Microsoft OneNote Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Microsoft OneNote costs Free to Free per month as of November 2026, with 2 plans available including a free tier. Plan: Free (free). Custom pricing is available on request. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Microsoft OneNote offers 2 pricing tiers: Free, Included in Microsoft 365. The Included in Microsoft 365 plan is teams already on microsoft 365.
Yes, Microsoft OneNote offers a forever free plan as of November 2026. The free tier lists 2 features. Limits apply to users and projects. Pricing verified from 2 sources by CostBench.
Microsoft OneNote's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- Free with a Microsoft account
- Web, desktop and mobile apps
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan |
|---|---|
| Users | 1 |
| Projects | Unlimited notebooks |
| Storage | 5GB |
- 5GB OneDrive storage limit shared with all OneDrive files
- No offline mobile access without a Microsoft 365 subscription
- Limited collaboration features
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- Storage exceeds 5GB shared OneDrive limit
- Offline mobile access is needed
- Full Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is required
- Advanced collaboration features are needed
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Mobile offline access requires an active Microsoft 365 subscription — not available on the free plan
- OneDrive is effectively required for reliable sync; local-only storage leads to persistent issues per user reports
- Some advanced formatting and integration features are exclusive to Microsoft 365 versions
- Exporting data out of OneNote and OneDrive is subject to bandwidth throttling per user reports
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
You only need basic note-taking with less than 5GB of storage and do not require offline mobile access.
You Need Paid If...
You need more than 5GB storage, offline mobile access, or want the full Microsoft Office suite.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Microsoft OneNote free?
Yes, Microsoft OneNote offers a forever free plan. It includes free with a Microsoft account, web, desktop and mobile apps. Key limits: Users: 1, Projects: Unlimited notebooks, Storage: 5GB.
02 What's included in Microsoft OneNote's free plan?
Microsoft OneNote's free plan includes: Free with a Microsoft account, Web, desktop and mobile apps. Key limits: Users: 1, Projects: Unlimited notebooks, Storage: 5GB.
03 What's NOT included in Microsoft OneNote's free plan?
Free plan limitations: 5GB OneDrive storage limit shared with all OneDrive files; no offline mobile access without a Microsoft 365 subscription; limited collaboration features.
04 When should I upgrade from Microsoft OneNote's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: storage exceeds 5GB shared OneDrive limit; offline mobile access is needed; full Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is required. The cheapest paid plan starts at $0/month.
05 Is Microsoft OneNote's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Microsoft OneNote's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
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