Thanks to its cross-platform availability, robust set of features, and thoughtful note organization with notebooks, sections, and pages, OneNote has been a go-to note-taking app for productivity nerds for years. However, with modern all-in-one tools like Notion, Obsidian, Craft, Roam Research, and others, Microsoft’s solution has started looking a bit outdated on our laptops. Here are the top features OneNote needs to compete better with similar tools in the current space.

8 Block editor

Microsoft OneNote has been using a standard text editor with containers for years. While it gets the job done with a top toolbar, the entire setup is nowhere close to the block-based editor found in Notion, Craft, and even Evernote.

As the name suggests, in a block editor, the software treats every paragraph and element as a block. These blocks are easily customizable, and you can drag and drop them everywhere on a note. These modern editors also use a slash (/) command to insert headings, highlighters, colors, tags, check boxes, and other options. It’s much better and more intuitive than OneNote’s current setup.

Microsoft already offers a similar editor in Loop, their new collaboration software. Evernote, another popular note-taking app, switched to a block editor with a massive update in version 10. Microsoft may even face some backlash due to such a drastic change in OneNote, but that shouldn’t discourage the software giant from exploring this direction.

7 More templates

Microsoft has hardly updated the OneNote templates library. It still features the same outdated templates for creating meeting notes, managing project details, and jotting down talking points in a lecture. In comparison, apps like Notion and Craft have a rich template library to help users get started.

Microsoft needs to revamp the template library in OneNote, and also open it for users to submit their templates. Besides, the company needs to make them available for other platforms, too. Currently, the template library is limited to OneNote for Windows only. As of now, OneNote users need to rely on third-party sources to find useful templates, which is not an ideal user experience in my books.

6 Advanced tables

Tables in OneNote are basic at best. Other tools are miles ahead with different column types, customizable cells, and more. For example, in Notion, you can change the column type to date, time, numbers, status, person, checkbox, and more. This type of customization opens up a host of possibilities.

Microsoft Loop already has a similar setup to create an ideal database with tables. It shouldn’t be hard for the company to implement the same in OneNote.

5 Reminders support

Reminders is another basic feature that OneNote lacks. Almost all OneNote rivals support tasks and reminders to help users stay on top of a busy schedule. Microsoft does support Outlook tasks in OneNote and has a separate task app called To-Do. But switching between different apps for your tasks and notes can be unproductive.

The software giant is rumored to be working on support for reminders for OneNote. I will believe it when I see it.

4 Calendar integration

While OneNote already supports the ability to insert Outlook meetings right into a note, it needs a dedicated calendar view with an option to write daily notes. With such an add-on, OneNote can even replace a journal app for many.

Evernote has nailed the calendar integration, which allows you to connect your Gmail or Outlook calendars, and create notes for specific events. A similar implementation in OneNote can be a huge productivity boost for many.

3 Database options

As mentioned, a block editor and advanced tables open up a host of possibilities in OneNote. Microsoft could even go a step further and offer different database options to track your projects and tasks efficiently.

For instance, Notion lets you convert an existing table into a board, timeline, calendar, list, and gallery view with a single click.

2 Favorite or pin important notes

It’s 2024, and there is still no way to favorite or pin your important notes and pages in OneNote. While you can create sub-sections and sub-pages to organize your notes efficiently, it can still be time-consuming to find your important notes quickly. Microsoft could simply offer an option to pin your preferred notes at the top for easy access. It's a no-brainer add-on for any note-taking app.

1 Whiteboard integration

An infinite blank canvas to map out your ideas can be a useful add-on for power OneNote users. Microsoft also offers a feature-rich Whiteboard app with sticky notes, annotations, arrows, shapes, reactions, templates, and more. The company could simply implement the same in OneNote and let us manage everything from a single place.

Make OneNote great again

Make no mistake, OneNote is still a capable note-taking app from Microsoft. That said, it’s not receiving the attention it deserves from the software giant. On the other hand, their competition is ramping up with rapid progress and developments. If you are looking to ditch your OneNote setup, check our dedicated post to find the top modern note-taking alternatives.