As a long-time Evernote power user who authored the comprehensive Evernote MakeUseOf Manual (How To Use Evernote:The Unofficial Manual), I've amassed nearly 6,500 notes. However, rising Premium subscription costs and desktop app frustrations have led me to explore alternatives. Microsoft's free OneNote importer offers a seamless way to transfer notes without data loss.
OneNote is now fully free with robust features (OneNote is now truly free with more features than before), making it a strong contender against Evernote. Compare them head-to-head: Evernote vs. OneNote: Which Note-Taking App Is Right For You?. Previously, third-party tools were needed (How to Migrate from Evernote to OneNote), but Microsoft's official tool simplifies the process.
Update: This guide focuses on the Windows importer. For Mac, see How to Migrate Evernote to OneNote on Mac.
Microsoft's importer creates copies of your notes, preserving originals for a risk-free trial. With thousands of notes, manual migration is daunting—this tool makes it effortless.
Install the Evernote desktop app if needed (here). Sync ensures all web notes are available locally—quick and reliable.
Download and launch the OneNote Importer. Common pitfall: it imports only the latest note unless you select all.
In Evernote, select the newest note, then Edit > Select All to highlight everything. Verify the count matches your total (e.g., 6,475 notes).
With notes selected, export via File > Export as .enex (single notebook or all).
In the importer, choose Import a file instead, select your .enex, and proceed.
Sign in with a Microsoft account (Pros and Cons). Review formatting and tag options (Evernote Search Mastery).
Click Import. Time varies by note volume—mine took minutes for 6,475.
Post-import, view the summary (some large notebooks may fail, like mine). OneNote opens automatically.
If notes aren't visible, click the hamburger menu (≡). Look for Evernote Import notebook under Pages or More Notebooks.
Formatting may shift slightly (links intact), but content preserves well.
The 10-minute process for 6,500 notes proved OneNote's strengths, especially on Windows (Productivity Tips). As a Mac user, I stuck with Evernote, but it excels for many (Why OneNote; Note-Taking Tips; Advanced Tips).
Test it yourself—your workflow may thrive in OneNote.
Share your migration story: Successes, issues, or reasons to switch? Questions welcome in comments.
