Comparison

MyScript Notes vs Noteshelf

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

Head to head
About

MyScript Notes

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
Read full description

Create stunning notes and professional documents effortlessly by hand, brainstorm ideas on an infinite canvas, and annotate PDFs seamlessly. Powered by the world's leading AI handwriting recognition technology, MyScript Notes offers a dynamic platform where handwriting, text, drawings, diagrams, and images seamlessly coexist on an expandable canvas. Enhance your note-taking experience with intuitive pen gestures, effortlessly converting handwriting and shapes into typed text and precise forms. MyScript Notes understands every word you write in your choice of 66 languages, and works on mobile platforms — so you can access and search your notes from any compatible device. Enjoy 4 powerful experiences in one app: • Create unlimited notebooks and fixed-size pages for your daily notes. • Take freeform notes on boards — the world's most advanced endless canvas. • Handwrite responsive documents, adding math calculations and diagrams. • Import existing files as PDFs, ready to annotate. Start with a 7-day free trial to get the full experience — then choose to upgrade to keep all features, or continue with a free limited version. ———————— DIGITAL HANDWRITING • Write¹, type or dictate in the same page, sentence or even word. • Accurately convert handwriting and math to typed text, and drawn diagrams to perfect shapes. Diagrams stay editable when pasted into PowerPoint! • Write emoji and symbols with your pen. • Highlight ideas live with a glowing laser pointer — no marks left behind. • Draw straight lines with the ruler — drag, rotate and snap it into place to draw at any angle. EDIT WITH YOUR PEN • Use intuitive gestures to edit and format content without breaking your flow. • Use the marker to highlight or color, the lasso to select, and the eraser to delete entire strokes or precisely defined content. WRITE, TYPE AND DRAW FREELY ON A BOARD • Enjoy an infinite canvas, ideal for brainstorming, mind mapping and freeform note-taking. • Pan around and zoom in or out for a fresh perspective. • Use the lasso to select, move, copy, delete or resize content — and to convert handwriting to typed text. SWITCH TO A DOCUMENT FOR A RESPONSIVE EXPERIENCE • Create and edit structured notes — your handwriting will automatically reflow as needed. • Make edits, adjust layout, rotate your device or split your screen without worrying about readability. ENRICH YOUR NOTES • Personalize content using a range of pen types and page backgrounds. • Add photos, sketches and smart objects like math and diagrams. • Handwrite math equations and matrices across several lines, solve simple calculations and copy math as LaTeX or image. ———————— MyScript Notes respects your privacy and never stores content on our servers without your explicit consent. For help or feature requests, create a ticket at https://myscri.pt/support Check out MyScript Notes' webpage for more information about cross-platform: https://www.myscript.com/notes ———————— ¹You can use any compatible active or passive pen, including Apple Pencil, to write in MyScript Notes. Check minimum and recommended requirements for MyScript Notes: https://myscri.pt/notes-devices

About

Noteshelf

Create handwritten notes, annotate PDFs, and record audio with this app. It offers extensive customization for notebooks, a variety of writing tools, and AI-powered features for summarization and translation. Organize your thoughts and documents seamlessly.

Highlights
  • Handwritten note creation
  • PDF annotation and markup
  • Audio recording with notes
  • AI-powered summarization and translation
  • Customizable notebooks and templates
  • Handwriting to text conversion
  • Document scanning and import
Features
Read full description

Write. Plan. Study. Work. Create. Noteshelf 3 brings natural handwriting, powerful AI, PDF annotation, audio recording and planning together in one beautiful app for iPad, iPhone and Mac. Free to start. FOR STUDENTS • Take lecture and class notes with lifelike pens, pencils and highlighters • Annotate textbooks, worksheets, slides and PDFs • Record audio while you write, so you never miss a word • Use Noteshelf AI to summarize and explain what you've learned FOR PROFESSIONALS • Capture meeting notes and record important discussions • Mark up contracts, reports and presentations • Present your notes on an external display with a laser pointer • Export and share notes as PDFs or images in one tap FOR PLANNERS & JOURNALERS • 200+ templates for digital planners, journals, diaries and trackers • Plan your days, track goals and keep a personal journal • Decorate pages with stickers, photos and custom covers WRITE NATURALLY • A smooth, natural handwriting experience built for Apple Pencil • Write, type, draw and sketch on the same page • Turn handwriting into text and search your notes in 65 languages • Choose lined, dotted or grid paper in any color WORK WITH PDFs & DOCUMENTS • Import and annotate PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint files and images • Highlight, mark up, write and draw directly on your documents • Scan paper documents with the built-in scanner NOTESHELF AI • Summarize handwritten pages in seconds • Explain difficult terms and concepts • Translate text into other languages • Generate notes on any topic RECORD & REMEMBER • Record lectures, meetings and ideas alongside your handwritten notes STAY ORGANIZED & SECURE • Folders, subfolders, tags, bookmarks and a table of contents • Link notebooks together to connect ideas • Lock notes with a password, Face ID or Touch ID • Sync across iPad, iPhone and Mac with iCloud • Automatic backup to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or WebDAV YOUR NOTES, YOUR WAY • Custom notebook covers and a toolbar you can rearrange • Presentation mode, dark mode and flexible page layouts FREE TO START Create up to 3 notebooks with core pens and paper for free. Upgrade to Noteshelf Premium for unlimited notebooks, all templates, handwriting recognition, auto-backup and 100 monthly AI credits. Write beautifully. Work smarter. Stay organized. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

