Microsoft OneNote Going Free with Mac Launch Later This Month

onenote.jpgMicrosoft is working on a version of OneNote for the Mac that will debut later this month, claims The Verge. This release will expand the note-taking software beyond its roots as a paid desktop app for Windows users and will complement the mobile apps that exist on iOS and Android.

According to The Verge's report, Microsoft will drop the price on the note-taking app and release it for free to both OS X and Windows owners. The latest version of OneNote also may include companion web-clipper extensions that plug into popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. These plug-ins will make it easy for people to grab snippets from web pages and immediately share them with the OneNote app.

Microsoft hopes the price drop along with new web-clipping feature will make OneNote attractive to customers who currently use competing note-taking apps such as Evernote.

We understand that Microsoft will release the OneNote for Mac app for free, and the company is also planning to make the Windows desktop version available at no extra cost. This marks a significant change in the way Microsoft manages OneNote, unbundling it fully from the cost of Office. We’re told part of this free approach is targeted at competitors like Evernote, but Microsoft is also adding additional features to entice people away from the competition.

The launch of OneNote is part of a larger push by Microsoft into the Apple ecosystem. The company is rumored to be working on a new version of Office for the Mac that may debut later this year as well as Office for the iPad that allegedly is coming soon.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.1 With Liquid Glass Toggle, Slide to Stop Alarm, New Apple Intelligence Languages and More

Monday November 3, 2025 1:11 pm PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.1 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
Early Black Friday Deals 2

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Sunday November 2, 2025 10:04 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
Finder Siri Feature

Apple's New Siri Will Be Powered By Google Gemini

Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google. For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...

Top Rated Comments

Tiger8 Avatar
152 months ago
Microsoft is slowly starting to take the right steps.

Thank you. I am no Microsoft fan but I'm surprised with the general negative attitude on this boards towards them. I don't know why some are so blinded with their loyality to Apple, that they wish ill for all its competitors (Microsoft, Google, Samsung, HTC, LG, etc...). Competition is good, just ask AT&T/Verizon/Sprint customers how much the benefited from T-Mobile droping their prices, and Microsoft staying relevant, taking the right steps, is a good thing even for Apple users.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LagunaSol Avatar
152 months ago
Evernote Forever. Until the weasels at Google buy them up. (You know it's coming - how can they resist the opportunity to suck all that juicy personal data into their servers?) :(
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razeus Avatar
152 months ago
OneNote. The only MS product I use and care about.

Evernote is such a mess.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nikiaf Avatar
152 months ago
This is great. I much prefer OneNote to Evernote, but since I have an Apple laptop that I use at school, OneNote was pretty much out of the question.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aloshka Avatar
152 months ago
I think you can take that to the bank.

I'm not trying to be an MS advocate, but I think this is turning around. Their Remote Desktop for mac recently released, gets more updates, more polished, supports remotefx and faster than it's now 4-year old same-version windows counterpart.

I get that everyone hates Microsoft because they were the big guys back then and didn't care. They are no longer the big guys, they are under new management that doesn't seem to spit when they talk. Their software quality is going up as they are trying to get back into the market. I think anything that is new and wasn't made when Balmer was in charge may be really good. The entire apple division as an example.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crispy Duck Avatar
152 months ago
Now that's a nicely designed icon/logo.

Much better than the sparse Apple Notes icon.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)