With how busy and fast-paced the world is right now, it’s easy to forget tasks. As a creative, an idea could hit you; if not written down immediately, you may struggle to remember it in a few days.
And even if you’re not a creative, you need help organizing your tasks and projects and managing your schedule at work or school. That’s where Notability and OneNote come in.
The two note-taking applications allow you to capture your ideas as they come, organize your projects, share them with your team members, and even find more inspiration along the way.
As much as these apps stand out from other digital note-taking apps, you might wonder, which one is better. Well, that’s what we are going to explore in this article.
Notability and OneNote may offer similar functions but if you look carefully, there are underlying differences in their functionality, pricing, features, and accessibility that set them apart from each other.
We will uncover all these and in the end, compare both tools before giving our final verdict. So, make sure you read to the end.
Without further ado, let’s dive right in!
Notability vs OneNote – Introduction
What is Notability?
Notability is an easy note-taking and annotation application developed and launched by Ginger Labs in 2010. The app was built with students and teachers in mind to help them become more productive and creative.
However, it quickly gained popularity among other users like music composers, artists, film directors, and even writers. People loved the app’s powerful handwriting and sketching features that allow them to take detailed notes and sketch their ideas as they come.
It doesn’t stop there. Users can also format their works, including images, audio clips, and web links to their notes, and share them with their team members, friends, or family.
The app’s ability to synchronize notes across different devices on iCloud means users can easily access their works from anywhere they are and their notes will always be up to date.
Notability is available on iOS devices like iPad, iPhone, and Mac. It can be downloaded from the Apple Store.
Overall, the app’s rich features have gathered many loyal users, and it is continually growing in the creative and education sector.
What is OneNote?
Developed by Microsoft, OneNote is a digital note-taking application that allows users to keep notes and manage their next projects, trips, and tasks. The app was launched in 2003 and it was part of the Microsoft Office Suite package.
However, the app is now available for iOS, Windows, and Android devices. It can be downloaded from either Apple Store or Google Play Store.
The notebook system on OneNote is divided into sections and pages allowing users to easily separate different projects and keep tasks organized and accessible. It’s also possible to share your notebook with people and invite your friends or colleagues to collaborate with you.
This collaboration feature makes it an ideal choice for project management and group study. Overall, OneNote makes it easy for users to keep tabs on everything happening in their lives.
Notability vs OneNote – Features
Although Notability and OneNote serve the same purpose, their features are slightly different from each other. Let’s explore some of the features of both apps.
Notability
1. Takes note in different forms
One of the foremost features of Notability is that it allows users to include different media forms in their notes. Some of the elements you can add are photos, text, sketches, handwriting, and even audio recordings.
You can also organize your notes into different folders so it’s easy to track your projects and tasks.
2. Annotate your works
Notability is also known to have a smooth ink that allows you to leave marks on your work. This is especially needed if you’re a student or a teacher.
3. Enhance classroom teaching
Rather than staying limited to boring whiteboards, teachers use Notability to create study guides and test questions for their students. They can either import images from their device or use their drawings.
4. Audio recording
To add more clarity to your text or sketches, Notability allows users to record and replay their notes. That is to say, you can record a voiceover and it automatically syncs with your notes.
5. Collaboration
Aside from creating notes and annotating documents, you also get to share your notes with your team members, making it easy to collaborate and work with others in real time.
6. Auto-backup for notes
Notability is also known for its auto backup feature to ensure that your work is safe. With this feature, your notes are safely stored in iCloud, Google Drive, and even Dropbox. This means that you can easily access it from wherever you are.
7. Handwriting recognition
The app is good at searching, recognizing, and converting handwriting into text. Thanks to the MyScript feature. You can take notes in class and then have the app translate them to text for easy reading and sharing.
8. Math conversion
Aside from handwriting conversion, Notability can also convert handwritten math equations to hi-res images which you can then export. This feature is also powered by the MyScript feature.
9. Planners and stickers for organization
Since Notability was primarily created to help users keep track of their projects and tasks, the app includes features like planners and stickers to help achieve that. You can also format your text and either make them bold or italic just for emphasis.
