Evernote and OneNote are two popular digital note-taking applications that enable users to organize, store, and share information with ease. Both tools offer robust features and have grown to be essential for professionals, students, and anyone in need of a convenient way to capture and access their ideas, notes, and tasks. While both applications have similarities, they also possess distinct features that cater to different user needs and preferences.
One primary distinction between these two platforms is their parent company and potential integration with other applications. Evernote, a standalone product, is known for its extensive cross-platform compatibility and versatile browser extensions. In contrast, OneNote is a part of the Microsoft ecosystem, providing seamless integration with other Microsoft applications, thus enhancing its appeal to users who are already invested in the Microsoft Suite.
As potential users evaluate which application suits their needs best, understanding the key differences in terms of organization, collaboration capabilities, pricing, and other factors becomes crucial. In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the unique features of Evernote and OneNote, as well as discuss their respective advantages and drawbacks to assist you in making an informed decision for your personal or professional life.
Evernote Overview
Evernote is a popular note-taking app that helps users capture and organize their ideas, tasks, and information across multiple platforms. In this section, we’ll examine the features, interface, storage, collaboration, pricing, and supported platforms of Evernote.
Features and Interface
Evernote offers a variety of features, including:
- Notes: Create text, audio, and handwritten notes, as well as capture images, PDFs, and web pages.
- Tags: Categorize and organize notes using tags for easy retrieval and navigation.
- Notebooks: Group related notes into notebooks and organize them into stacks.
- Web Clipper: Save web pages, articles, and screenshots directly into Evernote using its browser extension.
- Templates: Use pre-built templates or create custom ones for specific note-taking formats.
- OCR: Recognize and search text within images and PDFs.
- Integrations: Connect to third-party apps like Gmail, Google Drive, and task management tools for seamless workflows.
The user interface of Evernote is clean and intuitive, with a focus on a comfortable note-taking experience. Users can switch between different views, such as list or grid views, and customize the appearance of notes with various formatting options.
Storage and Syncing
Evernote allows sync across multiple devices and platforms, ensuring users have access to their notes wherever they are. The free version offers 60 MB of monthly upload storage, while premium plans provide more storage space and faster syncing.
| Plan | Storage Limit | Monthly Upload Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (Free) | N/A | 60 MB |
| Premium | 10 GB | 10 GB |
| Business | 20 GB/user | 20 GB/user |
Collaboration and Sharing
Evernote users can share notes and notebooks with others by sending a share link. Collaboration features are more advanced in the business plan, which offers the ability to work together with team members in shared spaces, add annotations and comments on notes, and manage access permissions.
Pricing and Plans
Evernote offers three pricing plans to cater to different user needs:
- Basic (Free): Limited features, including note-taking, syncing across devices, and 60 MB monthly upload limit
- Premium: Enhanced features like offline access, more storage, faster syncing, and advanced search capabilities
- Business: Dedicated tools and features for team collaboration, along with a centralized administration console for managing users and permissions
Supported Platforms
Evernote is available across multiple platforms, including:
- Desktop: Windows and macOS
- Mobile: iOS and Android
- Web: Browser-based access
With Evernote’s support for various platforms, users can enjoy a seamless, consistent experience across devices and environments.
OneNote Overview
Microsoft OneNote is a versatile and powerful note-taking app that offers an array of features to enhance productivity and organization across multiple devices. This powerful tool adapts to various needs, from simple note-taking to project management and collaboration.
Features and Interface
Microsoft OneNote provides a user-friendly interface that divides content into notebooks, sections, and pages, offering a structured approach to organizing your notes. Some key features of OneNote include:
- Ink: Handwriting and drawing support for touch-enabled devices.
- Templates: Pre-designed page formats for different tasks, like meeting notes and project planning.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR): Recognizes text in images and handwritten notes.
- Web Clipping: Save articles and web content directly into OneNote.
- Tagging: Label content for easy searching and organization.
- Outlook Integration: Embed email messages and schedule tasks directly from OneNote.
- Embedding: Add videos, documents, and other media types to your notes, improving the overall content and organization.
Storage and Syncing
OneNote uses Microsoft’s cloud storage service, OneDrive, to store your notes, providing seamless syncing across devices, including Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac. It ensures that your notes are readily available, and any changes made are automatically updated. The free plan offers a generous 5GB of storage, while Microsoft 365 subscribers receive 1TB of OneDrive storage.
Collaboration and Sharing
OneNote is designed with collaboration in mind, allowing multiple users to work on a single notebook simultaneously in real time. You can grant access to colleagues or classmates, who can then view and edit notes, add comments, and collaborate on projects. Integration with Microsoft Teams further enhances the collaboration experience, making it easy to connect and share ideas across platforms.
