Comparison

Stylus Labs Write Pro vs Noteshelf

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

Head to head
About

Stylus Labs Write Pro

This app offers advanced tools for editing and navigating handwritten documents, combining note-taking and vector drawing capabilities. It supports flexible file organization, cloud services, and a non-proprietary SVG format for easy sharing.

Highlights
  • Intelligent handwriting selection and editing tools
  • Reflow handwritten text with insert space tool
  • Create handwritten links and bookmarks
  • Non-proprietary SVG file format export
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Split view for multi-document work
  • PDF export
Features
Read full description

Write is an open-source application with a unique set of tools for editing and navigating handwritten documents, plus all the usual features of a vector drawing application. Write is perfect for note-taking, brainstorming, and sketching. MODERN DOCUMENT HANDLING * uses standard Apple document browser for completely flexible file organization * supports iCloud and all other cloud services that integrate with the Files app * non-proprietary SVG file format can be opened in other vector graphics apps and web browsers UNIQUE TOOLS FOR HANDWRITTEN DOCUMENTS * intelligent tools to select, erase, and move writing * reflow handwritten text with the insert space tool * create bookmarks labeled with handwriting * create handwritten links to bookmarks and websites * save clippings for easy pasting into any document * unlimited undo/redo jog dial * split view: work on two documents or two parts of the same document STANDARD NOTE-TAKING AND DRAWING TOOLS * Apple Pencil support * insert images (and vector content as SVG) * cut, copy, paste, move, scale, and rotate selections * cut, copy, and paste pages within and between documents * customize and save pens * customize page size, color, and ruling * pages can grow automatically when writing nears edge * PDF export Website: https://www.styluslabs.com Source: https://github.com/styluslabs/Write FAQ: https://www.styluslabs.com/faq Support: support@styluslabs.com

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

Stylus Labs Write Pro4 screens
Noteshelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Noteshelf at Free against Stylus Labs Write Pro's $8.99. Noteshelf also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (7K vs 40). Stylus Labs Write Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and review sentiment (77% vs 57%). On rating, ads and device support 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

Noteshelf is free to download; Stylus Labs Write Pro costs $8.99 up front. Noteshelf sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Stylus Labs Write Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Stylus Labs Write Pro against 4.6 for Noteshelf. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noteshelf has 7K ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Stylus Labs Write Pro's written reviews are positive against 57% of Noteshelf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stylus Labs Write Pro ships an update every 4 months, Noteshelf weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Stylus Labs Write Pro versus Noteshelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStylus Labs Write ProNoteshelf
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (40 ratings)4.6 (7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.9% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings407K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB464 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew WhiteFluid Touch Pte. Ltd.

Customer experience

Stylus Labs Write Pro

All ratings40 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative23.1%

Noteshelf

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

Bugs and requests

Stylus Labs Write Pro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

None

Stylus Labs Write Pro

No in-app purchases

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 Stylus Labs Write Pro free?
Stylus Labs Write Pro costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Noteshelf free?
Noteshelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Stylus Labs Write Pro or Noteshelf?
Noteshelf is rated higher. Stylus Labs Write Pro averages 4.5 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Noteshelf averages 4.6 from 7K ratings.
Do Stylus Labs Write Pro or Noteshelf have ads?
Neither Stylus Labs Write Pro nor Noteshelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stylus Labs Write Pro or Noteshelf?
Stylus Labs Write Pro ships an update every 4 months, and Noteshelf weekly. Most recently, Stylus Labs Write Pro was updated on October 10, 2026 and Noteshelf on October 16, 2026.

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