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# Microsoft OneNote vs Standard Notes Comparison - What are their main differences?

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Microsoft OneNoteStandard Notes[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Microsoft OneNote** [

4.5/5(1,873)

](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews#reviews)

**Standard Notes** [

4/5(13)

](https://www.g2.com/products/standard-notes/reviews#reviews)

Pricing

**Microsoft OneNote**
No pricing available

**Standard Notes**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Microsoft OneNote**
2 months

Based on 44 responses

**Standard Notes**
Not enough reviews yet

Return on Investment

**Microsoft OneNote**
9 months

Based on 33 responses

**Standard Notes**
Not enough reviews yet

Perceived Cost

**Microsoft OneNote**
$$$$$

**Standard Notes**
Not enough reviews yet

Average Discount

**Microsoft OneNote**
14%

**Standard Notes**
Not enough reviews yet

Pros & Cons

**Microsoft OneNote**
[
Note-taking (10)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1186988&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Organization (7)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1187263&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Connectivity Issues (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1187001&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Note-Taking Issues (2)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2361448&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Standard Notes**
[
Note-taking (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/standard-notes/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2080712&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Organization (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/standard-notes/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2080715&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Microsoft OneNote**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_033aa224b72b00b72e8860e4e6401efc/microsoft-excel.png "Product Avatar Image")

Microsoft Excel

](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-excel/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_69054bc7d40597b06fc3905720ccc914/microsoft-outlook.png "Product Avatar Image")

Outlook

](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-outlook/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_218a6468d313312e43446d6a8135f441/microsoft-teams.png "Product Avatar Image")

Microsoft Teams

](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-teams/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_89403f91f420a370f25b6800af702d70/microsoft-word.png "Product Avatar Image")

Microsoft Word

](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-word/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/integrations)

**Standard Notes**
Not enough data

Screenshots

**Microsoft OneNote**
 ![Microsoft OneNote screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/22517/uploads_2Fb516d455-a86f-46c9-955b-7c0ce209fb4a_2Fscreen800x500__282_29.jpeg)

**Standard Notes**
No screenshot available

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Microsoft OneNote**

9.0

9.01,624

**Standard Notes**

8.5

8.510

Ease of Use

**Microsoft OneNote**

8.9

8.91,635

**Standard Notes**

8.2

8.210

Ease of Setup

**Microsoft OneNote**

9.0

9.0176

**Standard Notes**
Not enough data

Ease of Admin

**Microsoft OneNote**

8.9

8.9133

**Standard Notes**
Not enough data

Quality of Support

**Microsoft OneNote**

8.6

8.61,072

**Standard Notes**

6.9

6.97

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Microsoft OneNote**

8.9

8.9115

**Standard Notes**
Not enough data

Product Direction (% positive)

**Microsoft OneNote**

8.3

8.31,600

**Standard Notes**

7.7

7.710

Features

Note-Taking Software[Hide 34 FeaturesShow 34 Features](javascript:void(0);)

8.5

22

Not enough data

Agentic AI - Note-Taking Software

Autonomous Task Execution

8.5(won by default)

18

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

@mentions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Import/Export

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Classification

Not enough data

Not enough data

Task Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Meeting Notes

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Wiki

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reminders

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Calendar/Reminder System

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Storage

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Notes Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Calendar Sync

Not enough data

Not enough data

Tagging

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Device Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

File Sharing

Not enough data

Not enough data

To-Do List

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Commenting/Notes

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Scan

Not enough data

Not enough data

Offline Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Annotations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Full Text Search

Not enough data

Not enough data

Task Tagging

Not enough data

Not enough data

Handwriting Recognition

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Show 1 feature category with incomplete data

Collaboration & Productivity[Hide 45 FeaturesShow 45 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

To-Do List

Not enough data

Not enough data

@mentions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Single Sign On

Not enough data

Not enough data

File Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Prioritization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Screen Sharing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Content Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Brainstorming

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

File Transfer

Not enough data

Not enough data

Calendar Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Status Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Version Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

Task Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real Time Editing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Communication Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Chat/Messaging

Not enough data

Not enough data

Tagging

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Assignment Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Task Scheduling

Not enough data

Not enough data

Project Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

Workflow Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Secure Data Storage

Not enough data

Not enough data

File Sharing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Storage

Not enough data

Not enough data

Task Progress Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Discussions/Forums

