So you’ve decided it’s time to level up how you capture ideas and stay organized. And your research keeps pointing you to two titans in the personal productivity space – Evernote and OneNote.
I know the struggle in choosing between these two all too well. I’ve flip-flopped multiple times over the years as both products continued improving. Where do you make the right choice for your needs?
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how Evernote and OneNote compare across 5 key decision points:
- Core interface and design
- Web clipping tools
- Ability to export and migrate notes
- Storage size offerings
- Pricing models
We’ll also cover several “good to know” facts about encryption, offline access, and recent developments. And most importantly, I’ll offer clear advice on which product fits you best based on common use cases.
Ready to stop wondering and determine the right notes platform? Let’s dive in…
A Quick History on Evernote and OneNote
Before analyzing features, it always helps to level-set on where these products originated. Their pasts reveal a lot about design philosophy:
The Ethos Behind Evernote
Founded in 2008 by startup veteran Stepan Pachikov, Evernote aimed to pioneer the externalization of human memory. The product let users easily aggregate handwritten meeting notes, typed memos, web bookmarks and more in one searchable place.
Evernote believed traditional silos failed to mirror how we really capture and reconnect ideas. Their app became synonymous with note taking innovation in early 2010’s.
While no longer a startup post-acquisition, Evernote retains 240 million users as of 2022.
OneNote’s Heritage Inside Microsoft
Debuting in 2003, OneNote marked Microsoft’s entry into more free-form note taking. It provided digital notebook metaphors to replace physical ones. And by integrating tightly across Office apps, OneNote sold itself as the default catch-all workspace alongside core productivity tools.
Adoption grew steadily, but mostly through bundled distribution rather than merit alone. Reviews flagged OneNote as sluggish and light on features versus Evernote. But recent upgrades have closed the gap. And Microsoft’s reach on corporate devices makes OneNote tough to displace.
Now that you‘ve got the backstory, let‘s see how capabilities stack up today.
Side-By-Side Comparison
Here‘s a quick cheat sheet overview of core features before we analyze deeper:
| Evernote | OneNote | |
| Import Files | ENEX | OneNote Format Only |
| Export Options | HTML | OneNote, PDF, XPS |
| Web Clipper | Chrome, Safari, Firefox | Chrome, Edge |
| Notebooks | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Premium Features | Paid Accounts | Free Access |
With the basics covered, where do these two diverge most meaningfully?
5 Key Differentiators Between Evernote and OneNote
Let‘s analyze the critical points that should sway your purchasing decision:
1. Interface Design and Usability
Evernote sticks to a three column layout absent extensive formatting options. The focus stays on clean text authoring plus tagging for discoverability later.
OneNote looks shockingly similar to Word with robust formatting choices. Think anything from text wrap settings to express layouts with tables. Complex notes shine here.
Therefore, Evernote opts for visual calmness while OneNote offers more structure without compromising ease of reading. If note aesthetics matter, OneNote has you covered.
2. Built-In Web Clippers
Evernote and OneNote make clipping and saving web articles delightfully easy. But interface and capabilities vary greatly:
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Evernote‘s web clipper supports more browsers, including Firefox and Safari. OneNote solely works on Chrome and Edge. Huge downside if you ever switch from Chrome.
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Evernote enables direct annotation and edits to clipped articles. Unfortunately, OneNote’s clippings just reference static content. No way to enrich them after import.
For power researchers who heavily utilize clips, Evernote is purpose-built to surpass OneNote here.
3. How Notes Export and Import Across Apps
What if you ever wanted to leave OneNote or Evernote? Let‘s evaluate how well these apps allow data portability:
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Evernote‘s Clear Winner: Evernote invented the ENEX export format to retain tag hierarchy, formats and more during migration. This portability leaves the door open to depart later.
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OneNote Falls Short: No way to import notes from competing apps. And exports lose some metadata too. So while more export formats exist, true backup portability lags Evernote. Risk of lock-in looms larger.
4. Storage Sizing and Limits
For superior headroom on things like media embeds or audio notes, OneNote has insurmountable advantages:
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Evernote‘s paid plans cap storage at 1GB monthly uploads. Free plans max out at just 60MB per month. Absolute non-starter for heavy users.
