vs OneNote: Key Differences for Task & Note Management

You just spent 12 minutes searching for that brilliant idea you jotted down somewhere between your grocery list and meeting notes.

Plot twist: it was in your email drafts the whole time. 😲

You need a system that keeps your ideas, to-dos, and project plans not just saved, but actually findable.

That’s where tools like and OneNote come in. is an all-in-one productivity platform built to manage tasks, documents, goals, and team collaboration in one place. OneNote, on the other hand, is Microsoft’s digital notebook designed to capture thoughts, organize notes, and sync across devices.

The vs. OneNote debate boils down to this: do you want a powerhouse project manager that happens to store your notes, or a note-taking tool that dabbles in task management?

Let’s break down what each platform delivers when you need both notes and tasks to work together. 💁

vs. OneNote Comparison Chart

Here’s a quick feature (and value) face-off between and OneNote:

Criteria		OneNote
Primary purpose	All-in-one productivity platform including task management, project tracking, and collaborative note-taking	Digital notebook offering free-form note-taking, organization by notebooks, sections, and pages
Note-taking capabilities	Rich text formatting, Docs, Notepad, templates, AI-powered summaries, multimedia embedding	Free-form canvas, handwriting, multimedia, flexible layout
Task and project management	Advanced: tasks, subtasks, dependencies, recurring tasks, calendar, Gantt, board, list views	Minimal: checklists; no built-in task/project management
Collaboration	Real-time editing, comments, task assignments, sharing, permissions, chat, Docs collaboration	Shared notebooks, simultaneous editing, basic collaboration
AI features	AI summarizes notes, generates action items, automates updates, and transcribes meetings within ’s meeting minutes software	No native AI; relies on integrations or external tools
Integrations	Connects with hundreds of apps, including email, calendars, Slack, and more	Deep integration with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, Word, etc.), OneDrive syncing
Search and organization	Powerful search, filters, tags, relationships, bi-directional linking between tasks and docs	Strong search, tags, hierarchical organization by notebook/section/page
Automation	Built-in automation for workflows, reminders, and recurring tasks	No built-in automation features

What Is ?

Work today is broken.

60% of our time is spent sharing, searching for, and updating information across different tools.

Our projects, documentation, and communication are scattered across disconnected tools that drain productivity.

Today, over three million teams use to work faster with more efficient workflows, centralized knowledge, and focus-driven chat that eliminates distractions and unlocks organizational productivity.

features

Let’s explore some features that make stand out. 👇

Feature #1: Docs

If you manage multiple projects, courses, or team deliverables, having your notes and tasks in two separate places can slow you down.

That’s where Docs can prove useful. Unlike traditional note-taking apps, this tool turns your notes into action.

Especially for students mapping out assignments, professionals managing client deliverables, or teams collaborating on shared goals, Docs align all your work context. The result? You never lose track of key information and are more productive.

The benefit is just as clear for professionals or productivity-focused teams. Draft client proposals, meeting agendas, or status updates in a Document and connect them directly to tasks. With features like @mentions, inline comments, and live collaboration, feedback loops are quicker, and nothing gets missed.

Feature #2: Notepad

Say you’re in back-to-back client calls all morning. Between capturing ideas, scheduling follow-ups, and checking tasks off, you’re working overtime, and your sticky notes aren’t cutting it.

Trust Notepad to save the day here.

It’s a simple, private space built right into . Use it to quickly jot down thoughts, to-dos, or reminders the moment they come to you.

You can access it from your workspace, the mobile app, or even ’s Chrome Extension, so it’s always there when you need it.

Feature #3: Brain

Then there’s Brain—your intelligent productivity assistant within .

It can distill brainstorming sessions into clear summaries, refine rough notes into polished, professional content, and generate actionable insights or next steps from meeting discussions. The AI tool is built to understand your tasks, docs, team, and company knowledge, so instead of digging through pages or pinging teammates for updates, you can just turn to it.

With contextual awareness and AI-powered suggestions, it doesn’t just accelerate your workflow—it enhances the way you think, communicate, and execute.

For example, you’re getting ready for your weekly team check-in. Rather than hunting through different projects, notes, and documents to see where everyone’s progress stands, you just ask Brain.

Within seconds, it pulls together a concise update, saving you from sifting through multiple dashboards or threads.

One of the standout features is its AI Writer, a powerful tool that helps you create and refine content directly within your workspace.

You’re drafting a project proposal and need to outline the goals, scope, and deliverables quickly. Instead of starting from scratch, you can prompt the AI Writer with:

In seconds, Brain generates a solid first draft, which you can fine-tune and share with your team.

Meeting notetaker

Now, let’s talk meeting notes. If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting and realized no one took notes—or worse, no one knows what to do next— AI Notetaker is for you.

It automatically records and transcribes meetings from Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, turning conversations into organized, searchable notes. But it doesn’t stop there. The AI tool for meeting notes identifies key takeaways, next steps, and action items, then links them to corresponding tasks.

You lead a brainstorming call for a new product launch. Post-meeting, the AI Notetaker sends you a Doc with the date, attendees, meeting notes, discussion summary, and a breakdown of action items like:

• Create the landing page wireframe: Assigned to John, due Friday
• Draft launch email copy: Assigned to Dana, due next week

Watch it in action here:

pricing

What Is Microsoft OneNote?

via OneNote

Create notebooks with custom sections and pages so everything remains easy to access across devices.