Not enough data

Not enough data

Commenting/Notes

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting & Statistics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Contact Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Video Conferencing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Progress Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Branding

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Microsoft OneNote](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565626/microsoft-onenote.svg "Microsoft OneNote")](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews)

Microsoft OneNote

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

26.9%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

29.6%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

43.6%

[![Standard Notes](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_065d0d2bad308e726d6bc429a0ef8f85/standard-notes.png "Standard Notes")](https://www.g2.com/products/standard-notes/reviews)

Standard Notes

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

38.5%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

38.5%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

23.1%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

26.9%

38.5%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

29.6%

38.5%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

43.6%

23.1%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Microsoft OneNote](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565626/microsoft-onenote.svg "Microsoft OneNote")](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews)
Microsoft OneNote

Information Technology and Services

11.1%

Computer Software

8.3%

Higher Education

5.7%

Education Management

4.9%

Hospital & Health Care

3.7%

Other

66.3%

[![Standard Notes](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_065d0d2bad308e726d6bc429a0ef8f85/standard-notes.png "Standard Notes")](https://www.g2.com/products/standard-notes/reviews)
Standard Notes

Education Management

15.4%

Staffing and Recruiting

7.7%

Research

7.7%

Professional Training & Coaching

7.7%

Legal Services

7.7%

Other

53.8%

FAQs

## Microsoft OneNote vs Standard Notes FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 14, 2026

### What is the difference between Microsoft OneNote vs Standard Notes?

Microsoft OneNote stands out for its higher reviewer satisfaction, broader adoption, and stronger support scores compared to Standard Notes.

| [Microsoft OneNote](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews) | [Standard Notes](https://www.g2.com/products/standard-notes/reviews) |
| --- | --- |
| 4.5/5 (1,871 reviews) | 4.0/5 (13 reviews) |
| — | — |
| 9.0 | — |
| 8.6 | 6.9 |
| Note-taking (12 all-time mentions) | Note-taking (1 all-time mention) |

### How do the pricing models of Microsoft OneNote and Standard Notes compare?

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher for value, with reviewers expressing greater satisfaction with its cost compared to Standard Notes.

- **Microsoft OneNote:** Reviewers highlight its user-friendly interface and broad feature set as strong value drivers, with many noting easy implementation and robust functionality.
- **Standard Notes:** Reviewers appreciate its privacy and encryption but note that the free version is limited in features, and the paid version may not add enough value for their needs.
- **Switching reasons:** Several reviewers mention switching to Microsoft OneNote for its integration with other Microsoft products and more comprehensive feature set.

### What are the best alternatives to Microsoft OneNote and Standard Notes?

The top three alternatives to Microsoft OneNote and Standard Notes are Notion, Google Workspace, and Evernote.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Microsoft OneNote](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-onenote/reviews) | 4.5/5 (1,871) | — | User-friendly interface, easy implementation | Note-taking (12 all-time mentions) |
| [Standard Notes](https://www.g2.com/products/standard-notes/reviews) | 4.0/5 (13) | — | Free version limited, paid version questioned for value | Privacy and encryption |
| [Notion](https://www.g2.com/products/notion/reviews) | 4.6/5 (13,769) | Small-Business | — | Highly customizable workspace |
| [Google Workspace](https://www.g2.com/products/google-workspace/reviews) | 4.6/5 (48,171) | Small-Business | — | Collaboration and integration |
| [Evernote](https://www.g2.com/products/evernote/reviews) | 4.3/5 (2,035) | Small-Business | — | Cross-device note syncing |

### Which Note-Taking Software features should I prioritize when comparing Microsoft OneNote and Standard Notes?

Buyers comparing Microsoft OneNote and Standard Notes should prioritize note organization, integrations, privacy and security, ease of use, and cross-device syncing.

- **Note organization:** Microsoft OneNote (8 all-time mentions for organization), Standard Notes (1 all-time mention).
- **Integrations:** Microsoft OneNote (7 all-time mentions for integrations), Standard Notes (no integration mentions).
- **Privacy and security:** Standard Notes is frequently praised for encryption and privacy in recent reviews; Microsoft OneNote has no such mentions.
- **Ease of use:** Microsoft OneNote (Ease of Use score: 8.9), Standard Notes (Ease of Use score: 8.2).
- **Cross-device syncing:** Both products are cited for syncing, with Microsoft OneNote receiving multiple positive mentions in recent reviews.

