Microsoft Whiteboard vs OneNote: Which One to Use for Note Taking

Quick Findings

• Both services are similar and will require a Microsoft account to log in.
• While OneNote provides a structured approach to information, Whiteboard is a freeform canvas.

Availability

First, both platforms require a Microsoft account to function regardless of the platform you use. OneNote is accessible on any platform, be it Windows, Android, iOS, web, or Android Wear.

Whiteboard also has rich availability and may be used on Windows, Android, iOS, and the web. It’s also available as a Microsoft Teams integration.

User Interface

The Whiteboard has an infinite canvas. There is no start, end, or even any margins. You can start writing anywhere on it.

The toolbar at the bottom of the interface offers a variety of pens, highlighters, sticky notes, shapes, and other drawing tools.

On Microsoft Teams, the Whiteboard interface has a back button at the top-left corner that provides access to all your whiteboards, and the settings button is on the right. However, on the stand-alone app, you get a Whiteboard icon, which returns you to your board list.

Since OneNote is a full-fledged note-taking tool, you get a lot. On the left side lie the folders, with various menus at the top. The main writing area is on the right side, where even though the canvas is infinite, it has a starting point and a left margin.

While the Whiteboard app works with a mouse and keyboard, it is designed for touch and pen usage. For instance, one can insert things such as a table or a shape in OneNote, which needs to be drawn in the case of a Whiteboard. Similarly, since the canvas is infinite in Whiteboard, the zoom-in and out functions work well, letting you write your data anywhere.

Better Organization

Yes, a whiteboard is infinite, but that doesn’t mean you cannot have more than one. You can create several whiteboards for different purposes. But there is no categorization. All of them are available on a single screen.

What makes OneNote different from the rest of the note-taking apps and Whiteboard is that it offers folders. You can categorize your notes not only in folders but also in subfolders. The notebooks rest at the top, followed by sections and then pages inside each section.

Media Support

In OneNote, you can add numerous kinds of data besides the usual text and drawing. For instance, tables, pictures, online videos, links, audio, stickers, and even files such as PDFs. You can clip photos from the web, too. The app also lets you add to-do items. And it even converts and solves math formulas.

While the Whiteboard lets you add sticky notes, it is limited to images, text, and drawings. However, as mentioned earlier, you can also add shapes and tables. But you need to draw them to add them to the Whiteboard. It will be converted automatically if the required options (Ink to shape and Ink to table) are enabled in the settings. Both also offer Ink-to-text conversion.

Drawing Features

At first glance, their drawing features will seem the same. Both applications have enough variety that should suffice for most drawings you will do. The only noticeable difference is that the OneNote pens offer additional customization by letting you pick any color on a spectrum.

Collaboration

Interestingly, both apps let you add participants and collaborate with others. The changes made by all users will be reflected in real time.

Office 365 for Whiteboard is the only one supporting the collaboration features. You need at least one Office 365 subscription. The same isn’t true for OneNote. All regular users can collaborate in the same notebook.

OneNote has a more detailed version history. You can revert to older versions when needed, which is a nifty feature for seeing how a document has evolved. OneNote also offers more granular control over collaborator permission settings.

Similarities and Differences between OneNote and Whiteboard

Feature	OneNote	Whiteboard
Primary Function	Real-time with a Microsoft account	Real-time collaboration, brainstorming
Collaboration	Real-time with Microsoft account	Real-time with Microsoft account (basic), advanced features with Office 365 subscription
Offline Access	Yes	No (needs internet for real-time collaboration)
Drawing Tools	Pens, highlighters, shapes	Pens, highlighters, shapes
Color Options	Variety of preset colors, custom color selection possible	Variety of preset colors
Version History	Comprehensive version history	Limited version history
Permissions	Granular control over collaborator permissions	Basic permissions for collaborators
Organization	Sections, subsections, page tags	Limited organization options
Additional Features	Multi-window view, text & media integration, search, accessibility features	Infinite canvas, ink-to-shape conversion
Customization	More options for page customization	Limited page customization
Learning Curve	Real-time with a Microsoft account	Simpler interface, easier to learn quickly
Best For	Individual note-taking, organization, research	Collaborative brainstorming, mind mapping, visual organization