Microsoft OneNote vs xTiles

by Gralio Mar 10, 2025

OneNote and xTiles cater to different organizational preferences. OneNote excels as a traditional note-taking app within the Microsoft environment, while xTiles shines with its visual, card-based system for flexible project management and brainstorming.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 3326 reviews and 51 websites, saving 18 hours, 54 minutes of reading.

Microsoft OneNote

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xTiles

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About

Microsoft OneNote is a versatile digital notebook for capturing, organizing, and sharing your thoughts and information. It's a free, cloud-based app that allows you to create notes, store files, and collaborate with others. OneNote integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, making it a convenient tool for individuals and teams already using the Microsoft suite.

xTiles is a visual workspace that helps you organize your ideas and projects. It uses a flexible, card-based system that allows you to arrange information, notes, and media in a way that makes sense to you. xTiles allows you to embed images, videos, and links, making it suitable for brainstorming, planning projects, or creating presentations. It is designed to be simple and easy to use, even for non-technical users.

Summary

Main difference

Microsoft OneNote is a robust note-taking application deeply integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem, ideal for users heavily reliant on Microsoft products. xTiles offers a more visual and flexible approach to organizing information, appealing to users who prefer a customizable and less structured workspace.

Relative strengths of Microsoft OneNote (compared to xTiles)

Strong integration with Microsoft products: Seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft apps and services, enhancing workflow for users already within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Cross-platform availability: Supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, ensuring accessibility across various devices.
Free version available: Offers a free version with ample features for basic note-taking needs, providing a cost-effective solution for individual users.

Relative weaknesses of Microsoft OneNote (compared to xTiles)

Less visual organization: Compared to xTiles, OneNote's interface is less visually intuitive and flexible, potentially hindering creative brainstorming and project planning.
Limited free-form note-taking: While offering flexibility, OneNote's free-form note-taking can sometimes feel less organized than xTiles' card-based system.
Occasional syncing issues: Some users have reported occasional syncing problems, which can disrupt workflow and data consistency.

Who should use Microsoft OneNote VS. xTiles

Microsoft OneNote is a versatile digital notebook ideal for students, professionals, and teams. Users appreciate its ease of use and integration with other Microsoft applications, especially for daily tasks and interactive discussions. Some users have reported syncing issues and occasional difficulties with table creation. OneNote is praised for its note-taking, organization, and sharing capabilities across various devices.

xTiles is a versatile visual workspace perfect for individuals and teams seeking to organize ideas and projects. Its flexible, card-based system allows users to manage tasks, create freeform pages, and visualize projects in various formats. xTiles is designed for users who value visual organization, collaboration, and productivity, aiming to replace multiple apps with a single, intuitive platform.

Ideal for businesses of all sizes (1-1000+ employees).
Particularly well-suited for Education and Professional Services.

Ideal for businesses of all sizes (1-1000+ employees).
Suitable for diverse industries and use cases.

Microsoft OneNote and xTiles features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Freeform pages

Supported

OneNote allows freeform pages with diverse content like notes, checklists, links, images, and files.

Supported

XTiles supports creating flexible pages with diverse content using drag and drop.
Task management with list and calendar views

Partially supported

OneNote supports tasks via lists and integrates with Outlook for calendar view.

Supported

xTiles supports task management with list and calendar views. Direct note to task conversion is not confirmed.
Project management views: Table, Kanban, Calendar, Card

Not supported

OneNote does not natively offer Table, Kanban, Calendar, and Card views, but provides alternative project organization tools.

Supported

xTiles supports Table, Kanban, Calendar, and possibly Card views.
Note organization

Supported

OneNote supports organizing notes into notebooks, sections, and pages.

Partially supported

xTiles seems to support some form of note organization, but it is not explicitly confirmed whether it specifically allows notes to be organized into notebooks, sections, and pages.
Cross-platform support

Supported

OneNote supports notes on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android through cloud syncing.

Partially supported

xTiles supports iOS and offers cross-platform access, but support for Windows, Mac, and Android is not explicitly confirmed.
Windows support

Supported

OneNote syncs notes to Windows computers via cloud storage like OneDrive.

Supported

Notes can be accessed on Windows via web or Chrome extension.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.11

Neutral sentiment

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

+0.92

Strongly positive sentiment

No data
Reliability and Performance

+0.13

Neutral sentiment

No data
Ease of Implementation

+0.27

Neutral sentiment

No data
Scalability

+0.09

Neutral sentiment

No data

Microsoft OneNote and xTiles Pricing

Microsoft OneNote is free to use and available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and web. It is also included in Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.11

See full Pricing page

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for xTiles.

