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Microsoft's OneNote note-taking app is free — here's how to download it on any device

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OneNote is entirely free. Mapodile/Getty Images
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OneNote is a notebook, a scrapbook, a whiteboard, and a pad of Post-It notes, all rolled into one program. If you spend a lot of time working on your computer, and you're looking for a program to help you get organized, OneNote might be for you.

However, OneNote is technically part of Microsoft 365, along with programs like Word and Excel. And while all these programs are useful, they can be incredibly expensive.

So this begs the question: how much does it cost to use Microsoft OneNote?

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Apple Macbook Pro (From $1,299.00 at Apple)

Acer Chromebook 15 (From $179.99 at Walmart)

iPhone 11 (From $699 at Apple)

Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $699.99 at Walmart)

Microsoft Office (From $149.99 at Best Buy)

OneNote is free to download and use

Unlike other Microsoft programs, you never have to pay anything for OneNote. This is true no matter what kind of device you have — Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, or Android.

OneNote 1
OneNote makes it easy to compile pictures, handwritten or typed notes, and other media into one easy-to-access place.  Steven John/Business Insider

On a PC, you can download OneNote for free from the Microsoft Store. On a Mac, it'll be in the Apple App Store. 

No matter which computer you use, head to OneNote's website, click "Free Download," and you'll be brought to the download page.

onenote free 3
You can download OneNote by itself, or as part of Microsoft 365.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

On an iPhone or iPad, you can find the mobile OneNote app in the App Store. There's even a version available for Apple Watches.

On an Android, head to the Google Play Store to download it.

If you want to get OneNote alongside programs like Word and Excel, you can buy Microsoft 365 for $69.99 a year. This comes with all of Microsoft's famous Office apps, including OneNote.

And if your PC came with Microsoft 365 built-in, you likely already have OneNote installed.

 

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Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.