Which free OneNote app should I use on Windows? desktop app vs. store

OneNote is simply the best free digital note taking app Quick and Dirty Guide to Perfect Digital Note Taking Quick and Dirty Guide to Perfect Digital Note Taking Learn how to take notes the right way. Here are some of the most effective tips for becoming a digital note-taking pro. Read more . As soon as it became 100% free in early 2015, OneNote is now truly free with more features than before OneNote is now truly free with more features than before Evernote no longer rules the heap of note-taking apps. Microsoft recently announced that OneNote would be freer than ever. Let us show you what this means in terms of features and functionality. Read More

I Know Some People Prefer Evernote Over OneNote Evernote Over OneNote:Which Note-Taking App Is Right For You? Evernote vs. OneNote:Which Note-Taking App Is Right For You? Evernote and OneNote are amazing note-taking apps. It is difficult to choose between the two. We compare everything from the interface to the organization of notes to help you choose. What works best for you? Read More The Best Evernote Alternatives You Need Today The Best Evernote Alternatives You Need Today Has Evernote's recent price increase and two-device restriction for the free plan affected your note-taking workflow? So, it's time to take another look at some of the best Evernote alternatives. Read More If you want to take advantage of your money, there is no better option..

If you're on Windows, you may have noticed that there are two versions of apps available. Confused by Windows app terminology? Confused by Windows app terminology? Have you ever wondered what the difference is between an app, a program or a piece of software? Or whether the Windows app is Metro, Modern, Universal, or Simple? You're not alone. Let's clear things up! Read More:The OneNote 2016 Standalone Desktop Application and the OneNote app in the Windows Store . Read on to find out which one you should use.

Interface:elegant vs full

The Windows Store app is often criticized for being nothing more than a "stripped down" version of the standalone app, and you'll feel that the moment you first launch it, the interface is extremely minimal.

But I don't see that as a bad thing.. The aesthetic of OneNote 2016 is more consistent with the aesthetic of the other programs in Microsoft Office 2016, while the appearance of the OneNote Windows Store app is more in line with other Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps.

The funny thing is that I actually prefer the simplified version of the interface. It has most of the same formatting actions as OneNote 2016, but fits them all in less space. I'm also a fan of the modern flat look.

Notice how I said that more Of the formatting actions are shared. The OneNote Windows Store app is missing four important things:non-paragraph styles such as headings, bullet styles, the ability to clear formatting, and the formatting painter (to copy formatting elsewhere).

Drawing options are also a bit more limited in the Windows Store app, but the interface is much easier to navigate if you're taking notes with something like a Surface Pro tablet and smartpen Surface Pro 4 review Surface review Pro 4 Yes Looking for a flexible portable hybrid capable of replacing your iPad or Android tablet and laptop, the Surface Pro 4 Core M3 is a perfectly suitable replacement. Read more . It's a tradeoff between flexibility and productivity.

The good news is that both apps have the same organizational capabilities (notebooks, sections, pages, and subpages), but the bad news is that the Windows Store app doesn't support selecting multiple notes to move/copy/delete notes in bulk. .

Also, when you first launch the OneNote Windows Store app, it will appear with the “Recent Notes” monitor. Don't panic if it seems too chaotic and disorganized. Simply switch to a notebook by right-clicking on a note and selecting Go to Note Location or by selecting a notebook from the side menu.

All in all, it's obvious that the OneNote Windows Store app was designed specifically for mobile devices. Again, that's not a bad thing! Just something to keep in mind, depending on how and where you intend to use OneNote.

Features:simplified vs. complete

This is where the reviews that “OneNote Windows Store app is too small.” It really shows its validity. I'm not saying the Windows Store app is unusable, but you won't get access to some of OneNote's best features 7 Popular OneNote Features You'll Love 7 Little-Known OneNote Features You'll Love OneNote is 100% free and packed with advanced features. Let's take a look at some of the ones you may have missed. If you're not already using OneNote, these may beat you to it. Read more.

Let's start with the advanced features that are actually shared between the two versions.

