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Productivity · head to head

Microsoft OneNote vs Tana

Microsoft OneNote logo

Microsoft OneNote

Productivity

Free digital note-taking application for all devices

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tana logo

Tana

Productivity

The everything app for your personal workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft OneNote full-featured OneNote requires a paid Microsoft 365 subscription (from $9.99 per month for Personal); the standalone free version is web and mobile only; Tana the free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft OneNote covers Digital notebook with sections and pages, Tana covers Outliner interface.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Microsoft OneNote and Tana differ
AttributeMicrosoft OneNoteTana
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWeb, IOS, Android, MacOS, WindowsWeb, Desktop
Founded19752020

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 Microsoft OneNote

  • Digital notebook with sections and pages
  • Rich text formatting
  • Drawing and handwriting
  • Image and file attachments
  • Web clipper
  • Cross-platform sync
  • Collaboration and sharing
  • Search functionality

Only in Tana

  • Outliner interface
  • Supertags
  • Live queries
  • AI integration
  • Graph views
  • Email capture
  • API
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Microsoft OneNote

  • Productivitynot Tana
  • Collaborationnot Tana
  • Task managementnot Tana
  • Organizationnot Tana

Tana

  • Structured note taking with a graph based supertag data modelnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Automatic meeting capture with AI transcripts and summariesnot Microsoft OneNote
  • Turning notes into queryable structured databasesnot Microsoft OneNote

Where each one falls short

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

Microsoft OneNote

  • Full-featured OneNote requires a paid Microsoft 365 subscription (from $9.99 per month for Personal); the standalone free version is web and mobile only

Tana

  • The free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • The free plan connects only 1 calendar and allows 50 AI queries
  • Pro is $30 per user per month at standard price, with $20 shown as an early bird rate
  • Max is $120 per user per month at standard price, with $80 shown as an early bird rate
  • Integrations and full MCP require the Pro plan
  • Dedicated support and onboarding, and unlimited agents, skills and types, require the Max plan
  • The Business plan is custom priced, billed yearly and has no published rate
  • The free trial runs 30 days

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft OneNote

Free
  • OneNoteFree
    • Unlimited free notes
    • Cross-device sync
    • Collaboration

Tana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core features
    • Supertags
    • Searches
  • Pro$10/month
    • Advanced AI
    • Priority support
    • Extended history

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft OneNote if

  • You need digital notebook with sections and pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want rich text formatting.
Microsoft OneNote review

Choose Tana if

  • You need outliner interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want supertags.
Tana review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft OneNote or Tana better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft OneNote starts at Free and Tana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft OneNote or Tana?
Microsoft OneNote starts at Free and Tana at Free.
Does Microsoft OneNote or Tana run on more platforms?
Microsoft OneNote runs on Web, IOS, Android, MacOS, Windows. Tana runs on Web, Desktop.
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 productivity, collaboration, task management, organization. Of those, productivity and collaboration are not what Tana is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft OneNote do that Tana cannot?
Microsoft OneNote covers Digital notebook with sections and pages, Rich text formatting, Drawing and handwriting, Image and file attachments. Tana covers Outliner interface, Supertags, Live queries, AI integration.
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Related pages

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