Microsoft OneNote Online
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
OneNote Online is free, mature, and a solid fit for students, educators, and Microsoft 365 shops needing flexible notes and web clipping.
New check
Comparison
Microsoft OneNote Online vs Obsidian
Microsoft OneNote Online lands on Worth it, and Obsidian lands on Depends.
Obsidian
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it if you're an individual who wants a powerful, private, local-first knowledge base and will invest time learning it.
| Compare | Microsoft OneNote Online | Obsidian |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Depends |
| Best for | Students and educators | Personal knowledge bases |
| Who it's not for | Markdown and plain-text minimalists | Teams needing shared, out-of-box collaboration |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; Windows 10 app support is ending, so avoid outdated versions.³ | Private, local-first design with third-party audits, but the plugin ecosystem has attracted real malware abuse. |
| Support quality | Official forum questions left unresolved | No direct support-quality evidence found. |
| Public sentiment | Users value free cross-device capture and Microsoft 365 integration but report web editing failures and look for alternatives elsewhere.⁴ | Users love the flexibility and adaptability but frequently flag the steep learning curve, and some long-time fans are drifting away.11 |
| Biggest gotcha | Notes live in OneDrive; leaving Microsoft means manual export and reformatting | Malicious plugins have been abused to deploy malware; vet third-party plugins carefully. |
Pick Microsoft OneNote Online when
- Students and educators
- Microsoft 365 organizations
- Web clipping and meeting capture
- Cross-device personal notebooks
When Microsoft OneNote Online is not a fit
- Markdown and plain-text minimalists
- Teams wanting database-style project tracking
- Linux users . no native client
- Anyone avoiding Microsoft/OneDrive lock-in
Pick Obsidian when
- Personal knowledge bases
- Privacy-focused note takers
- Writers and researchers linking ideas
- Markdown and plugin tinkerers
When Obsidian is not a fit
- Teams needing shared, out-of-box collaboration
- Casual users who just jot quick notes
- Anyone wanting a polished, zero-setup experience
- Orgs expecting hands-on vendor support
Sources
- Microsoft OneNote goes mainstream after long adolescencetechtarget.comnews
- Microsoft OneNote, the online note-taking tool, is now freeblog.en.uptodown.comnews
news
review
review
- Microsoft OneNote Online Certification Errorlearn.microsoft.comreview
- Perceived Effectiveness and Student Satisfaction With ... - PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govreview
- McClone Construction Case Studymicrosoft.comofficial
- Microsoft 365 - Student IT @ UniMelbstudentit.unimelb.edu.auofficial
- Obsidian Review . PCMagpcmag.comreview
- Obsidian Reviews . G2g2.comreview
- Obsidian Reviews . Capterracapterra.co.nzreview
- Obsidian Review 2026 . Lindylindy.aireview
- Obsidian: the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly . Original Mac Guyoriginalmacguy.comreview
- I've Grown Tired of Obsidian . MPU Talktalk.macpowerusers.comreview
- Obsidian Pricingobsidian.mdofficial