Comparison

Map Note vs Blankbook

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Map Note

Organize your thoughts on an infinitely expanding canvas. This app is designed for non-linear thinking, allowing you to freely expand ideas radially for brainstorming and mind mapping.

Highlights
  • Infinitely expanding canvas
  • Radial idea expansion
  • Mind mapping
  • Brainstorming
  • Idea sketching
  • Non-linear note-taking
Features
Read full description

Using map notes, you can spread your ideas anywhere on an infinitely spread canvas. I think the brain's work when considering ideas is a random and radial working image rather than linear. Traditional notes that need to be written sequentially from left to right are not very suitable for this process. If you use this infinite size notebook application, you can freely expand ideas from the center of the page, so you can make ideas more natural. Ideal for creating rough mind maps, brainstorming and idea sketches. * Please check out MapNote 2 that can add images, add folders, and sync with iCloud.

About

Blankbook

Experience a natural handwriting feel on an infinite canvas. Organize notes with a visual bookshelf and access tools quickly. Offers various paper types and intuitive controls for seamless creativity.

Highlights
  • Infinite scrolling canvas
  • 7 static paper types (dark/light variants)
  • Pen, pencil, marker, lasso, ruler, erasers
  • Three quick-access tool slots
  • Intuitive gesture controls
  • Automatic dark mode matching system settings
Read full description

Blankbook reduces the clutter and reproduce the essence of an extraordinary handwriting experience. It features a well-thought design that makes your content speak. The bookshelf offers a see-through preview that allows you to see your content directly. Canvas: Infinite scrolling canvas allows your creativity flow, you’ll never be bothered by manually creating a new page over and over again. Paper: It offers 7 static paper types. All with dark and light variants. Dotted, squared, watercolor papers, etc. We get you covered. Tools: Pen, pencil, marker, lasso for copy and cut, ruler, pixel eraser and vector eraser. All powered by the best Apple Pencil technology. Shortcuts: Want quick access to your favorite tools without adjusting the setting repeatedly? We offer you three quick-access slots per note. Add any tools to it and it saves for you. Intuitiveness: Tap the title name your note, long press to reorder, two-finger tap to undo, two-finger pinch to zoom. It’s that easy! Dark mode: The color scheme will match the system setting automatically. Or you can use iOS dark/light switch to set it to your preferences. Have fun writing! ----------------- “You’ve got the brownie when night is coming, huh~ It's not a dessert". Licensed from artist Yuanyu Zhou(Ins: @frost.tree), Bookbook iMessage app integrates with her "Brownie" series of emoji packs. Term of service: https://www.legolas.me/paperworks/blankbook-terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://www.legolas.me/paperworks/blankbook-privacy-policy Developer: Yuxiao Wang Special thanks: @Yuanyu Zhou, @Minja. For ideas, testing and feedbacks.

Screenshots

Map Note3 screens
Blankbook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Blankbook at Free against Map Note's $2.99. Blankbook also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks). Map Note's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Blankbook is free to download; Map Note costs $2.99 up front. Blankbook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Map Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Map Note holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 69 and 129 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 56% and 55% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Map Note ships an update every 4 weeks, Blankbook every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on August 29, 2026 and July 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Map Note versus Blankbook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap NoteBlankbook
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (69 ratings) — better3.9 (129 ratings)
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews — better54.8% of reviews
Number of ratings69129 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNaoya Enokida璐 徐

Customer experience

Map Note

All ratings69 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral7.2%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral16.0%
Negative28.4%

Blankbook

All ratings129 ratings
Positive72.9%
Neutral7.8%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral11.8%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Map Note

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Blankbook

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • App crashes when creating new sheets or files
  • Notes permanently disappear without warning
  • Severe lag and slow loading with accumulated data
  • Delete function doesn't permanently remove notes
  • Unresponsive settings and help buttons
Show 11 more
  • App fails to open or closes immediately
  • Palm rejection issues causing accidental zooms
  • Eraser and pencil tool flashing/switching randomly
  • Grid/lines don't move with canvas when scrolling or zooming
  • Random dots appearing while writing
  • Zoom gestures misinterpreted
  • Crashes after leaving app in background
  • Premium purchase not recognized after reinstall
  • Incompatibility with Mac version for editing
  • Settings not persisting across sessions
  • Performance issues on iPad Pro with iOS 14+

Requested features

20 requests
  • Folder organization system for notes
  • Cloud backup and sync across devices
  • Image and PDF insertion capability
  • Snap-to-grid and smart shapes
  • Ability to rotate and scale selected content
Show 15 more
  • Dark mode toggle within app
  • Customizable color swatches
  • Copy and paste image functionality
  • Multi-window support
  • Undo/redo button in addition to gesture
  • Export as vector file option
  • Snap shapes and lines feature
  • Lock/pin canvas to grid lines
  • Duplicate entire notes function
  • Typed text insertion
  • More than three tool shortcuts
  • Default tool customization
  • Larger color palette
  • Device synchronization for iPad and iPhone
  • Backup system for data protection

In-app purchases

None

Map Note

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Blankbook

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly7 Days trial$2.491 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime$6.99

Questions

Is Map Note free?
Map Note costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Blankbook free?
Blankbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Map Note or Blankbook?
Map Note is rated higher. Map Note averages 4.5 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Blankbook averages 3.9 from 129 ratings.
Do Map Note or Blankbook have ads?
Neither Map Note nor Blankbook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map Note or Blankbook?
Map Note ships an update every 4 weeks, and Blankbook every 4 days. Most recently, Map Note was updated on August 29, 2026 and Blankbook on July 26, 2026.

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