Microsoft OneNote and xTiles review insights

3326 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Its a very easy to use and implement app and can be integrated easily with other microsoft applications.
It has multiple features such as taking notes, sharing the same with others, interactive discussions.
creating a to do list, organising pages into sections etc.
I use it quite often for my day to days tasks.

No data

Users dislike

Syncing problem happens.
Having some Issues while creating tables sometimes.
It is a versatile software but it may take some time to understand to use all features.

No data

Microsoft OneNote and xTiles Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(1813)
Capterra

4.6/5

(1502)

G2

5.0/5

(11)

Company health

Employee growth

3% increase in the last year

42% increase in the last year

Web traffic

11% decrease in the last quarter

No change in the last quarter

Financing

No data

How important is deep integration with the Microsoft product suite?

Deep integration with the Microsoft product suite is very important if the user is already heavily reliant on Microsoft products for their workflow. Microsoft OneNote offers this seamless integration, which can be a significant advantage. xTiles, while not mentioning specific Microsoft integration, positions itself as a versatile tool potentially capable of integrating with various platforms, though the extent of that integration is not detailed. Therefore, for users prioritizing a tight integration with Microsoft tools, OneNote has a clear advantage.

Which product better supports visual brainstorming and project planning?

xTiles is better suited for visual brainstorming and project planning. Its flexible, card-based system and support for various project management views (Table, Kanban, Calendar, Card) promote visual organization and planning. While OneNote is excellent for note-taking and information capture, its strength lies in individual organization rather than collaborative, visual project planning. xTiles' features are specifically designed for brainstorming and project visualization, making it the more suitable choice for this purpose.

What are the advantages of Microsoft OneNote?

OneNote's advantages include seamless integration with other Microsoft products, making it convenient for users already within the Microsoft ecosystem. It offers cross-platform support (Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android) and a free-form note-taking interface allowing flexible note placement. Users appreciate its ease of use and implementation, along with features like note organization, sharing, and to-do lists. Being a free, cloud-based app also lowers the barrier to entry for individuals and teams.

What are the disadvantages of Microsoft OneNote?

OneNote's freeform note-taking, while flexible, can make organizing and searching information challenging for some users. It has been known to have occasional syncing issues, which can lead to data loss or inconsistencies across devices. While integrated with the Microsoft suite, it lacks robust integration with other popular non-Microsoft platforms. Finally, some users find its extensive features overwhelming and require a significant time investment to master.

Alternatives to Microsoft OneNote and xTiles

Evernote

Evernote is a note-taking software designed to help you capture and organize information. You can use it to write notes, save documents, scan images, record audio, and clip web content. Evernote allows you to access your information from various devices, even offline. Its powerful search function helps you quickly locate specific notes, including handwritten text within images. Evernote aims to provide a centralized platform for managing your thoughts, projects, and tasks.

Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace platform designed to help teams organize information, manage projects, and collaborate effectively. It centralizes notes, documents, tasks, and databases, making it easy for teams to access and share information. Notion allows users to customize their workspace with templates and integrations and offers AI features for writing assistance and information retrieval. It aims to be a flexible solution that adapts to various work styles and replaces the need for multiple single-purpose tools.

Trello

Trello is a visual project management tool that helps teams organize tasks and collaborate more effectively. Using boards, lists, and cards, teams can easily track progress on projects, from simple to-do lists to complex workflows. Trello offers a high level of customization with features like templates, integrations with other popular apps, and no-code automation. Its intuitive interface makes it easy for anyone to use, regardless of technical skill. Trello offers various pricing plans to suit different team sizes and needs, including a free plan for small teams.

Evernote Teams

Evernote Teams helps businesses organize information and work together more efficiently. It provides a central location for storing notes, documents, and files, making it easy for team members to access and share information from any device, even offline. With powerful search and integration capabilities, teams can quickly find what they need and streamline their workflow.

Outline

Outline is a digital note-taking app that works on Apple devices. You can organize information into notebooks, similar to a physical notebook. Outline lets you import and export Microsoft OneNote files and store your notes on your computer or in popular cloud storage services like Dropbox and iCloud.

Zoho Notebook

Zoho Notebook is a versatile note-taking application suitable for individuals and businesses. It allows you to create and organize notes in various formats, including text, checklists, audio recordings, images, and files. Zoho Notebook sets itself apart with its focus on visual organization and user-friendly interface. It seamlessly syncs across multiple devices, ensuring your notes are always accessible and backed up. The software is free to use, with no ads, and prioritizes data privacy.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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