### What are the pros and cons of Microsoft OneNote vs Standard Notes?

Microsoft OneNote's headline strength is its robust organization and integration features, while Standard Notes is most praised for privacy and encryption.

- **Microsoft OneNote strengths:** Note-taking (12 all-time mentions), organization (8), integrations (7), ease of use (6), flexibility (5), features (3), easy setup (2), implementation ease (2).
- **Microsoft OneNote trade-offs:** Connectivity issues (4), UI clutter (3), limited features (2), note-taking issues (2), organization difficulty (2), page management (2), search functionality (2), slow loading (2), usage limitations (2).
- **Standard Notes strengths:** Privacy and encryption are consistently highlighted in recent reviews, along with organization and a minimalistic interface.
- **Standard Notes trade-offs:** Reviewers note limited features in the free version and question the value of the paid version for advanced functionality.

### Is Microsoft OneNote or Standard Notes better for small businesses?

Microsoft OneNote is the stronger fit for small businesses, with a higher volume of small-business reviewers and more positive sentiment.

- **Microsoft OneNote:** The largest reviewer segment is small business, with reviewers citing ease of use, strong organization, and integration with other Microsoft tools as key benefits for small teams.
- **Standard Notes:** Reviewers from small businesses appreciate its privacy and encryption, but mention limited features and less robust collaboration capabilities.

### Which Note-Taking Software platform has better integrations?

Microsoft OneNote is favored for integrations, with reviewers citing its connections to other Microsoft tools.

- **Microsoft OneNote:** Integrates with Microsoft Word (40 all-time mentions) and Microsoft Outlook (11 all-time mentions), with reviewers highlighting its value within the Microsoft ecosystem.
- **Standard Notes:** No integrations are cited in reviews.

### How do Microsoft OneNote and Standard Notes compare on customer support?

Microsoft OneNote scores higher on Quality of Support, with a 1.7-point advantage over Standard Notes (8.6 vs 6.9).

- **Microsoft OneNote:** Reviewers frequently mention responsive support and helpful documentation, with several citing positive experiences resolving issues.
- **Standard Notes:** Support experiences are mixed, with some reviewers noting difficulty reaching customer service and others praising the active community and support resources.

### Which is easier to implement, Microsoft OneNote or Standard Notes?

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher for Ease of Setup, with a score of 9.0; Standard Notes does not have a published score for this dimension.

- **Microsoft OneNote:** Reviewers consistently describe setup as straightforward and quick, with many noting easy onboarding for teams.
- **Standard Notes:** Reviewers mention a simple setup process, but no quantitative score is available.

Alternatives

**Microsoft OneNote Alternatives**

 ![Google Workspace](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/16b55d7b1aa594a1a78d8ec91ebbca79/google-workspace.svg "Google Workspace")

[
Google Workspace
](/products/google-workspace/reviews)

 ![Notion](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/43bf53de40136acd6c0aed67eb459fcd/notion.svg "Notion")

[
Notion
](/products/notion/reviews)

 ![Evernote](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1543878802/evernote.svg "Evernote")

[
Evernote
](/products/evernote/reviews)

 ![Otter.ai](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/e2c6ddc2cf31eda4e6b99b9b3f133287/otter-ai.svg "Otter.ai")

[
Otter.ai
](/products/otter-ai/reviews)

**Standard Notes Alternatives**

 ![Notion](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/43bf53de40136acd6c0aed67eb459fcd/notion.svg "Notion")

[
Notion
](/products/notion/reviews)

 ![Evernote](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1543878802/evernote.svg "Evernote")

[
Evernote
](/products/evernote/reviews)

 ![Simplenote](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_a5fcfbf83b486a1eca3750c54234e357/simplenote.jpg "Simplenote")

[
Simplenote
](/products/simplenote/reviews)

 ![Bear](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_68c752bc6c8e719a2869e84431f3e8ad/bear.jpg "Bear")

[
Bear
](/products/bear/reviews)