Comparison

Noteflow vs SketchNote, Visual Note Taking

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

Head to head
About

Noteflow

This app offers a digital notebook experience designed to replace pen and paper. It allows for note-taking, PDF annotation, sketching, and freeform idea capture with vector ink that scales without quality loss. Seamlessly integrate real-world content and organize your thoughts digitally.

Highlights
  • Digital notebook replacement for pen and paper
  • Annotate PDFs and sketch freely
  • Convert real-world images to vector ink
  • Fluid editing without traditional layers
  • Drag-and-drop integration with iOS
  • Cloud storage synchronization
Features
Read full description

Noteflow is designed to replace pen and paper. It is a modern digital notebook that lets you get the most from your iPad and iPhone. Use it for taking notes, annotating PDFs, sketching and doodling, plus a whole lot more: Copy and paste from the real world: Use Inkport gen 2 to snap a picture of a whiteboard or writing and convert it into Noteflow's native vector ink. No special paper needed. Then resize, re-color, or edit as if you wrote it in Noteflow. Create layered drawings without layers: Use the highlighter tool to color and shade behind existing ink. Use Color-Select to separate and edit individual colors. It's a much more fluid and natural editing experience than with layers. Use the straight-line tool with a grid for fast and intuitive wireframes and drafting. Drag-and-drop, cloud-storage, and more: Noteflow natively integrates with iOS's file system and drag-and-drop capabilities. Drop photos and text into Noteflow, and drag your drawings into other apps. Store your files locally or sync with the cloud service of your choice. Make Noteflow a seamless part of your workflow, the way you like. SPACE FOR YOUR IDEAS TO ROAM Our vision for Noteflow is simple: to be digital pen and paper. The magic of pen and paper is in their versatility. They are useful for so many things, but particularly for the freeform capture of ideas. Noteflow expands upon this quality. You can naturally do all the things you normally do with pen and paper: take notes in meetings or class, and jot down flashes of inspirations on the go. And you can take that to a whole new level: One of Noteflow’s best uses is for "thinking on digital paper": quickly capture key ideas and concepts, then move and organize them on the screen. Noteflow's vector ink engine lets you scale and edit your work without any loss of quality. Your words and drawings remain tack sharp when zoomed in, giving you a huge effective working canvas even on a single page. There are analogues in the physical world, such as sketchnotes or everyday working on a white board, but being able to fluidly edit and move your ideas around the page is something you can only do digitally. When you represent the ideas in your head with your own personal scribbles on the screen, it effectively becomes an extension of your mind - giving you more room to think. We've designed every part of Noteflow to let you intuitively capture and work on your ideas the way you like. Whether it's dropping in existing information, quickly sketching concepts, or assembling polished presentations for others. EVALUATE NOTEFLOW RISK FREE Rather than just read about Noteflow, go ahead and try it out: We've decided to make the Basic Edition completely FREE. The Basic Edition is a full featured note-taking and sketching app. It comes with the Fountain Pen with black ink, photos, and a standard set of 5 popular fonts for text. Books max out at 20 pages each, but you can create as many as you like. NOTEFLOW+ Upgrade instantly at any time to get: + Inkport + Import and annotate PDFs + A customizable, full color palette, + The Marker, Write-Behind Highlighter and Straight Line tools. + Rotate, Cut, Copy, Paste Ink, and Page Management, + Notebooks with unlimited pages, + Page backgrounds and sizes, + An additional 50+ fonts, + And more! Learn more in the in-app Quickstart Guide. DIGITAL TOOLS FOR A DIGITAL AGE I hope you'll find Noteflow a useful part of your workflow, and that you'll discover new ways to do things with it that weren't easy before. We're very proud of the work we've put into Noteflow, but we're also just seen the beginning of what's possible with powerful new digital platforms like the iPad. Our goal is to push these platforms to their limits to craft useful tools. Tools that can help us think a little more clearly, communicate a bit more effectively, and connect with other in new and enriching ways. Thanks for joining us on this journey! -- The App Makers @ Qrayon.

About

SketchNote, Visual Note Taking

This app transforms your device into a digital notebook for natural handwriting and drawing. Utilize pre-designed elements, import documents for annotation, and sync notes across devices. It offers a paperless workflow with easy sharing and export options.

Highlights
  • Natural handwriting experience
  • Pre-designed shapes and clipart
  • Import and annotate PDFs/images
  • iCloud Sync for notes
  • Move, resize, and rotate handwriting
  • Export and share documents
Features
Read full description

SketchNote will help you take great notes without any art skill. Use pre-designed shapes, letter & Numbers, clipart to take great notes. Transform your iPhone and iPad into smart digital paper. Take handwritten notes in digital notebooks. WRITE NATURALLY - LIKE ON REAL PAPER * Completely natural writing experience * Write with the Apple Pencil and your finger * Select and customize your pen color, thickness, and style * Easily switch between pen, highlighter etc. NEVER LOSE YOUR NOTES AGAIN * All your notes with you at all times thanks to iCloud Sync ESCAPE THE LIMITS OF ANALOG PAPER * Move, resize, and rotate your handwriting or change colors * Draw perfect shapes and lines with the Shapes Tool * Pinch to zoom and write more precisely GO PAPERLESS * Import PDF, images, photos and more to annotate them right on your iPhone and iPad * Export documents and share them with others for a fully digital workflow ATTACH ANYTHING * Attach videos, images, photos [ Upgrade to subscription version ] Upgrading to subscription version requires auto-renewal subscription. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your App Store account settings after purchase. Links to Your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: http://www.btoj.com.au/privacy.html http://www.btoj.com.au/terms.html Please feel free to contact us for anything.

Screenshots

Noteflow4 screens
SketchNote, Visual Note Taking4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Noteflow at 4.2 against SketchNote, Visual Note Taking's 3.0. Noteflow also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (182 vs 3). SketchNote, Visual Note Taking's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, 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. SketchNote, Visual Note Taking sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Noteflow asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Noteflow holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noteflow has 182 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Noteflow's written reviews are positive against 33% of SketchNote, Visual Note Taking's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Noteflow ships an update every 6 weeks, SketchNote, Visual Note Taking every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Noteflow versus SketchNote, Visual Note Taking: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNoteflowSketchNote, Visual Note Taking
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (182 ratings) — better3.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews46.7% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings182 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperQrayon, LLCB TO J PTY LTD

Customer experience

Noteflow

All ratings182 ratings
Positive78.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative14.8%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive46.7%
Neutral10.0%
Negative43.3%

SketchNote, Visual Note Taking

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

None

Noteflow

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

SketchNote, Visual Note Taking

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • 1 Year Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Noteflow free?
Noteflow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SketchNote, Visual Note Taking free?
SketchNote, Visual Note Taking is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Noteflow or SketchNote, Visual Note Taking?
Noteflow is rated higher. Noteflow averages 4.2 out of 5 from 182 ratings, while SketchNote, Visual Note Taking averages 3.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Noteflow or SketchNote, Visual Note Taking have ads?
Neither Noteflow nor SketchNote, Visual Note Taking shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Noteflow or SketchNote, Visual Note Taking?
Noteflow ships an update every 6 weeks, and SketchNote, Visual Note Taking every 2 days. Most recently, Noteflow was updated on October 10, 2026 and SketchNote, Visual Note Taking on October 7, 2026.

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