Notesnook: the no-nonsense replacement for OneNote?

The simplicity of Notesnook is immediately appealing, but is the tool deep enough to replace OneNote?

After our test of Anytype, one question remained: does a note-taking app really need to do so much? For many users, the answer is likely no. That is why we looked for an alternative that prioritizes simplicity above all else. Notesnook positions itself as an open-source note-taking app with a strong focus on privacy. But is that enough to replace Microsoft OneNote?

Notes first

Those who use OneNote within Microsoft 365 today usually do so to take quick notes, organize information, and potentially share it with colleagues. For many users, it doesn’t need to be more than that.

Notesnook understands that need for simplicity. The interface is clearly structured with notebooks, tags, and individual notes. You hardly spend any time learning the application and can get started almost immediately. This makes the switch from OneNote surprisingly accessible. The editor supports everything you would expect from a modern note-taking app: formatting, checklists, tables, images, code blocks, and Markdown. For daily use, very little is missing.

Privacy as a starting point

Notesnook is fully open source and encrypts all notes end-to-end. This means that the content of your notes can only be read by you. Furthermore, the source code is publicly available, making the security verifiable.

Although Notesnook is not European but has its origins in Pakistan, the open-source approach provides much more transparency than closed platforms like Microsoft OneNote. For users who want maximum control, self-hosting is also an option.

Working without surprises

During our test, we were particularly struck by how naturally Notesnook works. Creating, organizing, and finding notes is fast and intuitive. The search function is powerful, and thanks to tags, you can keep even larger collections organized. The application is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Everything remains available locally when you don’t have an internet connection. Once you are back online, your notes are automatically synchronized.

Where Notesnook currently loses ground to OneNote is collaboration. With OneNote and Microsoft 365, Microsoft has built a strong ecosystem in which multiple colleagues can work on the same notes simultaneously. Notesnook does allow users to share notes, but it currently lacks that extensive real-time collaboration. For individual users or small teams, this is likely not a problem, but larger companies will certainly feel this difference.

Try for free

For this test, we used the free version. This allows you to simply create notes and sync them between multiple devices. Those who want larger attachments, note history, or more extensive synchronization will need to switch to a paid subscription.

Notesnook does not try to be an all-in-one platform. It is primarily a fast, secure, and well-organized note-taking app.

The most expensive subscription costs you €9.53 per month, for which you get 25 GB of storage space and can upload files of 5 GB, among other things. For most individual users, the free version already offers more than enough possibilities.

Simplicity as the greatest asset

Notesnook does not try to be an all-in-one platform. It is primarily a fast, secure, and well-organized note-taking app.

For organizations that collaborate intensively within documents, OneNote will still have the edge for now. But for those who want to leave Microsoft and are looking for an open-source alternative without a steep learning curve, Notesnook is a very convincing candidate.

ITdaily tests European and open-source alternatives to popular American software tools we use daily. Want to discover more European software? Via this overview you can find all reviews.