For years, OneNote was my trusted companion for capturing thoughts and managing projects. Its features made it feel like an extension of my mind. But as my work became more complex and confidentiality became crucial, I craved a tool that offered control, clarity, and a sense of ownership.

That's when I discovered Outline, a powerful open-source alternative designed for team knowledge management but surprisingly efficient for personal use. It checked all my boxes—privacy, aesthetics, features, and accessibility.

Modern Aesthetic and Seamless Collaboration

Outline dazzled me with its sleek, modern design. Unlike OneNote’s sometimes cluttered interface, Outline is refreshingly clean and user-friendly. It streamlines note-taking, making the experience beautiful and efficient.

Performance-wise, Outline is a game changer. While OneNote can feel sluggish, especially with large notebooks, Outline boasts lightning-fast page loads and almost instantaneous search capabilities. Navigating through my notes has never felt so fluid.

The editing experience in Outline is fantastic, featuring slash commands and Markdown support that make inserting tables, task lists, and multimedia a breeze.

Powerful Organization Tools

Outline excels in organization. My collections—ranging from work projects to personal notes—are clearly laid out, with each collection providing a high-level overview for easy navigation.

The flexibility of adding nested documents, pinning them for quick access, and marking favorites makes managing vital information easy. This is something I often struggled with in OneNote's rigid structure.

Templates to Streamline Your Workflow

Although Outline doesn't support third-party templates, it allows users to create custom templates. I've designed a Meeting Note template with structured headings, making it easy to keep track of discussions and action items. However, accessing these templates could be smoother, as it requires going through the settings.

Integration with Popular Tools

One standout feature of Outline is its integration with tools I rely on daily, such as Slack and Figma. Unlike OneNote, which felt isolated, Outline allows for seamless communication across platforms.

The true power kicks in with Zapier integration—an automation tool that connects various web applications, allowing me to create automated workflows that supercharge my productivity.

The Power of Open Source

The most compelling reason behind my switch is Outline’s open-source nature, combined with self-hosting capabilities. Unlike OneNote, my notes aren’t stored in a third-party cloud—Outline runs directly on my server, giving me complete control over my data.

Setting it up, especially using Docker, was surprisingly easy, making the transition seamless.

Ready to Ditch OneNote?

Once I got Outline up and running, I realized my days with OneNote were over. This unexpected switch transformed my note-taking experience. If you're frustrated with OneNote, I highly recommend giving Outline a shot. It might just fill the gap you didn't know you had!