# MyScript Notes vs Zotero

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zotero at none against MyScript Notes's 10. Zotero also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 66%). MyScript Notes's advantage is ratings volume (39K vs 435) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MyScript Notes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Zotero asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for MyScript Notes against 4.6 for Zotero. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MyScript Notes has 39K ratings behind it against 435, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of MyScript Notes's written reviews are positive against 78% of Zotero's.

MyScript Notes ships an update every 10 days, Zotero every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MyScript Notes | Zotero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myscript-notes-ai-handwriting/id1119601770/reviews)** | [4.6 (435 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zotero/id1513554812/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **39K** | 435 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | **77.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 266 MB | 237 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MyScript](https://appshunter.io/developer/446368119) | [Zotero](https://appshunter.io/developer/1513554811) |

## What reviewers say

### MyScript Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myscript-notes-ai-handwriting/id1119601770)

Transform handwritten notes into editable text with advanced AI. Brainstorm on an infinite canvas, annotate PDFs, and create structured documents. Supports 66 languages and works across devices.

**Highlights:** AI handwriting recognition, Infinite canvas for brainstorming, PDF annotation, Handwriting to typed text conversion, Math equation recognition, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MyScript Notes – Full Access | $1.99 | per month |
| MyScript Notes – Full Access | $7.99 | per year |
| PDF Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Connect Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Essentials Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $9.99 | one-time |
| Nebo Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $14.99 | one-time |
| MyScript Notes – Full Access | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent handwriting recognition
- 👍 Intuitive and responsive interface
- 💡 Useful gestures and shortcuts
- 🚀 Fast conversion of handwriting to text
- 👍 Ability to organize notes in notebooks and collections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Issues with syncing and data loss
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with formatting and editing
- 💡 Lack of keyboard support and text editing features
- 💡 Limited customization options for paper styles and fonts

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when importing large documents
- Handwriting recognition fails for certain symbols and abbreviations
- Formatting issues when converting handwritten notes to text
- Sync issues leading to data loss across devices
- Inability to move or rearrange pages within notebooks

**Requested features**

- Add support for keyboard input and text editing
- Improve syncing and backup functionality
- Introduce more customization options for paper styles and fonts
- Enhance diagram and equation handling capabilities
- Implement better collaboration and sharing features


### Zotero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zotero/id1513554812)

This research tool helps you collect, organize, annotate, cite, and share your academic and professional work. Save articles, books, and webpages, add notes and highlights, and generate bibliographies in thousands of styles. Collaborate with others and sync your library across devices.

**Highlights:** Collect research from various sources, Organize with collections and tags, Annotate PDFs and webpages, Generate citations and bibliographies, Collaborate in group libraries, Sync across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and powerful
- 🚀 Convenient and useful
- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 🚀 Excellent reference management
- 👍 Great annotation and PDF reading experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Syncing issues with WebDAV
- 🐛 Metadata not automatically extracted from PDFs
- 🐛 Annotation tools could be improved
- 🐛 Limited sorting and filtering options

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to unzip PDF snapshots
- Annotations disappearing or moving unexpectedly
- Dark mode not working as expected
- Inability to add citations directly from the app

**Requested features**

- Eraser tool for annotations
- More color options for pen and highlighter
- Ability to open PDFs in external apps
- Bookmarking and table of contents support
- Improved search functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MyScript Notes free?

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

### Is Zotero free?

Zotero is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MyScript Notes or Zotero?

MyScript Notes is rated higher. MyScript Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Zotero averages 4.6 from 435 ratings.

### Do MyScript Notes or Zotero have ads?

Neither MyScript Notes nor Zotero shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MyScript Notes or Zotero?

MyScript Notes ships an update every 10 days, and Zotero every 3 weeks. Most recently, MyScript Notes was updated on October 25, 2026 and Zotero on October 25, 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.*