Pricing and Plans
Microsoft offers OneNote as a standalone app within its Microsoft 365 subscription. The free version provides core features, such as note-taking, organization, and 5GB of cloud storage, and is more than sufficient for most users. The paid Microsoft 365 plans include additional features and integrations, as well as access to other Office applications and 1TB of OneDrive storage.
Supported Platforms
OneNote is highly versatile, with apps available for Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac. This compatibility allows for a seamless experience across devices, ensuring that your notes and data are easily accessible, no matter where you are or which device you’re using.
Comparing Evernote and OneNote
User Interface and Experience
Evernote has a clean and straightforward user interface(UI) that makes it easy to navigate. Notes are organized into notebooks and notebook stacks which are easy to understand and access. OneNote, on the other hand, has a structure that resembles a digital binder with pages, subpages, and sections. While this organization may seem more familiar to traditional note-takers, it could be more confusing for some users.
Note Organization and Structure
In Evernote, notes are organized into notebooks and notebook stacks. This allows for easy categorization and retrieval of notes. OneNote takes a different approach, with notes organized into sections and pages within digital notebooks. Users can create subpages and group similar pages under one section. This structure is closer to a traditional binder setup and may appeal to those who prefer a more familiar organization method.
Features
Evernote and OneNote both offer a wide range of features to enhance note-taking. Key features in Evernote include a web clipper to save web content, the ability to search within PDFs and other attachments, and optical character recognition (OCR) for searching text within images. OneNote also provides OCR capabilities, as well as a video recording and dictation tool, which are not present in Evernote.
| Feature | Evernote | OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Web Clipper | ✓ | |
| PDF Search | ✓ | |
| OCR | ✓ | ✓ |
| Video Recording | ✓ | |
| Dictation | ✓ |
Collaboration and Sharing
Both Evernote and OneNote offer sharing capabilities, allowing users to collaborate on notes. Evernote’s sharing options include granting view-only or edit permissions for individual notes or notebooks. However, control over permissions is limited in comparison to OneNote. OneNote provides more flexibility in permission settings for shared notebooks, allowing for greater control over who can access and edit the content. Both apps also provide integrations with other collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Teams and Slack.
Pricing
Evernote offers a free basic plan, as well as paid plans with additional features. One significant difference in pricing is that OneNote is included as part of the Microsoft Office suite, making it effectively free for users who already have an Office subscription. This makes OneNote a cost-effective option for those who are already using the Office suite.
Platform Availability
Both Evernote and OneNote are available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. OneNote also has a web version accessible through the Microsoft Office online web portal. Both apps feature sync capabilities, allowing users to access and edit their notes across multiple devices seamlessly.
Conclusion
In the battle between Evernote and OneNote, each tool has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Evernote excels in its web clipping and search features, providing users with an easy way to collect and find information from various sources. On the other hand, OneNote offers better formatting and organization options, allowing for more flexibility in designing and structuring content.
When it comes to platform availability, Evernote has a slight edge, being available on a broader range of devices and operating systems compared to OneNote. However, OneNote’s seamless integration with Microsoft Office and other Microsoft products makes it a better choice for users who primarily work within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Regarding pricing, Evernote offers a free tier with basic features, while OneNote is included in the Microsoft 365 subscription. Premium features in Evernote come at a price, but some users may find that OneNote’s offerings already meet their needs without additional cost.
Ultimately, the choice between Evernote and OneNote depends on individual preferences, workflows, and requirements. Both applications have their merits, and a trial period with each tool can help users determine which one best matches their needs and enhances their productivity.
Additional Resources
When deciding between Evernote and OneNote, it can be helpful to access resources that show their features and capabilities. Both Evernote and OneNote offer tutorials and videos that can guide users through the process of understanding and using these tools for various purposes, such as task management and note-taking.
Evernote offers a YouTube channel where they share videos illustrating the features and functionality of the app. Additionally, Evernote provides a Help & Learning center with articles and tutorials to get started.
OneNote also offers resources for learning and mastering the application. Microsoft provides a dedicated OneNote for Windows Training, where users can access video tutorials and step-by-step guides. Furthermore, OneNote users can find additional guidance on the Microsoft OneNote channel on YouTube.
Both apps offer different pricing models and plans for various user needs. Evernote’s Personal plan starts at $7.99 per month, which includes features like offline access to notes, advanced search options, and integrations with third-party apps. You can compare the features of different Evernote plans here.
On the other hand, OneNote comes included in the Microsoft Office suite and is available as a free stand-alone app, making it a budget-friendly option. If you want to access the full range of Microsoft Office apps and services, you can choose the Microsoft 365 plan that best suits your needs. A comparison of Microsoft 365 plans can be found here.
In summary, both Evernote and OneNote have valuable resources and guides for users to learn, understand, and effectively use these tools for note-taking and task management. Visit the links provided above and explore the capabilities of each application before deciding which one is the better fit for your needs.