MyScript Notes4 screens
Noteshelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: MyScript Notes at 39K against Noteshelf's 7K. MyScript Notes also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 57%). Noteshelf's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. MyScript Notes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Noteshelf sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for MyScript Notes against 4.6 for Noteshelf. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MyScript Notes has 39K ratings behind it against 7K, 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 57% of Noteshelf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MyScript Notes ships an update every 10 days, Noteshelf weekly. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
MyScript Notes versus Noteshelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMyScript NotesNoteshelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (39K ratings) — better4.6 (7K ratings)
Positive reviews66.1% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings39K — better7K
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size266 MB464 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMyScriptFluid Touch Pte. Ltd.

Customer experience

MyScript Notes

All ratings38,634 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews2,192 reviews
Positive66.1%
Neutral12.5%
Negative21.4%

Noteshelf

All ratings6,951 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral3.2%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews1,030 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral10.6%
Negative32.3%

User reviews

MyScript Notes

From 39K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Noteshelf

From 7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth handwriting experience
  • 📚 Versatile note-taking features
  • 🎨 Customizable templates and covers
  • 🔍 Accurate handwriting recognition
  • 💻 Seamless integration across devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔄 Sync issues between devices
  • 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data security
  • 🔍 Unreliable search functionality
  • 🔧 Buggy or missing features from previous versions

Bugs and requests

MyScript Notes

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

6 requests
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Add support for dark mode and night-friendly themes

Noteshelf

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Notebooks failing to open or sync correctly
  • Handwriting recognition not working as expected
  • Imported PDFs losing formatting or functionality
  • Unexpected loss of data or notes
  • Compatibility issues with older devices or operating systems

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add ability to create folders within notebooks
  • Improve page organization and navigation
  • Implement a more intuitive color picker and pen customization
  • Introduce a history/undo feature for linked pages
  • Add support for custom stickers and templates
Show 1 more
  • Optimize performance and reduce loading times

In-app purchases

9 purchases

MyScript Notes

Subscriptions2
  • MyScript Notes – Full Access$1.991 Month
  • MyScript Notes – Full Access$7.991 Year
One-time7
  • PDF Pack2 variants$4.99
  • Connect Pack$4.99
  • Essentials Pack$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Full version$9.99
  • Nebo Pro$9.99
  • Full version$14.99
  • MyScript Notes – Full Access$29.99
17 purchases

Noteshelf

Subscriptions15
  • Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium$4.997 Days
  • Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium$7.997 Days
Show 12 more
  • Noteshelf3 Weekly Premium3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium$9.991 Month
  • Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium$19.991 Month
  • Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium$39.991 Year
  • Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Noteshelf Premium Yearly$49.991 Year
  • Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium1 Month trial$69.991 Year
  • Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium$79.991 Year
  • Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time2
  • Premium for Noteshelf 2 users$9.99
  • Noteshelf 3 Premium - Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is MyScript Notes free?
MyScript Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Noteshelf free?
Noteshelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MyScript Notes or Noteshelf?
MyScript Notes is rated higher. MyScript Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Noteshelf averages 4.6 from 7K ratings.
Do MyScript Notes or Noteshelf have ads?
Neither MyScript Notes nor Noteshelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MyScript Notes or Noteshelf?
MyScript Notes ships an update every 10 days, and Noteshelf weekly. Most recently, MyScript Notes was updated on October 13, 2026 and Noteshelf on October 13, 2026.

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