What makes it stand out? You can type anywhere on its infinite canvas, drop in images, audio clips, videos, or files, and even tag notes for better searchability. It also integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft apps, such as Outlook. Plus, it’s flexible and cloud-based, so you can tap into your notes on the go.

OneNote features

Here are some features this document management software offers. 📃

Feature #1: Advanced meeting integration

OneNote’s integration with Microsoft Teams automatically pulls in recordings, transcripts, agendas, and notes, embedding them directly into your notebooks.

Once the meeting ends, OneNote automatically populates the page with key details, including the title, date, attendees, and action items, eliminating the need for manual entry. Plus, it supports Microsoft Planner templates, which you can embed directly into the meeting notes for easy task scheduling.

Feature #2: Inking tools

OneNote’s inking tools have been upgraded with a creative edge. You can now format your notes with:

• New pen types: Choose the Fountain Pen for calligraphy-style writing and the Brush Pen for dynamic strokes
• Ink eyedropper: Select any color from your screen to match branding or visual themes in your notes
• Ink straightening: Refine freehand notes or diagrams to make messy handwriting legible automatically
• Ink stickiness: Lock annotations made on PDFs or images, even if you move or resize them
• Use case: Try color-coded inks, straighten annotations, and have them aligned when adjusting the layout

Feature #3: Audio and video recording with time-linked notes

With OneNote, you can record audio or video directly inside a notebook page, which is a productivity-booster for students, interviewers, or professionals in meetings. Each note from videos is time-stamped, so clicking on it later takes you to that exact moment in the playback.

Additionally, it features optical character recognition (OCR), which enables the conversion of text from images, such as scanned notes, printed handouts, or whiteboard photos, into searchable text.

OneNote pricing

For home

• Microsoft 365 Family: $12.99/month (for one to six people)
• Microsoft 365 Personal: $9.99/month (for one person)

For business

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $7.20/month per user
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $15/month per user
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $26.40/month per user
• Microsoft 365 Apps for business: $9.90/month per user

vs. OneNote: Features Compared

When it comes to productivity, both and OneNote serve different purposes.

Let’s break down how their core features stack up against each other so you can decide which one fits your workflow better. ⚒️

Feature #1: Overall functionality

Let’s see how everything comes together overall.

is a complete productivity platform that combines docs, tasks, project management, collaboration, and AI features all in one place. It’s your go-to to create rich documents with formatting, templates, and embedded media, then directly link those notes to your tasks without jumping between different apps.

Everyone can collaborate in real time, and Brain (the AI sidekick) works behind the scenes like your personal productivity assistant. It’ll summarize those marathon meeting notes, spot action items you might’ve missed, and even turn recordings into neat, organized text.

OneNote

This app excels in free-form note-taking. You can click anywhere, type, draw, embed media, and organize everything into notebooks, sections, and pages. It’s great for jotting down thoughts, doodling ideas, or organizing class notes.

But if you’re looking for built-in project management or automation tools, you’ll need to pair it with other Microsoft apps, such as Planner or Outlook.

Feature #2: Organization and structure

Let’s look at how each tool helps you keep things tidy and easy to navigate.

offers a deep, layered, and hierarchical organization structure with Spaces, Folders, Lists, Tasks, and Docs. It’s built for organizing complex workflows and linking everything across your workspace. And with Enterprise AI Search and Ask, you can quickly find and navigate related notes, tasks, and docs, no matter where they live.

OneNote

With its classic notebook > section > page setup, OneNote feels familiar and intuitive. You can nest content endlessly and rearrange things easily.

Feature #3: AI and automation

Time to see which one brings more brainpower to the table with AI and automation!

Brain connects your notes into a coherent, cohesive knowledge base. It can summarize and analyze long meeting notes with the AI note summarizer, turn brainstorming sessions into structured to-do lists, and even auto-generate subtasks based on your tasks. Paired with ’s Automation engine, you can use it to set up workflows that assign tasks, move items through stages, and trigger notifications on their own as tasks progress.

OneNote

OneNote doesn’t have native AI or automation features built into the app. You can still use Microsoft Copilot in the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem, but its AI capabilities don’t live directly inside OneNote. That means you’ll need to rely on integrations or external tools to get similar functionality.

vs. OneNote on Reddit

When it comes to choosing between and OneNote, real-world users on Reddit offer some honest insights. While there are no threads comparing the two specifically, let’s explore some reviews that talk about the tools.

One user feels using OneNote is better if you want to write by hand and retain the flexibility to switch to typing as needed:

Another long-time OneNote user praises it for some specific use cases:

A user, on the other hand, appreciates its all-in-one approach:

While another user highlights its strong functionality:

The right choice obviously depends on your work style and individual preferences. However, if you need notes that live alongside your work—not separate from it— might just be the better choice.

Which Note-Taking App Reigns Supreme?

The verdict is in…and it’s a close call. But takes the win! 👑

In the vs. OneNote showdown, it’s clear both tools shine. OneNote nails the handwritten, freeform note-taking experience and is a solid choice for individuals who appreciate the freedom of a blank canvas.

When it comes to actually getting work done, delivers.

It transforms your notes into actionable tasks and brings together everything from document creation to AI-powered workflows and real-time team collaboration.

Sign up for for free today! ✅

Explore article topics