OneNote suits people who already use Microsoft 365 and want Copilot, digital ink and shared notebooks in the same place as Word and Excel. Evernote suits people who want notes, tasks and a calendar in one app with a web clipper and AI tools, and who can work inside its free plan limits or upgrade. Pick OneNote if you live in Microsoft 365, Evernote if you want an all-in-one second brain.
These two get compared a lot, and both have added AI. I read Microsoft's OneNote page and Evernote's home and plan comparison pages, so the details below come from the two companies.
OneNote and Evernote at a glance
| OneNote | Evernote | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Microsoft | Evernote |
| Free plan | Not named on the page I read; part of Microsoft 365 | Yes, Free plan |
| Free plan limits | Not stated on the page I read | 50 notes, 1 notebook, sync on 1 device |
| AI | Copilot in OneNote | AI transcribe, rewrite, meeting note taker |
| Handwriting | Digital ink with the feel of a pen | Document scanning |
| Extras | Voice transcription, class notebooks | Tasks, calendar, Web Clipper, templates |
What OneNote offers
Microsoft describes OneNote as a digital note-taking app with smart features and AI. Copilot in OneNote uses your prompts to draft plans, generate ideas, create lists and organise your notes. Digital ink gives you the feel of a pen for sketching and handwriting.
You can share notebooks and work on them together, and voice transcription helps you capture notes and review them later. Microsoft also highlights teachers using OneNote to organise lesson plans in searchable notebooks. It's part of Microsoft 365, and Microsoft 365 Personal lets one person sign in on five devices at once across PCs, Macs, phones and tablets.
What Evernote offers
Evernote calls itself your second brain: notes, tasks and your schedule in one place. You get templates, Notebooks and Spaces, fast search, tasks with reminders, a calendar that links events to notes, a Web Clipper and real-time collaboration.
Its AI tools include transcription, a rewrite tool, text to speech and an AI meeting note taker. Evernote has apps for iOS, Android, the web, Windows and Mac, and you can start on the Free plan.
The free plan detail to check
This is the fact I'd read before signing up. Evernote's own plan comparison says the Free plan allows 50 notes, 1 notebook, 20 tags and sync across just 1 device, with 1GB of storage. That's plenty for a test run, but it's not much for years of notes, and syncing between phone and laptop needs a higher plan.
OneNote works differently. Microsoft's page presents it as part of Microsoft 365, so if you already have Microsoft 365 for Word and Excel, OneNote is there alongside them, with Copilot included in the plan's AI features. That means one sign-in, one set of files and notes that sit right next to the documents you're already writing every day.
Evernote's higher plans raise those limits a long way, with unlimited notes and notebooks on its top tiers, and they connect your Google or Microsoft calendars too. So the question isn't whether Evernote can hold your notes; it's whether you want to start on its free plan and grow into a bigger one.
Who each app suits
OneNote suits Microsoft 365 users, students and teachers who like handwriting with a pen, and teams that share notebooks. Evernote suits freelancers and business owners who want notes, tasks and calendar in one app, and anyone who clips a lot from the web. If you take a lot of meeting notes, my roundup of AI meeting note takers for small business helps, and these knowledge base tools suit teams that outgrow a notes app.
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My advice on OneNote or Evernote
Check what you already have. If Microsoft 365 is on your laptop, open OneNote and try Copilot on your next meeting notes before you look anywhere else. If you want tasks, calendar and web clipping in one app, start Evernote's Free plan, but keep an eye on that 50-note and one-device limit so it doesn't catch you out halfway through a project.
Do you make note-taking or productivity tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Evernote free?
Evernote has a Free plan, which its comparison page limits to 50 notes, 1 notebook and sync on 1 device.
Does OneNote have AI?
Yes. Microsoft says Copilot in OneNote drafts plans, generates ideas, creates lists and organises information.
Can I handwrite notes in OneNote?
Yes. OneNote supports digital ink with the natural feel of a pen for handwriting and sketching.
Does Evernote have a web clipper?
Yes. Evernote's Web Clipper lets you clip what you see online with a click.
Which devices does Evernote work on?
Evernote lists apps for iOS, Android, the web, Windows and Mac.
