Comparison

Handwritten Idea Notes vs Kanso

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

Head to head
About

Handwritten Idea Notes

Quickly capture your thoughts with this handwriting-focused note-taking app. Easily create new pages and organize your notes, with support for Apple Pencil. Export your collected images to cloud services for easy access.

Highlights
  • Quickly jot down ideas
  • Create new pages easily
  • Organize notes in folders
  • Export images to cloud apps
  • Apple Pencil support
Features
Read full description

This app is a handwritten note-taking app that lets you capture your ideas the moment they strike. Open the canvas whenever inspiration hits, and create consecutive notes directly from the note screen without interrupting your train of thought. Key Features: • Seamless Note Creation: Create your next note directly from the current screen to capture rapid thoughts. • Optimized for iPad: Features a dedicated Apple Pencil mode for a natural writing experience. • Folder Management: Organize your saved note images with custom folders and move items easily between them. • Quick Sharing: Share your notes instantly via email or social media. • ZIP Export: Select multiple images or folders, compress them into a single ZIP file, and send them to other apps. • Flexible Workflow: Sketch your rough drafts or concepts in this app, transfer them to your computer via cloud storage, and continue your creative work seamlessly. Turn your quick thoughts, sketches, and visual notes into organized ideas effortlessly!

About

Kanso

Features
Read full description

思いつきを、和紙の上に。 Kanso - Canvasは、付箋を自由に並べながら考えを整理するアプリです。文章、画像、リンクを集め、コルクボードでまとめたり、矢印でつないだり。広いキャンバスで、アイデアの関係を見渡せます。 【無料で使える機能】 ・キャンバスを2枚まで作成 ・文章や画像を付箋にして、好きな場所へ配置 ・淡い12色、タグ、吹き出し、赤い丸で整理 ・コルクボードと矢印で、まとまりやつながりを表現 ・スターやしおり色でキャンバスを見つけやすく ・すべてのキャンバスを検索し、目的の付箋へ移動 ・付箋を1枚ずつ大きく見返す ・他のアプリの共有メニューから文章、リンク、画像を取り込む ・自動保存、取り消し/やり直し、バックアップ・復元 ・最近削除した付箋を30日間復元 ・自作テンプレートを1個保存 保存したテンプレートは、内容の更新、名前の変更、削除、繰り返し利用ができます。利用回数の制限はありません。複製やテンプレートからの作成も、キャンバス合計2枚の範囲で利用できます。 バックアップはすべての内容を保存します。復元は追加または置き換えを選べ、無料版では復元後もキャンバス2枚・テンプレート1個までです。置き換える前の内容は端末に退避します。 【Canvas Pro:一度の購入で解放】 ・キャンバスとテンプレートの保存数の上限解除 ・キャンバス全体やボードをPNG/PDFに書き出し ・自分の端末間で使える、任意のiCloud同期 Canvas Proは買い切りのアプリ内購入です。定期的な支払いはありません。購入価格はアプリ内に表示されます。同じApple Accountを使うiPhone・iPad・Macで利用でき、設定から購入を復元できます。 データは端末内に保存します。ProでiCloud同期をオンにすると、同じApple Accountの自分の端末間でも使えます。共同編集の機能ではありません。無料版の上限を超える保存済みの作品も、削除・非表示にせず、閲覧・編集できます。 日本語と英語に対応。企画、学び、制作のメモを、自分に合った並べ方で。

Screenshots

Handwritten Idea Notes4 screens
Kanso4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Kanso at none against Handwritten Idea Notes's shown. Kanso also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Handwritten Idea Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Kanso sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handwritten Idea Notes ships an update every 2 months, Kanso every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Handwritten Idea Notes versus Kanso: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandwritten Idea NotesKanso
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (73 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings73 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developertadashi atojiYutaro Kawahara

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Handwritten Idea Notes

One-time1
  • Remove Ad$5.99
1 purchases

Kanso

One-time1
  • Canvas Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Handwritten Idea Notes free?
Handwritten Idea Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kanso free?
Kanso is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Handwritten Idea Notes or Kanso have ads?
Handwritten Idea Notes shows ads; Kanso does not.
Which is updated more often, Handwritten Idea Notes or Kanso?
Handwritten Idea Notes ships an update every 2 months, and Kanso every 5 days. Most recently, Handwritten Idea Notes was updated on November 2, 2026 and Kanso on October 24, 2026.

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