Notelet vs Microsoft OneNote
OneNote is free, everywhere, and built like a ring binder: notebooks, sections and pages you can write on anywhere, by hand or by keyboard. Notelet is a list of notes in folders, with reminders beside them, on Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android.
Checked 20 October 2026.
Choose Notelet if…
- you want quick notes and lists, found in seconds
- you want reminders in the same app
- you use Linux, or a mix of Apple and non-Apple devices
- you’d rather sync through storage of your own, encrypted on your devices
Choose OneNote if…
- you write by hand with a stylus, or take long notes in lectures and meetings
- you like placing text, ink and pictures anywhere on a page
- you share notebooks with classmates or colleagues
- you use Microsoft 365 and Copilot
Feature by feature
| Feature | Notelet | OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android | Apps (phones in beta) | Apps |
| Linux | App | In a browser |
| Web | No | Yes |
| How notes are laid out | A list of notes in folders | Notebooks, sections and freeform pages |
| Handwriting and stylus | Sketches, drawn with a finger | Yes |
| Reminders | Lists, smart lists, repeats, subtasks | Not in OneNote (Microsoft To Do is separate) |
| Share and edit with others | Not yet | Yes |
| Locked notes | Touch ID, Face ID, Windows Hello, fingerprint | Password-protected sections |
| Sync | Notelet Cloud, or your own S3, WebDAV or folder | OneDrive |
| Price | Free | Free (5 GB of OneDrive) |
OneNote’s details from its own pages and the sources below, checked 20 October 2026. Notelet 0.10.12.
A canvas or a list
OneNote is a canvas: click anywhere on a page and type, draw or drop a picture. That suits lectures, meetings and handwriting. Notelet is a list: each note is a document in a folder, found by search, tags or smart folders, which suits quick notes, lists and things you look up later.
What OneNote does better
Handwriting and stylus support, a freeform page, shared notebooks, a web version, and Microsoft’s apps around it. It’s free with 5 GB of OneDrive. If you write by hand or share notebooks, choose OneNote.
Where Notelet is different
Reminders live next to your notes, there’s a Linux app, notes lock with your face or fingerprint, and you can sync through your own storage instead of a Microsoft account, encrypted on your devices before it leaves them. Notelet can’t import OneNote notebooks yet.
Common questions
Is Notelet a good OneNote alternative?
If you keep quick notes, lists and reminders, yes. If you write by hand, like a freeform page or share notebooks, OneNote suits you better.
Can Notelet import from OneNote?
Not yet. Notelet imports Apple Notes, Evernote, Google Keep, Simplenote, Bear and Obsidian, plus Markdown, text and web pages.
Is Notelet free?
Yes. Every feature, on every system, is free. Syncing through storage you already have (your own S3 or WebDAV server, or a folder Dropbox, iCloud Drive or OneDrive keeps in step on a computer) is free for good. Notelet Cloud gives the first 1,000 accounts 5 GB free for life; bigger plans (50 GB for £10 a year, 200 GB for £25 a year) open soon.
Sources
- Zapier: The best note-taking apps (OneNote)
- Microsoft OneNote
- Notelet: how the encryption works, pricing, downloads
Spot a mistake? Write to hello@noteletapp.com.