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OneNote grants free users 5GB storage with 1TB for premium tiers. Unless you‘re archiving movies, text notes hardly touch this cap.
5. Comparing Paid Plans and Overall Value
If deciding purely based on free features, OneNote wins hands down:
| Evernote Free | OneNote Free | |
| Web Clipper | Limited uses per month | Unlimited |
| Search Capability | Only last 12 mos | Full Library |
| Upload Limit | 60MB monthly | 5GB storage |
| Platforms | Mac, iOS, Web | Mac, iOS, Web, Windows |
However, Evernote unlocks premium tools likes reminders, version history and priority tech support once you pay up. Most OneNote extras focus exclusively on more storage.
So if you‘ll never max out OneNote‘s free capacity, monetary value clearly sits with Microsoft here. But advanced capabilities require Evernote‘s pricing tiers first.
6 Additional Facts to Consider
Before deciding on the ultimate winner, several other details merit your attention:
Both Apps Offer Encryption
Security-focused users rest assured – you can safeguard sensitive notes with passphrase protection or encryption in both Evernote and OneNote. Neither platform can theoretically access certain locked content without your express permission.
Offline Access Identical
Evernote and OneNote give you identical abilities to write and update notes offline on mobile devices or laptops. You’ll simply sync pending changes next time an internet connection is available. For frequent travelers, offline reliability brings peace of mind.
Recent Evernote Acquisition by Bending Spoons
In January 2023, Italian startup Bending Spoons acquired Evernote to infuse new talent and funding. It remains unclear whether this development will accelerate or slow feature development short term. But expect mobile experience upgrades regardless over 12-18 months post-acquisition.
Third-Party Alternatives Can‘t Compete (Yet)
Some believed Google Keep or Apple Notes may threaten Evernote and OneNote. But integrations and advanced features still can’t touch these category leaders. For true power users, sticking to Evernote or OneNote remains the right choice hands down.
Which App Should You Choose?
We‘ve covered lots of ground. Let‘s simplify things back the user level: should students, artists, executives and other groups prefer Evernote or OneNote?
My recommendations:
For Creative Thinkers and Students…Go Evernote
Its flexible clipping and lightning fast tagging provide the fastest on-ramp to aggregating visual concepts from the web. Noise-free features keep focus on synthesizing ideas – not formatting tools.
For Road Warriors…Pick OneNote
OneNote ships preinstalled on mobile platforms, while some advanced Evernote features strangely require Plus/Premium plans before unlock mobile access. And offline reliability is stellar on OneNote by default.
For Data-Heavy Use Cases…OneNote Doesn‘t Disappoint
If multi-gigabyte attachments, audio notes, and video embeds represent your daily reality, don‘t waste time grappling with Evernote‘s storage ceilings or prices for expansion. OneNote‘s 1TB default allowance puts any concerns to rest from day one.
For Getting Advanced Capabilities…Go Premium with Evernote
While OneNote wins on free offerings alone, the functionality gaps closes quickly for power users that pay. Evernote Premium delivers expanded search, personal analytics about note volume, secure enterprise options, priority tech support and more.
OneNote matches on core features only – extras focus on storage over functionality. So if you‘ll actually utilize premium tools, Evernote gives far more bang for buck.
Parting Advice on Choosing Your Notes Platform
Let‘s recap – if the ethos, research aggregation and rapid notebooking of Evernote appeal, its Premium offering packages the most well-rounded commercial offering out there. Free users may feel starved on storage and crippled searching longer notes archives over time however.
If Microsoft pedigree, seamless Windows/Office integration, and strong legacy support matter more, then OneNote will feel familiar fast. And you can‘t beat the value free clients unlock.
At the end of the day, your existing ecosystems and device preferences should tip the scales more than any other factor. Finding the tool that adapts to your unique note capture habits will yield the biggest payout over time – whether Evernote, OneNote or another product entirely.
Does this help frame the key pros and cons? Let me know if any other questions come up! More than happy to dig deeper and compare more niche use cases between Evernote and OneNote too.
