Microsoft OneNote vs Goodnotes

Microsoft OneNote9.3Visit Goodnotes8.8Visit

Higher score Microsoft OneNote #1 in Note-Taking Apps 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit site

vs

Goodnotes #4 in Note-Taking Apps 8.8/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Goodnotes

• Microsoft OneNote fits best

  Microsoft-focused users and collaborative teams

• Goodnotes fits best

  Handwritten notebooks and PDF annotation

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Side by side

Feature	Microsoft OneNote 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Goodnotes 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Note-Taking Apps	#4 in Note-Taking Apps
Best for	Microsoft-focused users and collaborative teams	Handwritten notebooks and PDF annotation
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$99.99/yr	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	7 days
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support	Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Integrations	10 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Microsoft OneNote 3/3 · Goodnotes 3/3
Offline access	✓	✓
Note sharing	✓	✓
Real-time collaboration	✓	✓
Specs
Supported platforms	web, windows, macos, ios, android	web, windows, macos, ios, android
Storage limit	5 GB	5 GB
Integrations	OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Zapier, Salesforce, Trello, Basecamp, Wufoo, Twitter, Feedly	Google Calendar, Google Drive, ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar
Our review
Pros	Supports text, handwriting, drawings, media, OCR, and voice transcription Offline editing, real-time co-authoring, and permission-based notebook sharing Integrates with Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Office apps	Handwriting, typed notes, whiteboards, PDFs, and audio in one app Searchable handwriting plus AI transcription, summaries, and generation Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android support
Cons	Copilot and desktop features depend on eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions Notebook storage is limited to 2 GB when saved in OneDrive or SharePoint The broad feature set may feel more structured than a lightweight notes app	Free plan limits users to three notebooks and 100 MB storage Cross-platform Goodnotes Cloud sync starts with the Pro plan Advanced AI requires Pro or the separate AI Pass add-on
Our verdict	Microsoft OneNote is a digital note-taking application for individuals, students, teachers, and teams. Its notebook, section, and page structure supports typed text, handwriting, drawings, images, links, lists, audio, and video. Notes can… Read the review →	Goodnotes is a digital note-taking application for students, professionals, and teams who want handwritten notebooks alongside typed documents, whiteboards, PDFs, and audio. It supports digital ink, PDF import and annotation, signing,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Microsoft OneNote — where it wins

  • Supports text, handwriting, drawings, media, OCR, and voice transcription
  • Offline editing, real-time co-authoring, and permission-based notebook sharing
  • Integrates with Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Office apps

  Where it doesn't

  • Copilot and desktop features depend on eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions
  • Notebook storage is limited to 2 GB when saved in OneDrive or SharePoint
  • The broad feature set may feel more structured than a lightweight notes app

• Goodnotes — where it wins

  • Handwriting, typed notes, whiteboards, PDFs, and audio in one app
  • Searchable handwriting plus AI transcription, summaries, and generation
  • Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android support

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan limits users to three notebooks and 100 MB storage
  • Cross-platform Goodnotes Cloud sync starts with the Pro plan
  • Advanced AI requires Pro or the separate AI Pass add-on

• Microsoft OneNote9.3/10 · Free plan

  A broad, collaborative note system with strong Microsoft integration and a capable free option.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Goodnotes8.8/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A broad note-taking app for handwriting, PDFs, collaboration, and AI across five platforms.

  Visit GoodnotesFull verdict →