Notion vs Microsoft OneNote
Notion and Microsoft OneNote are both note-taking & docs tools. Notion is aimed at small businesses and freelancers, while Microsoft OneNote is aimed at freelancers and small businesses. Both have a free plan.
All-in-one workspace for notes, docs and projects
Free freeform digital notebook from Microsoft with ink and sync
| Pricing | Freemium · $12 | Free |
| Starting price | $12/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Small businesses, Freelancers, Enterprise | Freelancers, Small businesses, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web, ios, android, macos, windows | web, windows, macos, ios, android |
| Country | US · 2016 | US · 2003 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Notion if
Startups and small teams (2–50 people) that want docs, wiki and simple project tracking in one place, and individuals who like building their own systems.
- Replaces several tools (docs, wiki, light PM, CRM) for small teams
- Extremely flexible data model; databases with relations and rollups
- Huge template ecosystem and integrations via API and Zapier/Make
Look elsewhere if: Engineering teams that need a strict issue tracker with cycles and estimates, finance teams that live in spreadsheets, or organizations that need offline-first access.
Choose Microsoft OneNote if
Students, teachers and Microsoft 365 users who want a free, pen-friendly notebook that syncs across every device.
- Completely free on every major platform with no note limits
- Best-in-class pen experience for students and tablet users
- Freeform canvas suits mixed media better than linear note apps
Look elsewhere if: Knowledge workers who need databases, linked notes or plain-file ownership (Notion, Obsidian or Evernote suit them better).
Notion vs Microsoft OneNote pricing
Notion
- Free$07-day page history, 10 guests, limited Notion AI trial
- Plus$12/member/mo$10/mo billed yearly; 30-day history, unlimited guests
- Business$24/member/mo$20/mo billed yearly; 90-day history, Notion Agent, AI notes
- EnterpriseCustomUnlimited history, zero data retention with LLM providers
Microsoft OneNote
- OneNote$0Free with a Microsoft account; notebooks sync via 5 GB OneDrive
- Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99/mo$99.99/year; 1 TB OneDrive and Copilot in OneNote
- Microsoft 365 Family$12.99/mo$129.99/year; up to 6 people, 2 TB shared storage
Notion · Key features
- Block-based editor with slash commands, synced blocks and 50+ content types
- Relational databases with table, board, calendar, gallery, timeline and list views
- Templates, buttons and database automations for repeatable workflows
- Notion AI: Q&A across workspace plus Slack, Drive and GitHub connectors
- Public publishing with custom domains (Notion Sites) and SEO settings
- Granular sharing: teamspaces, guests, page-level permissions and SSO on Business
Cons
- No native structure means workspaces sprawl without governance
- Slower on large databases; offline mode is limited
- Per-seat pricing adds up for large teams, AI bundled only in Business and up
Microsoft OneNote · Key features
- Freeform pages where text, images, ink and files can be placed anywhere
- Notebook, section and page hierarchy with color-coded tabs
- Pen and stylus inking with handwriting search and ink-to-text
- Text extraction from images and printouts inserted into notes
- Audio recording linked to notes and tags such as To Do and Important
- OneNote Web Clipper for saving web pages into a notebook
Cons
- Storage is capped by OneDrive, only 5 GB on free accounts
- No databases, Markdown or bidirectional links
- Weak export makes migrating to another app painful
Notion vs Microsoft OneNote: FAQ
Do Notion and Microsoft OneNote have a free plan?
Yes, both Notion and Microsoft OneNote have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.