10. Intuitive interface
Anyone can use Notability. It’s that easy to figure out because of the intuitive interface.
OneNote
1. Easy organization
The notes on OneNote are already organized into sections and pages, allowing you to decide how you want to arrange your notes. You can dedicate one section to planning your next vacation, and the other for your new recipe, or your song or plan your new school year.
2. Create notes with different multimedia
OneNote allows users to insert pictures, attach files, and even capture sounds or voices for their notes. You can also create tables. You only need to click and indicate where you want them, then upload them.
3. Access your notes from anywhere
That’s another wonderful feature of OneNote. By default, the app saves your notes in your documents folder in OneDrive, then syncs to your OneNote online. This means you can access your notes whenever and wherever you want.
4. Outline and annotate
OneNote is also good at helping users outline and annotate their ideas when they are either researching or writing a project. This feature is especially useful for students because they can highlight important lines on their documents for easy reference.
5. Tags to prioritize tasks
Another beautiful way OneNote helps you to stay organized is through its tag feature. You can easily make a list and use tags to categorize the tasks that need to stand out.
For example, if you’re planning an event, you can easily specify the important tasks, and what needs to be done immediately and also assign tasks to people.
6. Easy to find information
No matter how many notes you have written on OneNote, you can easily pull out any information you want no matter which note you jotted it down. You don’t necessarily need to search through all the notes, you can use the search feature to locate the specific note or info you want.
7. Easy collaboration
OneNote allows users to share their notes with their teammates, friends, and family. This makes it easy for everyone to keep track of the project or family event. Once you send them an invite, they can make corrections to your note.
Notability vs OneNote – Ease of Use
While Notability and OneNote have intuitive interfaces, there are differences between both apps when it comes to their ease of use.
Notability
Notability has a very clean, simple, and fun interface. More so, its uncluttered design ensures that users will not have a hard time navigating the app.
Also, users can customize the app’s toolbar to match their needs. This means that they can move the tools they use frequently so that they can quickly locate them when needed. As you know, a personalized workspace increases productivity and gives more room for creativity.
One can’t ignore Notability’s handwriting recognition feature because it also makes the app easy to use. If you have messy handwriting, don’t sweat it.
Simply write everything down with your hand, and the app will recognize and convert your handwriting to typed text. Another area where Notability ranked well is its organizational features.
They are super intuitive, so users can easily create folders for their notes to keep them organized. Notability also offers a search feature that enables users to locate specific notes or text within their notes.
It saves you the stress of having to search your notes one after the other for specific information. Overall, Notability’s simple and clean interface makes the app easy and fun to use.
The interface is so intuitive that kids are using the app on the go. They only need a little guidance from an adult and they are good to go.
OneNote
Though OneNote has an intuitive interface, it’s not as easy and clean as Notability. The app leaves users with a lot of tabs, pages, and sections to navigate. If you’re not a techie, it may take some time before you can figure out the platform.
OneNote also has a fixed toolbar which means that you cannot customize the tools to meet your needs. You’ll have to work with the tools as they are on the platform.
Additionally, OneNote has a handwriting recognition feature but it is not super accurate especially if you have messy handwriting. The app will be slow to pick out errors in your notes.
Overall, though, OneNote is easy to use. However, users can’t ordinarily jump in and start using it on the go. They will have to take time to study the app’s organizational structure.
Notability vs OneNote – Functionality
Notability
When it comes to functionality, Notability is only compatible with iOS and Apple devices such as iPad, Mac, and iPhone. The app can be downloaded from the Apple Store.
This is a bit limiting because Android users can’t access the app. On where and how your notes are saved, Notability syncs all notes using iCloud.
That is to say, as long as your internet is on while creating your note, it automatically saves on iCloud and you can access it whenever and from wherever you want.
OneNote
OneNote is much more accommodating. The app works on both Android and iOS devices including Windows. It can be downloaded from Google Play Store, Apple Store, or Microsoft Store.
Interestingly, OneNote has a web version that allows you to sign up and start creating notes straight from the website. Your notes can be synced across different devices using OneDrive.
