Productivity · head to head
Microsoft OneNote vs Streaks
Microsoft OneNote
Productivity
Microsoft's free-form notebook, free with a Microsoft account and synced through OneDrive
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Streaks
Productivity
iOS habit tracker sold as a one-time purchase, not a subscription
- From
- $5.99/one-time
- 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.; Streaks it is iOS and Apple Watch only, with no Android version, so it is not usable for anyone outside Apple's ecosystem.
- They diverge on capability: Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Streaks covers Streak tracking.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft OneNote and Streaks actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft OneNote | Streaks |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $5.99/one-time |
| Pricing model | freemium | One-time purchase |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows | iOS |
| Founded | 1975 | Unknown |
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 Streaks
- Streak tracking
- Apple Health integration
- Apple Watch app
- Flexible scheduling
- Widgets
- iCloud sync
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 Streaks
- Lecture or meeting notes where a recording needs to line up with what you were typing at the time.not Streaks
- A team already inside Microsoft 365 that needs a shared notebook without buying anything or seeking approval.not Streaks
- Collecting mixed material such as screenshots, clippings and sketches on one page, where a document editor would force a linear structure.not Streaks
Streaks
- Someone wanting a simple visual habit tracker without recurring subscription feesnot Microsoft OneNote
- A person wanting habits like step count or sleep to auto-complete via Apple Health datanot Microsoft OneNote
- An Apple Watch user wanting to log habits without pulling out a phonenot Microsoft OneNote
- Someone tracking a mix of daily and weekly recurring to-dos in one placenot 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.
Streaks
- It is iOS and Apple Watch only, with no Android version, so it is not usable for anyone outside Apple's ecosystem.
- The base app caps at 24 tracked habits, which is enough for most users but a real limit for anyone wanting to track a larger number of items.
- Sync is via iCloud only, so there is no web or cross-platform account, which limits use to Apple devices exclusively.
- It has fewer social or accountability features, such as shared habit tracking with friends, compared with some subscription-based competitors.
- A single lifetime purchase means no ongoing development revenue tied to the individual user, so it depends on new sales and occasional priced major updates rather than recurring income to fund development.
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft OneNote
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft OneNote review.
Streaks
$5.99/one-time- Streaks$5.99/one-time
- Full app, no subscription
- Up to 24 tracked habits
- Apple Watch app included
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 Streaks if
- You need streak tracking.
- You work on iOS.
- You also want apple health integration.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft OneNote or Streaks better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft OneNote starts at Free and Streaks at $5.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft OneNote or Streaks?
- Microsoft OneNote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft OneNote and $5.99/one-time for Streaks.
- Does Microsoft OneNote or Streaks run on more platforms?
- Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. Streaks runs on iOS.
- Can I use Microsoft OneNote for free?
- Yes. Microsoft OneNote has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Streaks starts at $5.99/one-time.
- 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 Streaks is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft OneNote do that Streaks cannot?
- Microsoft OneNote covers Free-form page canvas, Notebook hierarchy, Indexed handwriting, Audio recording. Streaks covers Streak tracking, Apple Health integration, Apple Watch app, Flexible scheduling.
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.
Streaks: Is Streaks a subscription?
No, it is a one-time App Store purchase, currently priced around 5.99 USD, with no recurring fee.
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.
Streaks: Does it work on Android?
No, it is iOS and Apple Watch only.
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.
Streaks: Does it integrate with Apple Health?
Yes, habits tied to metrics like steps or sleep can auto-complete based on Apple Health data.
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.
Related pages
More on Microsoft OneNote
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