cons

OneNote: Pros and Cons

Which one should you consider?

Which one you choose between Notion and OneNote will rely on your needs. If data protection and control are important, Notion might be a better choice because it is flexible and has fine-grained controls for user access. Notion also works well in shared offices and can be changed in many ways.

On the other hand, if you use a lot of Microsoft apps and services, OneNote works well with them and gives you a familiar setting. It works well for people who already use Office 365 or Microsoft 365 and is great for taking notes by hand. In the end, your choice should be based on what you need, whether it’s privacy, teamwork, integration, or ease of use with the tools you already have.

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