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Productivity · head to head

Gamma vs Microsoft OneNote

Gamma logo

Gamma

Productivity

AI-powered presentation and document creation software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft OneNote logo

Microsoft OneNote

Productivity

Microsoft's free-form notebook, free with a Microsoft account and synced through OneDrive

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gamma free plan limited to 400 non-renewable credits, requiring paid plan quickly; Microsoft OneNote notes live in a proprietary notebook format on OneDrive or SharePoint and the only exports are a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document, produced section by section, so a large notebook is effectively unmovable to any other tool.
  • They diverge on capability: Gamma covers AI Slide Generation, Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gamma and Microsoft OneNote actually diverge.

Attributes where Gamma and Microsoft OneNote differ
AttributeGammaMicrosoft OneNote
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows
FoundedUnknown1975

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Gamma

  • AI Slide Generation
  • Advanced Image Models
  • Custom Branding
  • API Access
  • Custom Domains
  • Analytics
  • Studio Mode
  • AI Credits

Only in Microsoft OneNote

  • Free-form page canvas
  • Notebook hierarchy
  • Indexed handwriting
  • Audio recording
  • Web clipper and Outlook capture
  • Shared notebooks
  • Cross-platform clients
  • Tags and cross-notebook search

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Gamma

  • Rapid pitch deck creation for investor meetings and salesnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Generating report decks from company data and metricsnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Creating training and onboarding presentations automaticallynot Microsoft OneNote
  • Building product demos and case study presentationsnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Team collaboration on branded presentations with shared assetsnot Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote

  • Handwritten notes on a pen tablet that you still need to find months later by searching for a word you wrote.not Gamma
  • Lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time.not Gamma
  • A team already inside Microsoft 365 that needs a shared notebook without buying anything or seeking approval.not Gamma
  • Collecting mixed material such as screenshots, clippings and sketches on one page, where a document editor would force a linear structure.not Gamma

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Gamma

  • Free plan limited to 400 non-renewable credits, requiring paid plan quickly
  • Credit rollover capped at 2x monthly allocation, forcing month-to-month spending
  • Refund window limited to 3 days with usage thresholds restricting claims
  • Per-seat pricing on team plans increases costs for large organizations
  • Studio Mode limited to Ultra plan, restricting advanced editing to highest tier

Microsoft OneNote

  • Notes live in a proprietary notebook format on OneDrive or SharePoint and the only exports are a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document, produced section by section, so a large notebook is effectively unmovable to any other tool.
  • Personal notebooks consume OneDrive quota, which is 5 GB on a free Microsoft account, so a notebook full of scans, images and recordings quietly exhausts the whole account including the space Outlook needs for mail.
  • Sync happens at section level and conflicts are resolved by placing both versions on the page, so simultaneous edits to a large or media-heavy section produce duplicated content that somebody has to merge by hand.
  • Search behaves differently across clients, so what the Windows desktop app finds inside handwriting, images and attachments is not necessarily what the browser or mobile version finds, and the same query gives different answers on different devices.
  • There is no relational structure, no database and no properties, so anything that needs a table of records with fields has to be maintained by hand or moved elsewhere, and OneNote's own tables cannot be queried or filtered.

Pricing, plan by plan

Gamma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 400 AI credits (one-time, non-renewable)
    • Up to 10 cards per prompt
    • Basic AI
  • Plus$12/month
    • 1,000 AI credits per month
    • Up to 20 cards per prompt
    • Badge removal on exports
  • Pro$25/month
    • 4,000 AI credits per month
    • Up to 50 cards per prompt
    • Premium AI models
  • Ultra$100/month
    • 20,000 AI credits per month
    • Up to 75 cards per prompt
    • Most advanced AI models

Microsoft OneNote

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft OneNote review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Gamma if

  • You need ai slide generation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want advanced image models.
Gamma review

Choose Microsoft OneNote if

  • You need free-form page canvas.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want notebook hierarchy.
Microsoft OneNote review

Questions people ask

Is Gamma or Microsoft OneNote better?
Neither clearly leads. Gamma starts at Free and Microsoft OneNote at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gamma or Microsoft OneNote?
Gamma starts at Free and Microsoft OneNote at Free.
Does Gamma or Microsoft OneNote run on more platforms?
Gamma runs on Web, iOS, Android. Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use Gamma for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Gamma best used for?
Gamma is most often used for rapid pitch deck creation for investor meetings and sales, generating report decks from company data and metrics, creating training and onboarding presentations automatically, building product demos and case study presentations. Of those, rapid pitch deck creation for investor meetings and sales and generating report decks from company data and metrics are not what Microsoft OneNote is typically brought in for.
What can Gamma do that Microsoft OneNote cannot?
Gamma covers AI Slide Generation, Advanced Image Models, Custom Branding, API Access. Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Notebook hierarchy, Indexed handwriting, Audio recording.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Gamma: How do Gamma AI credits work?

Each plan includes a monthly AI credit allowance. Free users receive 400 one-time credits. Plus plan includes 1,000 monthly credits, Pro includes 4,000 monthly credits, and Ultra includes 20,000 monthly credits. Unused credits roll over up to 2x the monthly allowance.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: Is OneNote really free?

Yes. The application is free with a Microsoft account, with no time limit and no feature gate. What you may end up paying for is the OneDrive storage the notebooks consume.

Gamma: What is included in the Free plan?

The Free plan includes 400 AI credits (one-time), up to 10 cards per prompt, basic AI, Gamma branding on output, and 7-day change history.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: Can I keep notebooks off Microsoft's cloud?

The Windows desktop app can keep local notebooks, but they will not sync to other devices and any shared access requires OneDrive or SharePoint.

Gamma: What payment and refund options does Gamma offer?

Gamma offers a 3-day refund window for monthly plans if you have used less than 10-20 percent of your monthly credits depending on the plan.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: How do I get my notes out?

Section by section as a OneNote file, a PDF or a Word document. A OneNote package preserves a whole notebook but only for another copy of OneNote. Third-party converters exist and the page layout usually does not survive them.

Gamma: How much do Team and Business plans cost?

Team plans cost $20 per seat per month with a minimum of 2 seats, including 6,000 AI credits per seat. Business plans cost $40 per seat per month with a minimum of 10 seats, including 10,000 AI credits per seat.

Source
Microsoft OneNote: Which version should I install?

Microsoft consolidated onto a single OneNote application on Windows after retiring the Store version, so install the one distributed with Microsoft 365 rather than looking for an alternative.

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