Productivity · head to head
Microsoft OneNote vs OmniFocus 3
Microsoft OneNote
Productivity
Microsoft's free-form notebook, free with a Microsoft account and synced through OneDrive
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
OmniFocus 3
Productivity
Professional task management for complex workflows
- From
- $74.99/mo
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft OneNote has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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.; OmniFocus 3 apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft OneNote and OmniFocus 3 actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft OneNote | OmniFocus 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $74.99/mo |
| Pricing model | freemium | one-time |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows | MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web |
| Founded | 1975 | 1993 |
Identical on both: 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 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
Only in OmniFocus 3
- GTD-based task organization
- Projects and subprojects
- Contexts and tags
- Custom perspectives
- Automation
- Quick entry
- Sync across devices
- Deferred and due dates
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft OneNote
- Handwritten notes on a pen tablet that you still need to find months later by searching for a word you wrote.not OmniFocus 3
- Lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time.not OmniFocus 3
- A team already inside Microsoft 365 that needs a shared notebook without buying anything or seeking approval.not OmniFocus 3
- Collecting mixed material such as screenshots, clippings and sketches on one page, where a document editor would force a linear structure.not OmniFocus 3
OmniFocus 3
- Getting Things Done style task and project management on Apple devicesnot Microsoft OneNote
- Capturing tasks with contexts, defer dates and review cyclesnot Microsoft OneNote
- Syncing a personal task database across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Watchnot Microsoft OneNote
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
OmniFocus 3
- Apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
- Web access is not included with a perpetual licence and costs an extra $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year
- The Pro perpetual licence costs $149.99 against $74.99 for Standard
- Future major upgrades are a paid discount rather than free for perpetual licence holders
- The $99.99 per year subscription is the only option that bundles Pro plus web access
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft OneNote
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft OneNote review.
OmniFocus 3
$74.99/mo- Standard License$74.99/mo
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro access
- All 4.x updates included
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Pro License$149.99/mo
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro access
- All 4.x updates included
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Subscription (all platforms + web)$99.99/year
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, web access
- All Pro features
- Web-only Subscription$4.99/month
- Web access only
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose OmniFocus 3 if
- You need gtd-based task organization.
- You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
- You also want projects and subprojects.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft OneNote or OmniFocus 3 better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft OneNote starts at Free and OmniFocus 3 at $74.99/mo, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft OneNote or OmniFocus 3?
- Microsoft OneNote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft OneNote and $74.99/mo for OmniFocus 3.
- Does Microsoft OneNote or OmniFocus 3 run on more platforms?
- Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. OmniFocus 3 runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
- Can I use Microsoft OneNote for free?
- Yes. Microsoft OneNote has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OmniFocus 3 starts at $74.99/mo.
- What is Microsoft OneNote best used for?
- Microsoft OneNote is most often used for handwritten notes on a pen tablet that you still need to find months later by searching for a word you wrote., lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time., a team already inside microsoft 365 that needs a shared notebook without buying anything or seeking approval., collecting mixed material such as screenshots, clippings and sketches on one page, where a document editor would force a linear structure.. Of those, handwritten notes on a pen tablet that you still need to find months later by searching for a word you wrote. and lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time. are not what OmniFocus 3 is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft OneNote do that OmniFocus 3 cannot?
- Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Notebook hierarchy, Indexed handwriting, Audio recording. OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization, Projects and subprojects, Contexts and tags, Custom perspectives.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
OmniFocus 3: How much does OmniFocus cost?
OmniFocus offers perpetual licenses at $74.99 (Standard) or $149.99 (Pro) for one-time purchase, or subscriptions at $99.99/year for all platforms plus web, or $4.99/month for web-only access.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
OmniFocus 3: Does OmniFocus offer a free trial?
OmniFocus includes a 14-day free trial for download, and a 30-day money-back guarantee applies to perpetual licenses.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
OmniFocus 3: What platforms does a single OmniFocus license cover?
A single OmniFocus perpetual license includes access across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro.
SourceMicrosoft 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.
Related pages
More on Microsoft OneNote
More on OmniFocus 3
Other head to heads
- Microsoft OneNote vs Todoist
- Microsoft OneNote vs Things 3
- Microsoft OneNote vs Brain.fm
- Microsoft OneNote vs FigJam
- Microsoft OneNote vs Bear Notes
- Microsoft OneNote vs Samsung Food
- Microsoft OneNote vs Bluedot
- Microsoft OneNote vs Capacities
- Microsoft OneNote vs Kami
- Microsoft OneNote vs Google Workspace
- Microsoft OneNote vs Bring!
- Microsoft OneNote vs Akiflow
- Microsoft OneNote vs Any.do
- Microsoft OneNote vs Forest
- Microsoft OneNote vs HEY
- Microsoft OneNote vs Hubstaff
- Microsoft OneNote vs Mealime
- Microsoft OneNote vs Habitica
- Microsoft OneNote vs TickTick
- Microsoft OneNote vs Time Doctor
- Microsoft OneNote vs Tana
- Microsoft OneNote vs Bear
- Microsoft OneNote vs Canary Mail
- Microsoft OneNote vs Fastmail
- Microsoft OneNote vs Rows
- OmniFocus 3 vs Todoist
- OmniFocus 3 vs Things 3
- OmniFocus 3 vs Brain.fm
- OmniFocus 3 vs FigJam
- OmniFocus 3 vs Bear Notes
- OmniFocus 3 vs Samsung Food
- OmniFocus 3 vs Bluedot
- OmniFocus 3 vs Capacities
- OmniFocus 3 vs Kami
- OmniFocus 3 vs Google Workspace
- OmniFocus 3 vs Bring!
- OmniFocus 3 vs Akiflow
- OmniFocus 3 vs Any.do
- OmniFocus 3 vs Forest
- OmniFocus 3 vs HEY
- OmniFocus 3 vs Hubstaff
- OmniFocus 3 vs Mealime
- OmniFocus 3 vs Habitica
- OmniFocus 3 vs TickTick
- OmniFocus 3 vs Time Doctor
- OmniFocus 3 vs Tana
- OmniFocus 3 vs Bear
- OmniFocus 3 vs Canary Mail
- OmniFocus 3 vs Fastmail
- OmniFocus 3 vs Rows