OneNote: The 3 best alternatives

If you are looking for the best alternatives to Windows OneNote, this practical tip is just right. We present the three best competitors and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the services.

1. Evernote: OneNote alternative with virtual memory

Evernote is a virtual memory and therefore a real alternative to OneNote. The tool offers you the following options:

• You can use Evernote on the computer or on the go. This is just as possible on a smartphone as on a tablet PC. So you carry all information with you and can take a look at the tasks that arise from time to time. This is because the data can be synchronized.
• You can save almost anything with Evernote: pictures, websites, screenshots, texts, notes, addresses, phone numbers, reminders, shopping lists and much more. This not only makes research easier in everyday professional life, it also makes leisure time easier. This allows you to organize different appointments, plan trips or simplify working with other colleagues. You can also dictate notes within the app.
• Evernote is equally suitable for professional and private use and can be tailored to any individual life situation - regardless of whether a company project or the children's birthday party is to be planned.
• Evernote is available free of charge for Android and iOS, but if you want to switch to the premium version, you pay either five euros per month or 40 euros per year. Free users have 60 megabytes of storage space available - per month. If you reach the limit, you have to wait four weeks before you can save new content. Anyone who is a premium customer will receive one gigabyte of storage space.

2. Google Keep: Capture ideas everywhere

Google Keep was launched in March 2013 and has proven to be a solution for anyone who wants to keep their thoughts everywhere. The following functions make Google Keep a real OneNote alternative.

• With Google Keep you can not only write notes on the computer, but also with the help of an app that is available for the smartphone as well as for the tablet. A synchronization between the individual devices takes place using the in-house cloud Google Drive.
• You can not only take notes and checklists with Google Keep, but also save images. If you use the app, you can also share the content with other users, for example if you are working on a joint project or want to send simple information. With Google Keep you have the chance to send pictures, but you cannot edit them. For this, the sticky notes can be edited individually by selecting different colors. Once you have misplaced a memo, you can find it using the search function. You can search through the title and description alike. However, this only applies if you have not made any handwritten comments on the pictures. You can also dictate notes with Google Keep - at least in the app.
• Google Keep is suitable for everyone who wants to save, send and access business and private notes. Thanks to the app, the content can also be sent and the dictation function makes it possible to record spontaneous thoughts.
• If you want to use Google Keep, you need a Google account. You can use the service regardless of the smartphone operating system. However, if you want to enter something on the go, you need an Android phone, as this app is not available for iOS devices. Five gigabytes are also available free of charge for data storage.

3. Outline: Apple's OneNote alternative

Outline is not only a OneNote alternative, but also compatible with the Microsoft service, so that the content can not only be played back at Apple. You also have the following options:

• With Outline, notes can be made primarily on the smartphone and on the tablet. OneNote compatibility is a special feature. If you have notes on a OneNote document, you can transfer, open and change them in Apple's outline. The only catch: Outline does not always recognize handwritten notes from OneNote.
• Outline not only saves files and notes, but also visualizes them with icons. You can also create a to-do list so you don't forget important events and tasks. You can save text and images and use the familiar Mac keyboard shortcuts for operation. In addition, the data can be synchronized using a cloud, played on other devices and sent in this way. If you enter sensitive data in Outline, you can also protect it with a password.
• Outline is suitable for everyone who is looking for an alternative to OneNote. Anyone who has previously worked with the Microsoft service can transfer their data without any problems and therefore has no losses. Outline is suitable for both private and professional purposes and, despite the many options, is mainly aimed at Apple users.
• Outline is available for 14.99 euros in the iTunes store.

Conclusion: Which service is best suited as a OneNote alternative?

In principle, you should consider which service is suitable for you for your individual situation. Always ask yourself what you want to achieve with the service and for what purpose you need the program. Evernote is primarily aimed at those who want to save information independent of the device. However, it should be noted here that images in particular have hardly any space due to the small storage space. Google Keep, on the other hand, is helpful for Android users who want to save various files and who also want to dictate some information using the app. Outline is in good hands with Apple users. The link between OneNote and Outline plays a major role here.

You can also find out from CHIP which memo alternatives are still available and what are the best to-do lists for Android devices.