OneNote vs Note Cargo: Which is better? (2026)
Microsoft OneNote is a free digital notebook app by Microsoft with rich media support and cross-platform access.
TL;DROneNote is a free digital notebook app with freeform layouts, handwriting support, and tight Microsoft 365 integration. Notes sync via OneDrive.
Note Cargo is self-hosted, stores plain Markdown files in your own S3/R2 bucket, and is optimized for Markdown-based notes.
OneNote wins on freeform layouts and handwriting support. Note Cargo wins on data ownership, Markdown support, and self-hosting.
18
Note Cargo wins
6
Tied
12
OneNote wins
Feature
OneNote
Note Cargo
Pricing
Starting price
Free
$4
Pricing model
Free
One-Time
Demo/Trial
Data & Privacy
You own your storage
Doesn't train on your notes
Open source
Sync All Devices
Device Theft Resistant
Unlimited Storage
Platform
Web app
Mobile app
Desktop app
Offline access
Bloated Features
MCP Support
Markdown & Portability
Markdown support
Export Data
Notes Linking
Codeblock
Collaboration
Real-time collaboration
Note sharing
Self-Hosting
Self-hostable
Low RAM usage
Modifiable code
No Database
Zero Dependency
Ready to switch to Note Cargo?
Self-hosted, Markdown-native, stored in your own S3/R2. One-time payment, no subscriptions.