Comparison

Kilonotes vs Freeform

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

Head to head
About

Kilonotes

This app offers a digital notebook experience for handwritten notes, PDF annotation, and study organization. It features freehand drawing, text extraction, AI assistance for learning, and customizable templates to enhance productivity and learning.

Highlights
  • Handwritten note-taking
  • PDF annotation and markup
  • AI assistant for learning
  • OCR text extraction
  • Customizable notebooks and templates
  • Recording function
  • Global PDF search
Features
Read full description

We sincerely invite you to join us in exploring more efficient ways of taking notes and jointly reshape the modern learning mode. As a companion exploring new ways of taking notes, Kilonotes can meet your various needs. Whether it is recording class notes, annotating PDFs, doing test exercises, studying online courses, or organizing reading notes, Kilonotes will be your reliable study partner. Let's take good notes together. [Breakthrough the limitations of paper] ·Handwriting can be moved, scaled and rotated freely ·You can undo what you entered ·The size of the eraser can be adjusted to control the erasing range ·Scale paper function to make writing more comfortable You can insert pictures or photos, and combine text and pictures to deepen memory · Quick browsing function to help you quickly find what you need · Unlimited creation of paper, providing endless memory space ·Recording function, allowing you to take notes while listening to lectures ·Card function, create an exclusive knowledge base, you can create your card through pictures, brushes, and typing OCR function, convenient and fast text extraction A variety of fun-but-practical Journaling templates [Optimized reading experience] ·Global PDF search, quickly find what you need in the database · Outline function, convenient and fast positioning Multiple reading modes: eye protection, dark color, vision protection · Quick jump function, enter the page number to quickly navigate ·Translation function to help foreign language literature reading ·Extraction function, easy to collect important information ·PDF extension function, make reading and writing more free [Beyond the limits of the brush] · Change brush color, create custom colors, or pick any color with the eyedropper ·Adjustable brush width to adapt to various scenes ·Graffiti pen function, make notes more colorful [Custom Notebook] ·Provide many unique and beautiful covers for you to choose ·A variety of paper templates are available: blank paper, dot matrix paper, graph paper, to meet your needs ·You can import PDF and record freely in your own notebook [AI Assistant] • Built-in high-efficiency AI assistant helps you organize notes, expand knowledge points, and double your learning and work efficiency. • Exclusive AI problem-solving function supports selecting questions and sending them with one click, helping you easily overcome learning difficulties. [About subscription] Users can subscribe to the monthly subscription service of kilonotes to unlock advanced content, including custom time planning books. The subscription will be automatically renewed. If the user needs to cancel the subscription, the renewal needs to be closed 24 hours before the end of the current cycle. Users can close and cancel subscriptions and trials in their iTunes account. Contact us: feedback@top-stack.com Official website: https://www.kilonotesapp.com Privacy Policy: https://www.top-stack.com/page/ios_en_privacy.html User agreement: https://www.top-stack.com/page/Kilonotes_Terms_of_use_En.html

About

Freeform

This app provides a flexible canvas for bringing ideas to life. It supports various file types, drawing tools, and shape libraries for creative projects. Real-time collaboration with multiple users is also a key feature.

Highlights
  • Flexible canvas for ideas
  • Supports photos, video, audio, documents, PDFs, web links
  • Drawing with finger or Apple Pencil
  • Library of over 700 shapes
  • Built-in document scanner
  • Real-time collaboration with up to 100 users
  • Integrated Messages and FaceTime
Read full description

Freeform is now part of Apple Creator Studio, an amazing collection of Apple’s most powerful creative apps designed to help you bring your ideas to life. The suite includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage — plus premium content and intelligence features* in Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform, all in one simple plan. Creating, viewing, and editing boards in Freeform, as well as collaborating in real time, does not require a subscription. Freeform is a great place to bring your ideas to life. Sketch out a project, design a mood board or start a brainstorming session on a flexible canvas that supports almost any kind of file. And with iCloud, all your boards stay in sync, whether you’re on your Apple Vision Pro, your Mac, your iPad or your iPhone. New Features For Apple Creator Studio Subscribers: • Explore high-quality photos, graphics, and illustrations for your document in the all-new Content Hub • Find inspiration faster with collections of new Apple-curated content in the Content Hub • Create stunning images and graphics right in your document, apply quick edits, or adjust the style using AI • Increase the clarity and detail of existing images and graphics using Super Resolution • Use Auto Crop to generate suggestions for how to frame your image Other New Features: • Organize Your Board with Tables. Arrange text, images, and content into flexible rows and columns • Present your ideas with Scenes, letting you save and jump to specific regions of your board Overview Unleash your creativity • Add photos, video, audio, documents, PDFs, web links, stickies and more anywhere on a Freeform board, perfect for creating a digital pinboard, collecting research for a school project or gathering inspiration for your home renovation. • Use your finger to draw anywhere on the canvas. Choose from a variety of brush styles and colors. • Create beautiful diagrams with a library of over 700 shapes and alignment guides to help make your document look just the way you’d like. • Scan paper documents with your iPhone or iPad’s built-in document scanner to archive documents and even annotate them if you’d like, directly on the board. Collaborate with others • Invite your friends or colleagues into your board for real-time collaboration. Freeform brings people together into a shared space for creativity, whether you’re at your desk or on the go. Easily invite others via email, link or Messages. • Brainstorm together with up to 100 collaborators in the same board. • Communicate with Messages or FaceTime. When you’re working on a board with others, you can jump into the associated Messages conversation or start a FaceTime call with your collaborators with a single tap. * Some features of Apple Creator Studio require an Apple Intelligence–capable device. For full system requirements and usage limits for Apple Creator Studio intelligence features, see Apple Support article 125029.

