Comparison

WinkNotes vs GUGA

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

Head to head
About

WinkNotes

This app combines note-taking with spaced repetition for effective learning. Organize your thoughts, create flashcards, and review material efficiently using memory curves and customizable study plans. Supports rich text, drawing, and offline voice reading.

Highlights
  • Columnar note-taking with key points
  • Spaced repetition for memory learning
  • Rich text formatting and drawing
  • Ebbinghaus memory curve study plans
  • Marker memory for fill-in-the-blanks
  • Offline voice reading aloud
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

WinkNotes is an app for making flashcards and planning reviews. Use it for class notes, vocabulary, and practice questions, or import existing materials from PDF, Anki, or CSV files. Note cards have a front and back for questions and answers. Add text and images, or hide key text and parts of an image to test your recall before revealing the answer. You can also make vocabulary and multiple-choice cards and organize cards into categories. On iPhone and iPad running iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, you can use Shortcuts to turn screenshots or images into flashcards with AI. If your iPhone has an Action button, you can set it up to start card creation. AI card creation has usage limits. On a Mac running macOS 15 or later, you can connect an AI assistant that supports MCP to help create and organize cards. The app schedules new cards and reviews using a review plan. Mark whether you remembered or forgot, and it uses that feedback to schedule later reviews. Choose a category or filter your cards when you want to review just part of a deck. Each deck has statistics showing new, studying, and memorized cards, review streaks, and upcoming reviews. PRO stats also show overdue and often-forgotten cards, retention, and recent review records. WinkNotes has previously appeared in App Store editorial selections for new apps and weekly editor recommendations. It was also included in features explaining what flashcards are and how to use them, and in a collection of study tools for Mac. Apple's official WeChat account has also covered WinkNotes' learning and note-taking features. WinkNotes runs on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Basic card creation, review, and stats are free, with limits on decks and some features. PRO includes iCloud sync, unlimited decks and cards, custom review plans, quick cloze tools, and advanced stats. See the app for current benefits. Subscriptions renew automatically and can be canceled through your Apple Account's subscription settings. Prices and subscription periods are shown before purchase. One-time purchase options are available as displayed in the app. Support and feedback: https://www.appnice.cn Privacy policy: https://www.appnice.cn/privacy.htm Terms of use: https://www.appnice.cn/useragreement.html

About

GUGA

This app combines notebook, whiteboard, and card functionalities for diverse learning needs. It allows for importing various formats, multi-layer handwriting, and creating interconnected learning materials. Share your progress and access cross-device data with ease.

Highlights
  • Import various notebook formats
  • Multi-layer handwriting support
  • Create and link cards
  • Multi-level whiteboard functionality
  • Cross-device data sharing
  • Community sharing platform
Read full description

GUGA is a hyper learning tool that can meet your learning needs in different scenarios. “Notebook”, “Whiteboard” and “Cards” are the three most important functions of GUGA.  In addition, GUGA also provides users with a community-SharePlace to share learning data; and provides a "Inspiration Shorthand" function to send data and record information across devices; and GUGA also provides a large number of shortcuts for you to use after connecting to the keyboard mouse. The “Notebook” is the most common learning material and the most basic learning scenario. GUGA's notebook:  1. Not only other notebook software, but also support a variety of formats to be imported into notebooks, create new notebooks, add/reduce pages, provide more than 100 inner pages and cover templates, DIY outline catalogues, edit page jumps, import pictures/text, etc.  2. It also supports adding an unlimited number of handwriting layers to each page of the notebook, hiding/displaying/merging handwriting layers, which is convenient for brushing questions and other uses when learning.  And, 3. You can also long press to select the content on the notebook to mark/excerpt while writing and taking notes, and make cards for other uses based on the excerpt content.  The “Whiteboard” is a multi-data learning console and a richer learning scenario. GUGA's whiteboard:  1. Support the import of multiple notebooks and use them in one whiteboard at the same time. You can also add/import data in other formats to learn and use them together.  2. Provide a notebook floating window system, which makes it more convenient for you to use multiple notebooks and whiteboards at the same time. The notebook in the whiteboard can be presented in the form of a floating window. The floating window has a variety of states (maximizing/mini window/up and down left and right side windows), which can hide/close/display all floating windows with one click; support floating window memory, type again Open the whiteboard, and all floating windows that are not closed can continue to be used.  3 Provide the "multi-level" whiteboard function. The whiteboard can create a lower-layer whiteboard, or it can be connected with other whiteboards to form a link relationship, thus creating a relationship between learning scenes.  4 You can copy the selected content in the floating notebook to the whiteboard to form a card. The cards on the whiteboard can be freely combined and split, and the cards can also be connected to form a brain map; the jump relationship can be set between the cards.  5 The whiteboard can be divided by frame, and it can also be positioned with pins to make it easier to use and manage the whiteboard content.  In addition, 6 The entire whiteboard can be emitted as pdf, and the frame can also be emitted as a multi-page PDF, and the jump relationship between the frames will also be retained. The card is the achievement of atomization learning, and the card package is the collection of your achievements. GUGA's card:  1. Excerpt cards in the notebook and cards on the whiteboard can be collected in the card package.  2. You can use the "Inspiration Catcher" function of the GUGA WeChat official account/browser's GUGA plug-in to transfer the information you want to save to any of your card package at any time.  3. Each card is a "blocked" rich text editor, which can be combined and split on the whiteboard, or any block can be set as an answer block in flash card mode.  4. Card packs can be converted between ordinary packs and flash card packs; the function of flash card packs is consistent with other flash card software (Anki).  5. Each flash card pack can choose different learning modes and different memory algorithms to help you better learn and review cards.  In addition, 6. The daily learning plan of flash cards will automatically appear in the GUGA log (My Logbook) on the right to learn flash card packages at any time. Have Fun with GUGA 2.0, and Enjoy Your Serious Learning Power.