This makes it easy for you to access your documents from any device and whenever you want.
Notability vs OneNote – Pricing
Notability
Generally, Notability has two versions – the free and paid versions. The free version allows you to do the basics, including creating multimedia notes, presentation mode, adding custom stickers, audio records, document sharing, and PDF import and export.
However, if you want your work to sync to iCloud and you get to do unlimited edits and handwriting conversions, you’ll need to upgrade to “Notability Plus.”
The premium version costs $12.99. However, it’s an in-app purchase, meaning that you only need to pay once and have lifetime access.
Some of the features that come with the paid version include auto-backup, ruler and compass, yearly planners and journals, math conversion, stickers, themes, and more.
Also, once you pay that one-time cost, you can use the Notability app on all your iOS devices as long as they share the same Apple ID.
Also Read: Notion vs Airtable
OneNote
OneNote on the other hand is free to use. It is usually pre-installed on some Windows and Mac computers. You can also download it for free on Google Play Store and Apple Store
However, OneNote does unlock some premium features when you make your yearly or monthly Microsoft 365 subscription payments.
The pricing plans are divided into Family and Business. Under Family, you can either go for Microsoft 365 Family which costs $9.99 per month, or Microsoft 365 Personal which costs $6.99 per month.
The Family plan only accommodates a maximum of six people and each person can use the account on up to five devices at the same time. You’ll also get as much as 6 TB of cloud storage and share amongst yourselves.
Here’s a breakdown of the business plan:
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic – $6.00/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard – $12.50/month
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium – $22.00/month
- Microsoft 365 Apps for business – $8.25/month
This business plan is best suited for remote workers as it comes with features like email and calendaring, attendee registration and reporting tools, webinar hosting, advanced security features, and many more.
Check Out: ClickUp vs Notion
Notability vs OneNote – Pros and Cons
Pros and Cons of Notability
Pros
- Notability’s interface is simple and easy to use.
- It offers different note-taking features.
- Users can organize their notes in folders for easy recognition.
- It allows for recording and replaying audio files.
- Users can share their notes with their friends or teammates.
- Notes are automatically backed-up on iCloud.
- It allows students to annotate and mark their PDF documents.
Cons
- Notability is only limited to iOS and Mac devices.
- To enjoy the platform’s full features, you have to subscribe to the paid version.
Pros and Cons of OneNote
Pros
- OneNote works on different devices including Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, and even web browsers.
- The app is free to use.
- Users can take their notes in different media formats.
- It allows for collaboration between colleagues and teammates.
- Users can arrange their notes in sections or pages.
- The tag feature helps you to prioritize your tasks.
Cons
- OneNote has extensive features which can confuse users.
- The interface is not easy to navigate.
- The app usually encounters synching issues. Sometimes it can be slow or incomplete.
- The handwriting recognition feature is not usually accurate
Explore: Best Notion Alternatives
Notability vs OneNote – Similarities and Differences
| Notability | OneNote | |
| Ease of Use | Yes | No |
| Note-taking features | Yes | Yes |
| Sharing and collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Handwriting recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Math conversation | Yes | No |
| Different multimedia tools | Yes | Yes |
| Annotate and mark | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-backup | Yes | Yes |
| Available on all devices | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable toolbar | Yes | No |
| Pricing | Yes | No |
Final Verdict: Notability vs OneNote – Which is Better?
As you can see, Notability and OneNote primarily serve the same purpose but while Notability is fun and easy to use, OneNote appears complex and may end up posing a challenge to new users.
However, Notability has limited usage in that it can only serve iOS and Mac users whereas OneNote works across all devices. And though Notability has a free version, you’ll need to purchase the app to enjoy its premium features, whereas OneNote is free to use.
So, which is better? If you’re using an iOS or Mac device and have about $12 to spare, it’s best to go for Notability because of its intuitive interface and rich features. The app is very versatile as it serves students, teachers, music composers, film directors, and even kids interested in sketching.
However, if you don’t have a Mac or iPhone and you don’t mind the complex nature of OneNote, then you can go for it. After all, it’s free to use but the features are not as rich and exhaustive as Notability.
