Comparison

Blue Sketch vs AxNote

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

Head to head
About

Blue Sketch

This app allows you to quickly sketch and write ideas freely on a blue canvas. It offers essential drawing tools, page management, and sharing options. Focus on your creativity with a minimalist interface and robust organizational features.

Highlights
  • Handwritten note-taking
  • Drawing tools (pen, line, shapes)
  • Undo/Redo functionality
  • Page size and scaling options
  • Image sharing (PNG, JPG, PDF)
  • Document organization (folders, sorting)
  • Read-only mode
  • Apple Pencil support
Read full description

Sketch your idea! You can write freely and quickly because it is handwritten. You can concentrate on writing because it is the minimum function that can write only white lines on the blue canvas. Functions List: - Can be used as a notebook or notepad - Pen tool: draw a line - Straight line tool - Rectangle and Ellipse Tools - Switch between solid/dotted lines - Can change the size of the pen - Undo / Redo - Can change the page size - Can scale the page - Image sharing: Share an image as PNG, JPG, or PDF format. Also, you can share monochrome converted images. - List documents - List recently opened documents - Organize: Document folders - Sort documents and folders - Title documents and folders - Delete the document then put it into the trash box. - Restore the deleted document from the trash box. - Delete the document entirely in the trash box. - Copy documents: You can duplicate the document. Tap the copy button at the bottom right of the note screen to duplicate it. - Read-only mode: While in read-only mode, you can disable writing and prevent erroneous operations. You can change the settings by tapping the title on the note screen. - Option to use only Apple Pencil: Only available for iPad compatible with Apple Pencil. - Double-tap the Apple Pencil to switch between tools in sequence. - Apple Pencil Pro is also supported. - Can turn off/on the function the app puts the device into a sleep state if you don't touch the screen for a certain period while the page is displayed. About In-App Purchase: The first 20 pages can be used free of charge. After that, adding pages will be paid content. Please support the developer.

About

AxNote

This app offers an intelligent canvas for note-taking, allowing users to generate summaries from text, handwriting, and audio recordings. It supports image annotation, data visualization with tables and charts, and handwriting conversion to typed text. Designed for Apple Pencil, it provides flexible layouts and on-device AI features.

Highlights
  • AI-powered summaries from text, handwriting, and audio
  • Audio transcription and topic exploration
  • Image and PDF annotation
  • Data visualization with tables and charts
  • Handwriting to typed text conversion
  • Apple Pencil integration
  • Customizable layouts
Features
Read full description

AxNote is an intelligent canvas that thinks with you. Generate summaries from your notes and audio recordings with Apple Intelligence. Explore topics in recordings and jump to where they're discussed. Create flashcards from your notes with a single tap. Handwrite your notes and convert it to typed text. Drag and drop images, and instantly annotate on a blank canvas, lined, or grid paper. Snap perfect shapes. Create beautiful tables and charts to visualize your data. AxNote is a next-level digital note-taking experience. FEATURES Magic Summary: Generate summaries of your text, handwriting, or audio recordings using a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Summaries are perfect for catching up with meetings, revision, and for creating flashcards. Magic Summary cards can also be converted to a PDF or plain text for use in your favorite flashcard platform. Ask About Topics: Magic Summary automatically finds key topics discussed in your audio recordings and gives you summaries of those topics. You can also ask specific questions about the contents of your recording and Magic Summary will give you an answer using your recording as the source of truth. Jump To Topic: Instantly skip to the part of a recording where a specific topic is discussed with Magic Summary. No more manually scrubbing through hours of lectures or meetings. Audio Transcription: AxNote features fast, accurate audio transcription that runs directly on your device and supports languages other than English. Audio transcriptions can be added to your note or shared with others. Images, PDFs, Tables, and Charts: Drag and drop images and PDFs anywhere in a note. Images can be annotated directly over using a markup tool. Create simple tables with CSV support and link them with charts to create beautiful data visualizations. Images, tables, and charts live right alongside your handwriting and typed text. AxNote also supports Image Playground, so you can turn a prompt into an image and add it to your note (requires a device with Apple Intelligence enabled). Made for Pencil: AxNote is the perfect companion for Apple Pencil. With support for tilt and pressure sensitivity, shape snapping, Apple Pencil Hover, and handwriting-to-text, it's the only app you need to turn your ideas into beautiful ink. Layouts: Transform your iPad or iPhone into a real notebook with a selection of preset Layouts, including lined, grid, dot grid paper, and a freeform canvas. Customize your layouts with specific measurements for line and grid spacing and colors. Bookmarks: Pin what matters most in your notes. You can access your bookmarks from anywhere in a note, allowing you to jump within (and between) pages for quick access to important content. Privacy and Flexibility: With AxNote, you're in control of your data and where it's stored. Save your documents in your preferred cloud storage provider with the Files app or keep them on your device. AxNote's AI features also run directly on your Apple Intelligence-supported device, so your notes are never sent to an online service for processing or AI model training. Offline Support: AxNote's AI features (including Magic Summary and Audio Transcription) don't need an internet connection after initial setup, so you can work even when you're off the grid. --- AxNote+ - Unlimited pages - Unlimited Magic Summary usage - Customize Layouts These features are available with a one-time in-app purchase to AxNote+. Please read the Terms of Service at animantlabs.com/axnote/terms --- Need help? Please visit support.animantlabs.com/axnote Terms of Service: animantlabs.com/axnote/terms

Screenshots

Blue Sketch4 screens
AxNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Blue Sketch at 4.7 against AxNote's 4.3. Blue Sketch also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 50%) and ratings volume (339 vs 7). AxNote's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Blue Sketch sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and AxNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Blue Sketch holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blue Sketch has 339 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Blue Sketch's written reviews are positive against 50% of AxNote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blue Sketch ships an update monthly, AxNote every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Blue Sketch versus AxNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlue SketchAxNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (339 ratings) — better4.3 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews76.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings339 — better7
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHituzi ANDOJonathan Benjamin

Customer experience

Blue Sketch

All ratings327 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.8%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative23.1%

AxNote

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Blue Sketch

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • App crashed when attempting export on 2019 iPad Pro

Requested features

6 requests
  • More shapes for sketches (curves, polygons)
  • TEXT field option for readable font
  • Pinch/stretch to zoom
  • Finer and less pixelated pencil strokes
  • Option to add extra pages
Show 1 more
  • Feature to group elements for easy deletion

AxNote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Blue Sketch

One-time2
  • 10 pages$0.99
  • 30 pages$1.99
1 purchases

AxNote

One-time1
  • AxNote+$24.99

Questions

Is Blue Sketch free?
Blue Sketch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AxNote free?
AxNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Blue Sketch or AxNote?
Blue Sketch is rated higher. Blue Sketch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 339 ratings, while AxNote averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.
Do Blue Sketch or AxNote have ads?
Neither Blue Sketch nor AxNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blue Sketch or AxNote?
Blue Sketch ships an update monthly, and AxNote every 6 weeks. Most recently, Blue Sketch was updated on October 24, 2026 and AxNote on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons