# Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup vs Notes Writer

The clearest difference is rating: Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup at 4.8 against Notes Writer's 4.5. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 45%) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Notes Writer's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 2K). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Notes Writer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2K and 7.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's.

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup ships an update every 11 days, Notes Writer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup | Notes Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawboard-pdf-annotate-markup/id1086503728/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2K | **7.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **64.0% of reviews** | 44.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 98 MB | 688 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drawboard Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1081203672) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawboard-pdf-annotate-markup/id1086503728)

Enhance your PDF workflow with powerful annotation and markup tools. This app offers a dynamic and intuitive experience for editing, drawing, and adding text to your documents. Access your work across multiple devices and collaborate in real-time.

**Highlights:** Dynamic PDF annotation tools, Cross-platform access and cloud sync, Real-time collaboration, Insert text, images, lines, and shapes, Convert images to PDF, Redact sensitive information (Pro), Measurement tools (Pro)

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Lite | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Plus | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Unlimited | $18.99 | per month |
| Pro Lite | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Plus | $83.90 | per year |
| Pro Unlimited | $159.99 | per year |
| Pro Plus | $10.00 | one-time |
| Pro Unlimited | $20.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent PDF annotation tools
- 👍 Convenient cross-platform sync
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Great for students and professionals
- 🚀 Smooth writing experience with Apple Pencil

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Cloud storage limitations
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Missing search and bookmark features
- 🔧 Inconsistent functionality between platforms

**Reported bugs**

- Annotations not syncing properly between devices
- Unexpected loss of work and unsaved changes
- Scrolling and page navigation issues
- Compatibility problems with certain PDF files
- Text input box disappearing after scrolling

**Requested features**

- Add page flattening and form filling options
- Improve eraser tool and precision
- Implement a dark mode
- Provide better organization and folder support
- Add more customization options for tools and UI


### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723)

This app combines handwriting, PDFs, voice recordings, and AI for note-taking, document annotation, and idea organization. It offers a paper-like writing experience with various tools and supports students, professionals, and writers with specialized features.

**Highlights:** Handwriting with Apple Pencil, PDF annotation and form filling, Voice recording and transcription, AI-powered writing assistance, Flashcard creation and spaced repetition, Quiz generation from notes, Document import and export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $3.99 | per month |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth writing experience
- 💡 Versatile note-taking features
- 🔒 Good privacy
- 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
- 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
- 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
- Inability to recover deleted documents
- Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
- Syncing issues and broken links between documents

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes and pen customization options
- Improve the clipping/selection tool
- Implement OCR and handwriting search
- Provide a Mac version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup free?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Notes Writer free?

Notes Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Notes Writer?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is rated higher. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Notes Writer have ads?

Neither Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup nor Notes Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Notes Writer?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup ships an update every 11 days, and Notes Writer every 4 days. Most recently, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup was updated on November 13, 2026 and Notes Writer on November 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*