OneNote vs. Obsidian: Which note-taking app is better? (2024)

OneNote and Obsidian are two of the most popular note-taking tools. While OneNote has been around for decades with rich text editing and collaboration, Obsidian is a newcomer and aims to disrupt the productivity space with linked notes, graphs, canvas, and plugins. But which program is better? Let’s compare them based on several factors to help you pick an ideal note-taking solution for your laptop.

Cross-platform availability

Obsidian and OneNote are both available on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac. Obsidian even supports Windows on ARM and has a native Linux app (something that OneNote misses out on).

OneNote is accessible on the web and has extensions for popular browsers like Chrome, Edge, Vivaldi, and more. Whichever app you choose, you won’t have a hard time accessing your notes across your various devices.

User interface and customization

OneNote hasn’t changed its user interface much in the last few years. When it comes to customization, you can only switch between dark and light themes. Overall, it sticks with a tried-and-tested setup, and will be easy to use by new and existing OneNote users alike.

Obsidian recently received a UI overhaul, and it looks much more modern now. You can switch between dark and light themes and even change the accent color from Settings.

There is also a dedicated Themes menu where you can browse dozens of themes created by community members. You can change the entire look of the app, including icons, text style, and more, with a single click.

Text editor and notes organization

OneNote comes with a standard text editor where you can access all the options from the top toolbar. The organization of notes is also quite straightforward, with notebooks, sections, sub-sections, and pages. If you are moving from a physical notebook to OneNote, you should feel right at home with Microsoft’s approach.

Obsidian uses a markdown-based editor, which is quite powerful but requires a bit of a learning curve. That said, the company did a solid job of simplifying the text editor. You can simply right-click on a note and explore text editing options. You also have the option to bookmark your favorite notes for quick access, something which OneNote lacks.

As for managing notes, you can create different vaults, then add folders and sub-folders to them. However, switching between vaults isn’t seamless; it uses different app windows, which is not intuitive at all.

OneNote vs. Obsidian: Features

Both Obsidian and OneNote have their unique strengths in the features department.

Let’s start with OneNote.

Microsoft 365 integration

OneNote’s seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps shouldn’t come as a surprise. OneNote uses OneDrive to sync your notes, and lets you import and check Outlook calendar details and create Outlook tasks. If you use the Outlook email app on the desktop, send your important emails to OneNote with a single click.

Support for math equations

Support for math equations is one of the reasons behind OneNote’s soaring popularity in the education sector. It supports addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (* or X), division (/), percent (%), and exponentiation (^).

Drawing tools

Thanks to stylus support and a bunch of drawing tools, OneNote is a joy to use on 2-in-1 Windows devices and tablets. You can utilize different pens, highlighters, shapes, and more to jot down your notes in style.

With different paper styles and colors, you can truly replicate your physical notebook in OneNote.

Other useful OneNote features include a web clipper to save information from the web, Copilot AI assistant to draft new notes or summarize existing ones, audio recording, immersive reader, templates, and more.

Now, let’s see how Obsidian differs from and one-ups OneNote.

Knowledge graph

The ability to visualize your connected notes via graphs is the USP of Obsidian. You can link your existing notes by typing [[enter note name]] to create a unique knowledge graph in your vault. Once you connect relevant notes, head to graph view and check out the relationship between your notes.

Plugins

Plugins really set Obsidian apart. The default Obsidian setup may look bland or boring to some, but the plugins will make it shine. For example, you can enable the slash (/) command plugin to access all the text editing and core Obsidian features by typing /. The Publish, Properties, and Workspaces plugins are also useful in specific workflows.

Additionally, you can explore more plugins created by the Obsidian community. You can enable advanced tables, kanban boards, tasks, calendars, and more features by integrating plugins from the community gallery.

Canvas

Canvas is basically a Microsoft Whiteboard right inside Obsidian. You can include cards, notes, and media, then insert arrows to connect them. It’s all about flexibility. It comes quite in handy if you enjoy a blank infinite canvas to organize your thoughts and ideas.

Split tabs and multi-tabs support

Obsidian supports split tabs and multi-tabs, which can be a huge productivity booster on large desktops. You no longer need to switch between different tabs from the sidebar. It’s 2024, and OneNote still doesn’t let you open two notes side-by-side.

Obsidian vs. OneNote: Pricing

Here’s where it gets interesting. Both OneNote and Obsidian are completely free to download and use. However, the devil is in the details. OneNote uses the OneDrive platform to sync notes across other devices. OneDrive has 5GB of free storage, after which you need to pay for one of the Microsoft 365 plans to unlock more space.

Obsidian offers a couple of premium add-ons. The Sync add-on costs $5 per month, while the Publish add-on is $10 monthly. You can check the Obsidian pricing page to learn more.

Start taking notes like a pro

Although OneNote and Obsidian are note-taking tools on the surface, both have different approaches to creating a productive workflow. OneNote has better Microsoft 365 integration, drawing tools, and web extension. Obsidian marches ahead with linked notes, knowledge graphs, canvas, and a robust plugin library. It’s entirely up to your note-taking style and preferences to pick one solution over the other. As for me, I’m enjoying my transition from OneNote to Obsidian.

Check our separate guide if you want to explore more modern tools to replace your OneNote setup.