Do I need Microsoft 365 to use OneNote?
No. OneNote is free with a Microsoft account. You get 5 GB cloud storage for free. Microsoft 365 subscription ($6.99+/month) adds 1 TB storage and premium features like Copilot and advanced sharing.
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Microsoft OneNote – Advanced digital notebook for notes and collaboration
Organize your thoughts, discoveries, and ideas
Capture, organize, and collaborate on notes with powerful hierarchical organization, digital ink support, and seamless Microsoft 365 integration.
About Microsoft OneNote: Save Notes
Microsoft OneNote is an advanced digital notebook app that organizes information hierarchically across notebooks, sections, and pages. Create rich multimedia notes combining text, handwriting, audio recordings, images, and embedded files. The app provides OCR technology to search text within images and powerful version history to recover previous edits. Perfect for students, professionals, and teams needing structured, collaborative note-taking with sophisticated search capabilities.
OneNote syncs across all your devices through OneDrive, enabling access anywhere. Integration with Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Word, and Excel enhances productivity. Whether taking meeting notes, brainstorming projects, or maintaining personal wikis, OneNote adapts to your workflow with its flexible canvas design.
Features Of Microsoft OneNote: Save Notes
- Hierarchical organization with notebooks, sections, pages, and sub-pages
- Digital ink support with handwriting recognition and shape cleanup
- Audio recording and voice dictation in 27 languages supported
- Document scanner to extract text and digitize paper notes
- Powerful search function including handwriting and image text
- Version history allowing recovery of pages from the last 60 days
- Collaborative editing with real-time sync across multiple users
- OCR technology to search text within images and screenshots
Premium Features in the Paid Plan
- Microsoft 365 integration with direct Outlook and Teams connection
- Advanced pen features with haptic feedback support
- Enhanced organizational tools for large enterprise notebooks
- Priority support and extended version history retention
- Cloud storage through OneDrive (1 TB with Microsoft 365)
- Copilot in OneNote for AI-powered summaries and insights
- Advanced sharing and permission controls for organizations
- Integration with Power BI and other advanced Microsoft tools
Free with optional Microsoft 365 (from $6.99/month)
Free vs Premium Comparison
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 5 GB with Microsoft account; limited to OneDrive quota | 1 TB+ with Microsoft 365 subscription |
| Organization | Notebooks, sections, and pages available | Same features; additional enterprise management tools |
| Digital Ink | Basic handwriting with standard pen tools | Advanced ink features with haptic feedback |
| Collaboration | Share notebooks with individual contacts | Advanced sharing with granular permissions |
| Office Integration | Limited integration available | Deep integration with Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams |
| AI Features | Standard search and organization | Copilot summaries and AI-powered insights |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access my notebooks offline?
Yes. OneNote syncs notebooks locally on your device. You can view and edit offline, and changes upload automatically when reconnected. Sync data is cached up to your configured limit.
How far back is version history?
OneNote maintains version history for 60 days on free accounts. Microsoft 365 subscribers may have extended retention. You can restore any page version within this timeframe.
Can I search handwritten notes?
Yes. OneNote's OCR technology recognizes handwriting and searches text within images. This works across typed text, handwritten notes, and scanned documents.
How many people can share one notebook?
Multiple users can collaborate on shared notebooks simultaneously. Changes appear in real-time for all collaborators. Sharing controls depend on whether using free or Microsoft 365 account.
Can I import my Google Keep notes to OneNote?
Direct import isn't available. You'll need to manually copy notes or use third-party conversion tools. Export Keep notes as text or PDFs, then paste into OneNote pages.