• Both apps support multiple accounts and exchange. I never use this feature because I only have a single Microsoft account, but it's useful if you have, say, a personal account and a work account.
• Both apps support internal linking so you can click the text to go to another page, section, or notebook How to Create Your Own Wiki with OneNote How to Create Your Own Wiki with OneNote A wiki is a great way to share and store large amounts of information. And we'll show you how you can easily create a wiki with OneNote. Read more . However, OneNote 2016 also supports links to a specific paragraph while the Windows Store app does not.
• Both applications support the following embeds: Tables, camera photos, file photos and attachments in general. However, OneNote 2016 supports much more:online photos, screen clippings, audio and video recordings, as well as mathematical equations How to write mathematical equations in Office 2016 How to write mathematical equations in Office 2016 Need to put a mathematical equation in a Microsoft Word document? Here's how to make sure you look perfect, every time. Read more and symbols.
• Both apps support the following note tags: To do, important, question and criticism. OneNote 2016 comes with dozens of other useful labels Why Every OneNote User Needs to Start Using Labels Right Now Why Every OneNote User Needs to Start Using Labels Right Now Custom labels are a subtle and easy-to-overlook feature, but when used correctly they can propel your organization AND productivity to new heights. Read more and the possibility to create your own labels..

Unfortunately, that's pretty much it in terms of similarities. Now it's time to move on to all the extra features that are only available in OneNote 2016.

• Only OneNote 2016 has a quick access bar. The Quick Access Bar is located in the title bar of OneNote and allows you to add/remove buttons for frequently used actions, and is surprisingly useful for productivity How to customize Microsoft Office 2016 to suit your needs How to customize Microsoft Office 2016 to suit your needs The default settings rarely meet the needs of every user. Here are five easy tweaks that let you tailor Microsoft Office 2016 to your preferences. Read more.
• Only OneNote 2016 has page templates. We have a complete guide on how to create and use page templates How to use OneNote templates to be more organized How to use OneNote templates to be more organized OneNote is a great way to keep your ideas organized, and templates can make the process easier. even easier. Learn how to use, edit and create your own templates with this guide. Read More
• Only OneNote 2016 has taken notes. The attached note-taking feature can be a bit polarizing, but when used well, it can really increase your note-taking efficiency. This feature can make OneNote more productive than Evernote. This feature can make OneNote more productive than Evernote. Choosing between OneNote and Evernote can be difficult, but here's a feature that can sidetrack you forever. Read More
• Only OneNote 2016 can hide authors. When two or more users collaborate on a note, each change is marked by who made it. You can't hide these marks in the Windows Store app, which can be a pain in larger notes.
• Only OneNote 2016 has page version history. The Version History of a page shows you a history of the edits made to a given page and who made those changes.

Settings:Gutted vs. Flexible

In terms of customization, OneNote 2016 demolishes the OneNote Windows Store app in almost every aspect. To be fair, this is pretty much true in all cases where you're comparing a desktop app vs. a Windows Store app Desktop vs. Windows Store Apps:Which Should You Download? Desktop vs. Windows Store Apps:Which Ones Should You Download? In Windows 10 and 8.1, you can download and install desktop apps from the web, or you can get an app from the Windows Store. We explore the differences between the desktop and the store... Read More .

But in the case of OneNote, the difference is massive. Vast. Awesome Whereas the desktop version lets you play around with all sorts of options, the Windows 10 version has next to nothing.

When you open the Settings menu, you see seven submenus, but only two of them lead to settings you can actually change:Options submenu and the Trust Center submenu The other five submenus are for information only.

In the Options submenu, you can only adjust three things:whether to automatically sync notebooks, whether to automatically sync files and images in notes, and which notebook you want to use for Sticky Notes.

Under the Trust Center submenu, you can only adjust two things:whether to send personal information to Microsoft to make improvements to OneNote, and to allow Microsoft to provide "locally relevant content."

That is literally! How embarrassing.

On the other hand, with OneNote 2016 you get a wide variety of settings, both big and small, that you can tweak to your liking.

Some of the most important settings include:Where to save and back up notes How to never lose a note in your OneNote notebooks How to never lose a note in your OneNote notebooks OneNote is so good that it's hard to lose anything, even if you try. Let us show you how OneNote handles notebooks, how backups are managed, and how you can restore even deleted notes. Read More

If you're looking for the ability to customize your note-taking experience, the OneNote Windows Store app isn't an option in my opinion. This is how the options are missing..

Not even close:OneNote 2016 wins

OneNote 2016 is the “best” app – there's absolutely no debate about it, but that doesn't mean the OneNote Windows Store app is useless. It exists for those who don't have as many notes and prefer a simpler interface.

Here's our rundown:If you want something like Evernote, go with OneNote 2016. If you want something like Google Keep, go with the OneNote Windows Store app.

On a desktop, we strongly recommend OneNote 2016. Note that we once said you should NOT buy Office 2016. Don't buy Office 2016! Here's why you don't need it Don't buy Office 2016! Why don't you need it? Should you buy the standalone suite version of Office 2016? We make our case for why we think you shouldn't and show you what you can do instead. Read More

What version(s) of OneNote are you using and why? Tell us what you love and/or hate about OneNote in the comments below. We want to hear from you!