Galaxy owners get this choice preloaded: Samsung Notes came with the phone, and OneNote comes with the Microsoft account most of us have anyway. Both are free, both are competent, and both answer the "who can read my notes" question the same disappointing way.
This is the head-to-head on privacy specifically, in the same format as our Samsung Notes vs Google Keep comparison. Feature depth, S Pen latency, and canvas layouts are covered to the extent they affect where your words end up, and no further. Disclosure: I build Scrib, an encrypted offline notes app for Android and Windows. I will keep this factual, including where each app is the better tool.
The Short Answer
On default settings it is a privacy tie: both are vendor-readable. Samsung Notes syncs to Samsung Cloud, encrypted in transit and at rest, with Samsung holding the keys. OneNote notebooks live in OneDrive, encrypted in transit and at rest, with Microsoft holding the keys. In both cases the vendor can technically decrypt your notes, a valid legal request can reach them, and whoever takes over your account reads everything. The long versions are in our Samsung Notes audit and OneNote audit.
Off defaults, OneNote pulls ahead on one feature: password-protected sections, which encrypt section content with a key derived from your password. Samsung Notes' lock feature hides notes behind your device lock; it is an access gate on the phone, not separate encryption with a key only you hold. If you actually move sensitive content into protected sections, OneNote is the more private of the two. Almost nobody does.
| Privacy question | Samsung Notes | OneNote | Scrib |
|---|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted? | No | Only protected sections | Yes, on-device |
| Who holds the key | Samsung | Microsoft (you, in protected sections) | You |
| Account required | Samsung (Microsoft optional) | Microsoft | None |
| Real encrypted lock | No, device-lock gate | Yes, per section | Yes, plus hidden vault |
| Cloud copy exists | Samsung Cloud (and OneDrive if linked) | OneDrive/SharePoint | No |
| Platforms | Galaxy devices mainly | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, web | Android + Windows (Desktop) |
The OneDrive Twist
Here is the detail that collapses the "Samsung vs Microsoft" framing. Samsung and Microsoft have an ecosystem partnership, and Samsung Notes offers to connect your Microsoft account so notes sync to OneDrive and surface in the OneNote feed on your Windows PC. Handy on a Galaxy Book. But flip that switch and your Samsung notes now exist on two companies' servers, both readable by their respective vendors.
People choose Samsung Notes thinking they are keeping Microsoft out of their notes, or choose OneNote thinking they are keeping Samsung out. With the integration on, you get both companies, both privacy policies, both legal-request surfaces, and two account-takeover perimeters. If you have ever tapped through Samsung's "connect to Windows" prompts, it is worth checking what is already syncing.
Where Each App Actually Wins
Samsung Notes wins on the pen. S Pen handwriting, low latency, handwriting-to-text, and quick notes off the lock screen are genuinely good, and if you own a Galaxy device with a stylus there is no better scratchpad. The catch is reach: it is built for Samsung hardware, and the Windows app exists mainly to serve Galaxy Book owners.
OneNote wins on reach and structure. Real apps on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and the web, notebooks with sections and pages, Office integration, and the protected-sections feature. If your notes are work-adjacent and travel across devices, OneNote is the more capable tool.
Neither wins on privacy, because both are architected around a vendor-held cloud copy. Samsung's history adds a data point: confirmed breaches in 2019 and 2022, including source code theft by the Lapsus$ group, the same record we cover in the Samsung Notes audit. Microsoft runs a larger, heavily attacked account system with its own long incident history. Pick either and your notes are one phished password from a stranger's browser.
Which Should You Pick
Galaxy owner, S Pen user, nothing sensitive in your notes: Samsung Notes. Turn on two-factor authentication for your Samsung account, and skip the Microsoft integration unless you truly need notes on your PC.
Multi-device life, Windows PC at the center, notes that are work-flavored: OneNote. Secure the Microsoft account with two-factor authentication, and put anything sensitive in a password-protected section with a password you use nowhere else.
Anything you would not want a stranger reading: neither. Both apps put a readable copy on servers you do not control. Keep the private slice in an app where the key never leaves your hands: Scrib on your phone, Scrib Desktop on your PC, or Standard Notes if you need end-to-end encrypted sync between them.
Common Questions
Is OneNote more secure than Samsung Notes?
On the core question, no: neither is end-to-end encrypted, so Samsung holds the keys to synced Samsung Notes and Microsoft holds the keys to OneNote notebooks. OneNote has one real advantage: password-protected sections are genuinely encrypted with your password. If you use that feature for sensitive content, OneNote edges ahead. If you use both apps on defaults, they are equivalent.
Does Samsung Notes sync with OneNote?
Yes, optionally. Samsung's Microsoft integration can sync Samsung Notes to your Microsoft account so they appear in the OneNote feed and on OneDrive. Convenient, but it means notes you wrote in Samsung's app end up on Microsoft's servers too, adding a second company that holds a readable copy.
Is Samsung Notes end-to-end encrypted?
No. Samsung Notes data synced to Samsung Cloud is encrypted in transit and at rest, but Samsung holds the decryption keys. The note lock feature uses your device lock rather than a separate encryption password, and Samsung's cloud has the same account-takeover exposure as any other.
Which should I use on a Galaxy phone?
For S Pen handwriting and quick device-local notes, Samsung Notes is the natural fit. For notes you need on a Windows PC, an iPad, and the web, OneNote travels far better. For notes that are actually private, use neither: both are vendor-readable by design. An on-device encrypted app like Scrib holds notes only on your phone with no account at all.
What is the most private alternative to both?
An app with no cloud and no account. Scrib encrypts every note with AES-256 on your Android device using a key in the Android Keystore, has no network permissions, and requires no sign-in, so there is no server copy for Samsung, Microsoft, or anyone else to hold. On Windows, Scrib Desktop does the same for files, open source under GPL-3.0.
Keep Reading
- Is Samsung Notes Safe?: Samsung Cloud, the breach history, and how to lock it down
- Is OneNote Safe?: the full Microsoft-side audit, including protected sections
- Samsung Notes vs Google Keep: the other preinstalled-app showdown
- Best Private Notes Apps for Android: the apps that actually pass the privacy test
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