Productivity · head to head
Microsoft OneNote vs Remember The Milk
Microsoft OneNote
Productivity
Microsoft's free-form notebook, free with a Microsoft account and synced through OneDrive
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; Remember The Milk interface looks dated compared to modern task managers
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Remember The Milk covers Smart lists.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft OneNote and Remember The Milk actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft OneNote | Remember The Milk |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Founded | 1975 | 2004 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows), 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 Remember The Milk
- Smart lists
- Location reminders
- Task sharing
- Advanced search
- Subtasks
- Google Calendar
- Outlook
- Evernote
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 Remember The Milk
- Lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time.not Remember The Milk
- A team already inside Microsoft 365 that needs a shared notebook without buying anything or seeking approval.not Remember The Milk
- Collecting mixed material such as screenshots, clippings and sketches on one page, where a document editor would force a linear structure.not Remember The Milk
Remember The Milk
- Schedulingnot Microsoft OneNote
- Appointment bookingnot Microsoft OneNote
- Time trackingnot Microsoft OneNote
- Resource managementnot Microsoft OneNote
- Team coordinationnot 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.
Remember The Milk
- Interface looks dated compared to modern task managers
- Limited mobile app features compared to desktop version
- No advanced project management features like Gantt charts or timeline views
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft OneNote
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft OneNote review.
Remember The Milk
Free- FreeFree
- Task creation and organization
- Basic reminders
- List sharing
- Pro$39.99/year
- All free features
- Advanced sorting
- Attachments
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 Remember The Milk if
- You need smart lists.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- You also want location reminders.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft OneNote or Remember The Milk better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft OneNote starts at Free and Remember The Milk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft OneNote or Remember The Milk?
- Microsoft OneNote starts at Free and Remember The Milk at Free.
- Does Microsoft OneNote or Remember The Milk run on more platforms?
- Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. Remember The Milk runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Microsoft OneNote for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Remember The Milk is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft OneNote do that Remember The Milk cannot?
- Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Notebook hierarchy, Indexed handwriting, Audio recording. Remember The Milk covers Smart lists, Location reminders, Task sharing, Advanced search.
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.
Remember The Milk: Is there a free version of Remember The Milk?
Yes. Remember The Milk is free to download and use with core features like task creation, lists, reminders, and basic sharing. A Pro subscription at $39.99 annually unlocks advanced features like advanced sorting, attachments, and Apple Watch support.
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.
Remember The Milk: What devices and platforms does Remember The Milk support?
Remember The Milk is available across desktop, mobile, web, and wearable platforms with native applications, ensuring tasks remain synchronized across all devices.
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.
Remember The Milk: Can I share tasks with others in Remember The Milk?
Yes, Remember The Milk allows you to share lists and assign tasks to others to coordinate work and get things done faster.
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.
Remember The Milk: Does Remember The Milk integrate with other apps?
Yes, Remember The Milk integrates natively with Gmail, Google Calendar, Evernote, and Zapier, allowing you to capture tasks from multiple sources.
SourceRelated pages
More on Microsoft OneNote
More on Remember The Milk
Other head to heads
- Microsoft OneNote vs Todoist
- Microsoft OneNote vs OmniFocus 3
- 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 Alfred
- Microsoft OneNote vs Spark Mail
- Microsoft OneNote vs Supernormal
- Microsoft OneNote vs Focus@Will
- Microsoft OneNote vs Mimestream
- Microsoft OneNote vs Gamma
- Microsoft OneNote vs Granola
- Microsoft OneNote vs Habitica
- Microsoft OneNote vs iA Writer
- Microsoft OneNote vs Lazy
- Microsoft OneNote vs LibreOffice
- Remember The Milk vs Todoist
- Remember The Milk vs OmniFocus 3
- Remember The Milk vs Things 3
- Remember The Milk vs Brain.fm
- Remember The Milk vs FigJam
- Remember The Milk vs Bear Notes
- Remember The Milk vs Samsung Food
- Remember The Milk vs Bluedot
- Remember The Milk vs Capacities
- Remember The Milk vs Kami
- Remember The Milk vs Google Workspace
- Remember The Milk vs Bring!
- Remember The Milk vs Akiflow
- Remember The Milk vs Any.do
- Remember The Milk vs Forest
- Remember The Milk vs HEY
- Remember The Milk vs Hubstaff
- Remember The Milk vs Mealime
- Remember The Milk vs Alfred
- Remember The Milk vs Spark Mail
- Remember The Milk vs Supernormal
- Remember The Milk vs Focus@Will
- Remember The Milk vs Mimestream
- Remember The Milk vs Gamma
- Remember The Milk vs Granola
- Remember The Milk vs Habitica
- Remember The Milk vs iA Writer
- Remember The Milk vs Lazy
- Remember The Milk vs LibreOffice