I used OneNote and Samsung Notes side-by-side for a month; I have a clear winner for you

15 Jul 2026, 12:30 by Parth Shah · Android Police

OneNote has been part of my productivity setup for years, but Samsung Notes kept pulling me back with its polished interface, excellent handwriting tools, and tight Galaxy integration.

Instead of switching between them based on the task, I decided to use both apps side by side for an entire month.

After a month of real-world use, one of them fit my daily workflow far better than the other.

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By Parth Shah

I used both OneNote and Samsung Notes the same way

I wanted this comparison to reflect how I actually take notes, so I used OneNote and Samsung Notes for the same tasks throughout the month.

I created article outlines, added notebooks and folders in each, wrote meeting notes, planned personal projects, imported PDFs, added screenshots, and tested handwritten notes whenever possible.

I also used both apps for quick ideas, longer reference notes, checklists, and information I needed to find later.

That made it easier to spot where each app felt faster, more flexible, or unnecessarily complicated.

Samsung Notes feels faster and cleaner

Samsung Notes immediately felt faster and cleaner in daily use.

The interface is polished, the menus are easy to understand, and the editor never feels overloaded with unnecessary options.

I could open the app, create a note, and start typing or writing within seconds.

Even when I added images, checklists, voice recordings, or handwritten sections, the app remained smooth and responsive.

I also liked how Samsung keeps most formatting tools neatly arranged without crowding the screen.

OneNote, by comparison, often felt heavier on my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, with more menus and a layout that seemed better suited to a desktop.

OneNote is better for complex organization

OneNote pulled ahead whenever my notes became more complex.

Its notebook, section, page, and subpage structure made it easier for me to separate article research, personal projects, meeting notes, and reference material without creating a cluttered list.

I could dedicate an entire section to one project and keep every related page neatly grouped inside it.

OneNote also gives me more practical privacy controls.

Instead of locking sensitive pages individually, I can password-protect an entire section and secure all the pages stored inside it at once.

Microsoft limits password protection to sections, but that approach still feels far more convenient for large collections.

Samsung Notes lets me lock individual notes, which works well for a few private entries, but becomes repetitive when I need to protect an entire category of information.

Samsung Notes handles PDFs and handwriting brilliantly

Samsung Notes has become my preferred app whenever I need to work with PDFs.

I can import a document directly into the app, highlight important lines, add handwritten comments, insert text, and mark up specific sections without switching to a separate PDF editor.

This was especially useful for research papers, contracts, product documents, and drafts that needed quick feedback.

The annotation tools felt smooth and properly integrated into the editor rather than added as an afterthought.

OneNote can also store PDFs and display printouts, but Samsung Notes gave me a much more natural editing experience.

Handwriting is another area where Samsung Notes won comfortably for me.

The S Pen experience felt fast, precise, and close to writing on paper. I could switch between pens, highlighters, colors, and thickness levels without breaking my flow.

OneNote also offers solid inking tools, but Samsung Notes feels far more optimized for Galaxy hardware.

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OneNote wins at cross-platform availability

OneNote easily wins when it comes to cross-platform availability.

I can access my notebooks on Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, and the web, which makes it far easier to continue working regardless of the device in front of me.

Samsung Notes feels excellent on my Galaxy phone and tablet, and I can also use it on Windows, but the experience falls apart when I move outside Samsung’s experience.

I use a MacBook regularly, and there is no proper Samsung Notes app or convenient web version for me to open my notes there.

Samsung Notes nails quick capture and Gemini integration

Samsung Notes nails quick capture for me.

With the Screen off memo, I can remove the S Pen and start writing immediately without unlocking my Galaxy phone or opening an app first.

It is perfect for phone numbers, article ideas, and random thoughts that would otherwise disappear in seconds.

Gemini integration makes the experience even more useful.

I can ask Gemini to create a note, save information directly to Samsung Notes, summarize an existing note, or find a specific detail buried in my collection.

OneNote does not feel quite as immediate on my phone. I usually rely on Microsoft Sticky Notes for quick snippets.

My workflow picked a clear winner

Samsung Notes has several obvious advantages.

It feels faster, handles PDFs brilliantly, offers a far better handwriting experience, and makes quick capture effortless.

Despite all of that, OneNote is still the clear winner for me because of two things: cross-platform availability and stronger organization.

Samsung Notes can’t match the flexibility. However, if you mainly take notes on a Samsung phone or Galaxy tablet, there is hardly any competition.

For me, OneNote wins this comparison, but the right choice depends entirely on your devices and workflows.