The rivalry between Evernote and OneNote goes back decades. Since being acquired by the Italian company Bending Spoons, Evernote has seen significant improvements in recent months. Nevertheless, for Windows users, my top recommendation is still Microsoft OneNote. In addition to its robust capabilities, the company's note-taking application integrates smoothly with the Windows ecosystem and is well worth considering for those looking to enhance their productivity.
In this post, I will delve into the top reasons to ditch the green elephant in favor of Microsoft’s digital note-taking solution on Windows.
5 best Evernote alternatives to create an effective digital cabinet
The time has come to ditch the green elephant
7 Sticky Notes integration
Microsoft recently overhauled Sticky Notes on Windows with new features and UI. Additionally, the software giant has incorporated Sticky Notes into OneNote. If you often jot down quick thoughts and ideas using Sticky Notes, they will now sync with your OneNote account and be accessible on your phone and other devices.
For example, if you use an Android phone or iPhone, you can simply download OneNote from their respective stores, sign in with your Microsoft account details, and access your sticky notes in no time. If you use Mac or Linux as a secondary machine, head to OneNote on the web to check over your quick notes.
6 Universal quick note function
Unlike Evernote, OneNote offers a quick note function with a handy keyboard shortcut. When you have OneNote running in the background, you can just click the Windows + Alt + N keys to open the quick note window. The company has done a splendid job with quick notes on Windows. It comes loaded with essential formatting and drawing tools, and even allows you to insert a screenshot in just one click.
It's a must-have convenience feature for researchers and productivity seekers who want to jot down some quick notes without thinking twice. Evernote also offers a basic quick note function, but it’s not as feature-rich as OneNote’s solution.
5 Integration with Windows Start menu
Like all Microsoft 365 apps, OneNote has a smooth integration with the Windows Start menu. When you access a specific notebook on your phone, web, Mac, Windows, or any other device, Microsoft recommends the same on the Windows Start menu for your easy access.
You can just press the Windows key to check and access your recent notebook with a single click. You no longer need to open OneNote and select a notebook from the sidebar. Aside from your OneNote notebook, the Start menu also syncs your previously used documents, presentations, spreadsheets, images, and more. It goes without saying that Evernote lacks such a benefit on Windows.
Supercharge your productivity with these top 5 AI note-taking apps
Use automatic transcription, content summarization, and other AI tools to revolutionize how you capture and organize information
4 A native app experience
Following the v10 update, Evernote replaced their legacy native apps with an Electron framework. In simpler terms, these are essentially web wrappers that act as a native app on your desktop. While Evernote has addressed syncing and performance issues due to this drastic switch, the overall experience still doesn’t match a native solution from the likes of OneNote, Craft, and others.
Microsoft has a native OneNote app that offers fast sync and blends perfectly with the rest of Windows' design elements.
3 Drawing tools
While Evernote offers sketch tools, such as highlighter, pen, different colors, and backgrounds, they don’t come anywhere close to OneNote’s inking capabilities. First of all, you don’t need to open a separate interface to access your drawing tools. You can slide to the Draw tab and see all the relevant tools in action.
OneNote is also flexible enough to allow you to format the existing text with drawing tools. If you own a 2-in-1 Windows device, such as a Surface Pro, you will truly appreciate the drawing tools available in OneNote.
2 Keep your personal notes away from prying eyes
It’s 2024, and Evernote still doesn’t offer an option to lock individual notes or notebooks. You can only encrypt selected text. It’s a huge omission in our books and can leave your personal notes exposed on the desktop (after all, there is no way to lock the desktop app, either).
OneNote lets you lock the entire notebook section with a password. The same password protection works across all your devices, too. You will definitely prefer to side with OneNote if you often need to save confidential notes.
5 reasons I still use a pen and paper with my favorite note-taking app
The irreplaceable charm of pen and paper in the age of note-taking apps
1 A robust free plan
Evernote has recently hiked the subscription prices. The Personal plan now starts at $15 per month. In contrast, OneNote is completely free to download and use. Unlike other Office apps, it doesn’t require signing up for a Microsoft 365 plan either. Just download OneNote on Windows, sign in with your Microsoft account, and start jotting down notes with all the features at your fingertips.
Evernote users, you’re missing out
Due to its obvious (or, as some might argue, unfair) advantages, OneNote emerges as the clear winner for Windows users. It’s a native app with seamless integration with Windows apps and services, comes with generous free features over its familiar rival, and keeps your personal thoughts away from others.
Read our dedicated comparison guide if you are still of two minds about switching from Evernote to OneNote and want to learn all the nitty-gritty details.