A OneNote alternative that imports your notebooks
Export a notebook from OneNote for Windows or on the web, then drop the file in. Text, tables, images and files come across.
At a glance
- Try it
- Import one notebook in your browser, with no account.
- Arrives as
- Sections as folders, and each page as a thread.
- Your export
- Read in your browser. With Sync on, the imported notes then sync to your account.
- Plan
- Free Plus adds Sync. Pro adds AI, sharing and full connections.
Which one fits you
Stay with OneNote if
- you write by hand or draw with a pen;
- you place text and pictures anywhere on a page;
- you already work in Microsoft 365, and OneDrive syncs your notebooks for free;
- you want Microsoft’s AI inside your notes.
Try ThreadPage if
- your project is spread over sections and pages, and you can’t see what came last;
- you want each project’s notes in date order, the newest last;
- you work on Linux, or in a browser with no Microsoft account;
- you want your notes as Markdown you can take anywhere.
Which export works for your notebook
Checked 7 November 2026 on Microsoft’s support pages.
| How to export | You get | |
|---|---|---|
| A personal Microsoft account | OneNote on the web: right-click the notebook, then Export notebook | A ZIP |
| OneNote for Windows | File → Export, then Notebook and OneNote Package | A .onepkg file |
| A work or school account | OneNote for Windows; the web export covers personal OneDrive only | A .onepkg file |
| OneNote on a Mac or a phone | Microsoft gives no notebook export here, so use the web or Windows | – |
Sources: support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/export-and-import-onenote-notebooks
What comes across from OneNote
| In ThreadPage | |
|---|---|
| A section | A folder |
| A page | A thread |
| Text, tables, images, files | Come across in the note |
| Handwriting | An image, with the text OneNote recognized under it |
| Password-protected sections | Not imported |
| Where things sat on the page | Not imported |
ThreadPage and OneNote, side by side
Checked 7 November 2026 on Microsoft’s support pages and on ThreadPage’s own.
| ThreadPage | OneNote | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone; works offline | Better: Apps on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android; the web |
| To start | Better: No account needed | A Microsoft account |
| Price | Free; Plus with 1 GB for $3.99 a month | Better: Free, with your OneDrive storage |
| Sync | With Plus or Pro, across your devices | Better: Free through OneDrive |
| A project is: Even | A thread of dated notes, with a status | A notebook of sections and pages |
| In a note | Checklists, tables, images, files up to 2 GB; recordings, transcribed with Pro | Better: Free-form pages, ink, tables, files |
| Sharing: Even | With Pro, a thread or folder; invitees join free | A notebook, to view or edit, through OneDrive |
| Assistants | Better: MCP with Pro, only the threads you choose | No official MCP server found |
| Built-in AI: Even | AI editing and speech recognition with Pro | Microsoft’s AI, with a paid Microsoft 365 licence |
| Getting a note back: Even | Trash; with Plus or Pro, versions up to 90 days | Deleted notes, for 60 days |
| Taking notes out | Better: All notes, as Markdown or Evernote files | A notebook from OneNote for Windows or the web; PDF |
Sources: support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/what-s-the-difference-between-the-onenote-versions, support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/onenote-help-and-learning/recover-deleted-notes, support.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/export-and-import-onenote-notebooks
Where OneNote is better
- A page is a free canvas: you put text, ink and pictures anywhere.
- It takes handwriting and drawing with a pen.
- It’s free with a Microsoft account, and OneDrive syncs it across your devices.
- It has apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android.
Questions
Does my handwriting come across?
Yes, as an image, with the text OneNote recognized in it under the image, so search finds your handwritten words.
My notebooks are on a work account. Can I still move them?
Yes, through OneNote for Windows: its OneNote Package export works where the web export doesn’t. Check your employer’s rules on copying work notes first.
Do I need a Microsoft account afterwards?
No. Once your notebooks are exported, ThreadPage needs no Microsoft account and no account of its own to start.
Limits
- There’s no drawing or pen input.
- Search finds a file by its name, not by the text inside it.
- On Free, your notes stay in one browser, and clearing its site data removes them, so export a backup now and then.
- One browser holds up to 20,000 notes, or 5,000 on an iPhone or iPad, on every plan. An import that would pass that doesn’t start.
OneNote, Microsoft, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, Evernote, Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Linux are the names of their owners. ThreadPage is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Start with one thread.
Free in your browser. No account needed to start.
Project notes: one running log per project
Keep notes, tables and screenshots with each project. Before you switch, leave the next step in its thread. When you return, the context is there.
Free nothing to set upA lab notebook your script fills in
Every run arrives with its parameters, table and plot. Your chapters link to the run behind each claim.
Pro results from a script