Screenshots

Kilonotes4 screens
Freeform4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Freeform at none against Kilonotes's 20. Freeform also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (440K vs 4.9K). Kilonotes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

Both are free to download. Kilonotes sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Freeform asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Kilonotes against 4.6 for Freeform. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freeform has 440K ratings behind it against 4.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Kilonotes's written reviews are positive against 73% of Freeform's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kilonotes ships an update every 2 weeks, Freeform every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Kilonotes versus Freeform: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKilonotesFreeform
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.9K ratings)4.6 (440K ratings)
Positive reviews71.3% of reviews72.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.9K440K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size481 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHefei T-Stack Information Technology Co., Ltd.Apple

Customer experience

Kilonotes

All ratings4,924 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews864 reviews
Positive71.3%
Neutral10.6%
Negative18.1%

Freeform

All ratings439,937 ratings
Positive88.3%
Neutral5.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews3,543 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral10.0%
Negative17.5%

User reviews

Kilonotes

From 4.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Affordable
  • 🚀 Lots of free features
  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
  • 👍 Customizable notebooks and pages
  • 👍 Good alternative to paid apps

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🐛 Syncing and backup issues
  • 🔒 Lack of password protection or privacy features
  • 👎 Limited free notebooks
  • 👎 Some features locked behind paywall

Freeform

From 440K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for note-taking and organizing
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🎨 Excellent for creative projects
  • 💡 Useful for brainstorming and mind mapping
  • 🤝 Helpful for collaboration and sharing

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🤔 Laggy performance, especially with complex boards
  • 🤷‍♀️ Lack of organizational features like folders
  • 📦 Issues with syncing and sharing boards

Bugs and requests

Kilonotes

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Notebooks and notes getting deleted or scrambled
  • Lag and performance issues when writing or zooming
  • Inconsistent behavior of the pen and eraser tools

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more free sticker packs and templates
  • Improve the lasso tool and image editing
  • Implement iCloud or cloud sync
  • Add a dark mode option
  • Improve the audio recording and playback features
Show 1 more
  • Allow more customization of notebooks and pages

Freeform

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Boards randomly disappearing or not syncing properly
  • Writing and drawing becoming unresponsive or laggy
  • Overlapping and misaligned elements after editing
  • Inability to rotate or resize objects accurately

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve Apple Pencil integration with pressure sensitivity
  • Implement undo/redo shortcuts
  • Allow for grouping and aligning of objects
  • Add more shape and text formatting options

In-app purchases

20 purchases

Kilonotes

Subscriptions7
  • Cloud space monthly membership$0.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Quarterly Plan$4.993 Months
Show 4 more
  • AIChat$5.991 Month
  • Year Subscription1 Year trial$8.991 Year
  • Annual Plan$9.991 Year
  • Cloud space annual membership$9.991 Year
One-time13
  • ExamPolitics_2019_2023_testFree
  • Summer Forest 2022 Handbook$0.99
  • Xiaofen Diary 2022 Handbook$0.99
Show 10 more
  • Fresh 2022 Handbook$0.99
  • 康奈尔笔记$0.99
  • Cartoon mistake book$0.99
  • Paid Notebook$0.99
  • Alice$1.99
  • 咸鱼日常$1.99
  • AI Points Products$1.99
  • 月亮兔$1.99
  • Paid Notebook$2.99
  • Lifetime Access$19.99
None

Freeform

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kilonotes free?
Kilonotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Freeform free?
Freeform is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Kilonotes or Freeform?
Kilonotes and Freeform are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4.9K and 440K ratings respectively.
Do Kilonotes or Freeform have ads?
Kilonotes shows ads; Freeform does not.
Which is updated more often, Kilonotes or Freeform?
Kilonotes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Freeform every 3 months. Most recently, Kilonotes was updated on September 29, 2026 and Freeform on September 29, 2026.

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