Microsoft OneNote
authentic ratingOnce a benchmark multi-platform tool, it has degraded: sync breaks regularly, search does not show progress, and the mobile version is generations behind the desktop. People with 10-20 years of history write that their patience has run out.
42real score
4.71store star
1,048,312ratings
About the rating
84% five-stars at a real textAvg of 3.1: a huge gap. In the sample there are 10 one-stars and 10 two-stars against 9 five-stars: people write reviews when something breaks. No signs of inflation: criticism is specific, detailed, and from long-term users.
Strengths
What users love
- The notebook-section-page hierarchy lets you store years of varied material in one place. Real-time collaborative editing works without friction. Switching between handwriting and typed text on the same page is rare and valued.
Weak spots
What users hate
- Sync hangs and conflicts: users lose recent edits and are forced to resolve collisions manually. Search does not index parts of content and shows no progress indicator. On Mac the app is effectively non-functional for a noticeable portion of users.
Who it is for
Microsoft 365 ecosystem users who need a shared knowledge base with colleagues on Windows. A solo user on Apple devices is better off looking elsewhere.
Screenshots
