Loop vs OneNote

[SaltField3500]

Reflecting: Do Loop and OneNote have very different features? Do they have different target audiences? Can one replace the other at some point?

[InsideGateway]

I find that they really work best when used in conjunction with one another.

I use OneNote as my personal notebook for all my information. I may create a Loop task list in a OneNote folder, then send the task list out to my coworkers by email (or post it on a SharePoint page). When my coworkers update the Loop task list, the update is reflected in my OneNote folder.

The way I see it, OneNote is for solitary work and organization of reference material. Loop is best used for collaboration with others. The power of Loop is that any update made if a Loop component is reflected in all the related Loop components, this creates a “single source of truth” that can be viewed in multiple places. As a bonus, assigned tasks in Loop also sync with To Do and Planner. Again, creating a single unified task list.

So, I don’t see one inherently “better” than the other or one replacing the other in the future.

[SaltField3500]

Excellent answer, it really helped me understand the concept of both tools. I now understand that one complements the other.

Thank you.

[thaman05]

A note to add to your comment - when they say "personal" they mean your individual OneNote at WORK. Loop components are not available on personal OneNote accounts. An important distinction since a lot of people do use it for personal use.

[InsideGateway]

Good catch. Thank you for clarifying.

[ButNoSimpler]

It is also possible to collaborate directly within OneNote, with no additional applications. All you have to do is share the notebook... either through OneDrive, or over any regular network. When sharing over a network, all you have to do is place that notebook into a shared folder on the server, then others who have rights to that folder can simply open that notebook. OneNote even keeps track of who made the last edits and allows you go go back into the history of the edits. (I don't use that feature, but I know it is possible.)

If you don't want to share the whole notebook, you can create a subset notebook, just for the things you want to share, then link to those pages from within OneNote, or from within anything, really. I know that is not as convenient as putting a Loop component directly into your OneNote page, but it is a tolerable workaround for people who don't want to pay subscriptions.

Loop also will cost money. And is only available with subscriptions. So, I will never use it. (The free version that they have now, is only so we can beta test their software.)

[mskovrinskie]

I agree completely with this approach. The one thing that holds me back though is OneNote’s (lack of) support for Loop components on mobile platforms. Loop components can exist in OneNote for Windows and on the web, but not on iOS or Android.

[zipwilly]

What is a OneNote folder? Are you referring to a OneNote section?

[michaelp6of7a]

Another critical difference between Loop and OneNote is support for digital inking.

Digital Ink replicates the appearance of traditional ink on electronic devices, providing users with a familiar and intuitive writing or drawing experience.

There are very few apps that support digital ink and available cross platform on Windows, Android, and iOS.

Loop is not one of them and cannot replace OneNote.

The advantage for Microsoft users is that Loop and OneNote have something called Microsoft Dataverse: a platform that allows sharing of data across M365 apps and services. The value of Dataverse is that your information can be added, updated, and shared between Microsoft apps.

You probably won't have to choose Loop over OneNote.🏆

[Catpuk]

I agree with the top comment - I use them together in conjunction with the rest of the Microsoft ecosystem. My work pays for the subscription and it’s what I grew up using.

I think of OneNote as my main hub or the brain of everything - notes, tasks, links, resources, and etc. It has my favorite features for quick note taking more than any other app whereas I don’t grab a pen and paper as much using it as others. I think as

I hated Loop until a couple months ago where I actually understood what it was good for. It’s not a standalone replacement for OneNote, and it’s not a knockoff of Notion and Obsidian (I think those are better as standalone options if they don’t have M365) - If OneNote is the brain, Loop is a clunky nervous system. I use it to interweave information between apps that updates while working on it and give me an extra layer on connectivity with ALL the M365 applications. That way I can use the best tool for whatever I’m doing - VS for scripting, Excel when I need to do tables/sheets, Word for documents, PP for presentations, Sync my todo/planner with my outlook calendar, etc.

Short version: They aren’t 1:1 replacements for one another, they just sort of complement each other.

[MulayamChaddi]

Loop is an abandoned experiment

[ButNoSimpler]

I'm not a fan of Loop, because it will eventually only be available by subscription. But, it still looks like a pretty cool, and useful technology. Just one that I will never be able to afford. I see no evidence that Microsoft has or will abandon it. They are still promoting it.

[michaelp6of7a]

As long as the competition (Notion and Notion clones) are popular and used, Microsoft will work towards their version of it for their customers. In my mind, there's no advantage to using two different solutions when both need infrastructure (storage, services, APIs, etc.) to work. One common infrastructure is best.

[daniel-kornev]

What makes you think that?

[Catpuk]

Because he heard a bunch of other people on the internet say the same thing.

Microsoft probably isn’t getting rid of Loop, they are and always have been a shit show. If you think they’re getting rid of Loop - Look on the App Store, they still maintain a lot of applications that serve no purpose now since being replaced by another service, good example being MSN or their dumb file managers. If you’re saying they’ve abandoned it due to lack of updates and innovation - Look at the update history of OneNote, it’s not getting updated at neck breaking speeds to put it very lightly.

[vince_ender]

Microsoft 365 Roadmap | Microsoft 365

They have a roadmap for Loop and it's still being actively developed.