A OneNote alternative for notes you need to remember
OneNote is a good place to keep notes. Breef is made for what comes after: your notes link into one map of the course, come back for review just before you’d forget, and quiz you.
Why students try Breef instead
Less time hunting through notebooks, more time knowing what’s in them.
Reviews, built in
Every note comes back after 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days, and more often as an exam nears, with nothing to set up.
Links, not just pages
Link notes with [[double brackets]] across courses: every note shows what links to it, and Knowledge draws the whole map.
Lectures, written up
Record a lecture in a note, on any device, and Breef writes it up into sections and key points, with the transcript underneath.
Bring your pages
Export OneNote pages as Word or PDF files and drop them in: Breef writes them up as linked notes, ready to review.
Breef and OneNote, side by side
| Feature | Breef | OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| How you write | In partTyped notes that format as you go, with formulas, images and files | YesType, draw or handwrite anywhere on an open page |
| Spaced review | YesEvery note comes back after 1, 3, 7, 21, 60 and 120 days | NoNot built in |
| Quizzes from your notes | YesThree questions from each due note; 10 new quizzes a month free | In partCopilot study guides with flashcards and quizzes, for school and work accounts on Windows |
| Lecture recording | YesRecords a lecture and writes it up into sections and key points | In partRecords audio beside your notes on Windows; transcription with Microsoft 365 |
| Links between notes | YesLinks both ways, and a map of every note and link | In partLinks to pages and paragraphs, and [[ ]] links once turned on; no backlinks |
| Organising | YesProjects for courses, subjects to colour them, and search across everything | YesNotebooks, sections and pages, with search that reads handwriting |
| Working with others | In partShare a note or a course as a page anyone with the link can read; no editing together | YesShared notebooks edited in real time, and Class Notebooks for schools |
| Apps and offline | In partIn the browser on any computer or phone, and installable as an app | YesWindows, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android and the web, with notebooks kept for offline use |
| Price | YesFree to start; Pro is €6 a month or €48 a year | YesFree; Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 plans |
What’s said here about other apps comes from their own websites, as of October 2026, and may have changed since.
Where OneNote is stronger
Every app makes trade-offs. These are the ones Breef makes.
- Handwriting and drawing anywhere on the page, beside typed text.
- Apps for almost every device, with notebooks you can open offline.
- Shared notebooks edited together in real time, and Class Notebooks for teachers.
- Free with a Microsoft account, its notebooks kept in your OneDrive storage.
Other OneNote alternatives worth a look
Breef isn’t for everyone. Depending on what you need, one of these may suit you better.
Notion
For a workspace of pages and databases shared with a team or a study group.
Evernote
For capturing everything, from web pages to scans, and finding it again with search.
Goodnotes
For handwriting with a stylus on a tablet, and marking up PDFs.
Obsidian
For linked notes kept as Markdown files on your own device, free.
Joplin
For open-source notes with end-to-end encrypted sync, on computers and phones.
Moving from OneNote
Breef doesn’t read OneNote’s own files. In OneNote for Windows, export a page or a section as a Word document or a PDF (File › Export); on a Mac, an iPad or the web, save pages as PDFs. Drop them into Breef and each is written up as linked notes you can review, counted against the month’s pages: 50 on the free plan, 2,000 with Pro. Handwriting alone has no text to read, so typed pages come across best.
Questions
Can I import my OneNote notebooks?
Not OneNote’s own files. Export pages or sections as Word documents or PDFs and drop them into Breef: 50 pages a month free, 2,000 with Pro.
Can I share notes with classmates?
To read, yes: share a note or a whole course, and anyone with the link can read it and save a copy to their own Breef. Editing together isn’t possible.
Does Breef work offline?
Breef runs in the browser and needs a connection. If working offline matters most, OneNote is the better fit.
How much does it cost?
Free to start, with reviews, linking and your map free for good. Pro is €6 a month or €48 a year.
More comparisons
Start with one note.
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