# OneNote alternative: notes and reminders in WhatsApp

> A OneNote alternative for the quick notes and to-dos that need to come back at a set time. Kept in WhatsApp. Where OneNote is better, and how to use both.

Source: https://www.getmindie.app/alternatives/onenote (updated 2026-10-31)

## Messages to send Mindie
- A quick note: "Note: the projector remote is in the blue cupboard"
- A meeting nudge: "Remind me 15 minutes before the 2pm review"
- Find it: "Where is the projector remote?"

If you're looking for a OneNote alternative because your notebooks have grown into sections nobody opens, and the quick notes you needed are buried somewhere in them, Mindie keeps short notes, lists and reminders in a WhatsApp chat. You find them again by asking.

OneNote is a capable notebook, and for long-form notes it's the better tool.

## The short answer

- **Stay with OneNote if** you keep big notebooks for school, work or research, write by hand, or share notebooks with other people.
- **Try Mindie if** most of what you jot down is quick: a code, a name, a to-do with a date, and you want it to come back to you at the right time.

## At a glance

| | Mindie | OneNote |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | A WhatsApp chat | Apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web |
| How you add things | A sentence, voice note or screenshot | Type anywhere on a page, draw, record audio |
| Organising | Ask for it in your own words | Notebooks, sections, pages and tags |
| Reminders at a set time | Yes | Not its focus |
| Sharing | No, personal only | Shared notebooks |

## Where OneNote is better

OneNote gives you notebooks split into sections and pages, and each page is an open canvas where you can type anywhere, draw or write by hand. You can tag notes, add To Do tags to check items off, record audio notes, and search across everything. Notebooks are stored online, so they open on any of your devices or in a browser, and you can invite others to work in a shared notebook. It's free to download, with some extras tied to a Microsoft 365 subscription.

## Where Mindie fits

Mindie is a contact in your WhatsApp. You text it the way you'd text a friend ("pay rent on the 5th at 10am"), or send a voice note or a screenshot, and it replies with the time it understood. If you leave out a time, it asks. At the right moment it messages you in the same chat, and you reply to mark it done, snooze it or move it.

Notes work the same way. Text "the wifi password at the office is on the router, ask Dana" and Mindie saves it. Later, ask "what did I note about the office wifi?" and it finds it. A note can carry a reminder too, so the thing you wrote down comes back at the hour you need it.

## Using both

Keep OneNote for the long notes: lectures, research, meeting pages. Send Mindie the short things with a time attached. The two don't sync, so pick one home for each kind of note.

## Price

Mindie is free for 7 days with every feature. A card is saved at checkout, nothing is charged during the trial, and Mindie texts you two days before it ends. After that it's $9 a month or $90 a year, with a 7-day money-back guarantee on the first payment. Cancel any time by texting "cancel". See [pricing](/pricing) or [start your trial](/signup).

## FAQ

### Is Mindie a OneNote replacement?
Not for notebooks. Mindie has no sections, pages, handwriting or attachments. It's for short notes, lists and reminders you want to find or act on later.

### Does Mindie work with Outlook?
Yes. Mindie can add events to your Outlook calendar and tell you what's on, right from the chat.

### Can I share notes in Mindie?
No. Mindie's notes and lists are personal for now. OneNote's shared notebooks are the better fit for that.

### Can Mindie read a photo of a whiteboard?
It reads text in photos and screenshots, so a clear whiteboard photo can become a note or list. Check what it read, because messy handwriting can be misread.

### Can I use it next to OneNote?
Yes. Keep long notebooks in OneNote, and use Mindie for short notes and reminders from your phone.

## Related
- [WhatsApp notes](https://www.getmindie.app/features/whatsapp-notes)
- [Outlook calendar in WhatsApp](https://www.getmindie.app/features/outlook-calendar-whatsapp)
- [Evernote alternative](https://www.getmindie.app/alternatives/evernote)
- [Microsoft To Do alternative](https://www.getmindie.app/alternatives/microsoft-to-do)