Screenshots

WinkNotes4 screens
GUGA1 screens

Verdict

The call

WinkNotes and GUGA are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. WinkNotes sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and GUGA sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 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 — 4.8 for WinkNotes against 4.7 for GUGA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 128 and 163 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of WinkNotes's written reviews are positive against 70% of GUGA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WinkNotes ships an update weekly, GUGA every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
WinkNotes versus GUGA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWinkNotesGUGA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (128 ratings) — better4.7 (163 ratings)
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better70.2% of reviews
Number of ratings128163 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB705 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDetailsoft Co., Ltd.GutenbergGalaxy Technology Co.

Customer experience

WinkNotes

All ratings128 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral15.6%
Negative6.3%

GUGA

All ratings163 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews57 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral7.0%
Negative22.8%

Bugs and requests

WinkNotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

GUGA

Reported bugs

31 issues
  • Pencil direction does not rotate with pencil movement
  • Cannot check Terms and Privacy Policy on first app open
  • Cannot log in
  • iCloud sync is glitchy
  • Notes get erased when switching devices
Show 26 more
  • All notes disappeared after not using for half a year
  • Lost purchase and notes after re-login
  • Cannot convert to flashcards or use mind map
  • PDF viewing mode changed in version 2.0
  • PDF cards open in a very small window
  • Cannot view PDF in split-screen mode
  • Handwritten notes on imported PDFs lost after automatic update
  • Lasso tool gets stuck when moving objects
  • Frequent crashes when using two-finger undo function
  • Developers not responsive to English customers
  • Two-finger undo is clumsy and often undoes too many steps
  • Drawing a line from outside an image to inside adds points that cannot be removed by eraser
  • Cannot edit curvature of drawn curves
  • Lag when using ruler and pasting images
  • Notes sometimes disappear and are hard to find
  • Whiteboard viewing feature not yet released
  • Pasting URLs no longer shows preview images
  • App is laggy after update, especially when moving cards
  • Cannot login with Apple account
  • PDF export quality is blurry (exported as image/screenshot)
  • Cannot delete pen stroke colors
  • iCloud syncing is slow
  • Handwriting search failed
  • Card excerpt from PDF does not direct back to its location in PDF
  • Vertical videos become horizontal with black bars
  • Added fonts are not usable

Requested features

24 requests
  • Allow Apple Pencil to transition to previous tool
  • Adapt to Apple Pencil Pro squeeze gesture
  • Return to previous PDF card viewing mode
  • Allow Mac OS version with iCloud syncing
  • Add auto backup to other cloud drives (Google Drive, OneDrive)
Show 19 more
  • Add backlinking feature
  • Speedy, glitchless movement of cards
  • Faster UI
  • Ability to zoom with mouse scroll wheel
  • Add presentation mode with set paths
  • iPhone and iMac versions for syncing
  • Add folder functionality for whiteboard organization
  • Allow modification of pen stroke color with lasso tool
  • Allow deletion of pen stroke colors
  • Improve PDF export quality to vector quality
  • Export whole canvas as PDF without limitation
  • Allow adding more fonts
  • Improve URL link preview functionality
  • Allow inputting numbers to adjust pen size
  • Allow editing curve curvature
  • Fix issue with drawing lines from outside to inside images
  • Fix issue with two-finger undo
  • Allow users to see remaining free trial count
  • Allow sign in with Google

In-app purchases

8 purchases

WinkNotes

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription (Events)$1.991 Month
  • Annual Full Access(Events)7 Days trial$6.991 Year
  • Annual Full Access7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time5
  • 120 Credits$0.99
  • 400 Credits$2.99
  • 2000 Credits$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Special edition$14.99
  • Lifetime Full Access$19.99
3 purchases

GUGA

One-time3
  • Limited-time Discount C$4.99
  • Limited-time Discount B$6.99
  • Unlock GUGA PRO$9.99

Questions

Is WinkNotes free?
WinkNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GUGA free?
GUGA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, WinkNotes or GUGA?
WinkNotes is rated higher. WinkNotes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 128 ratings, while GUGA averages 4.7 from 163 ratings.
Do WinkNotes or GUGA have ads?
Neither WinkNotes nor GUGA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WinkNotes or GUGA?
WinkNotes ships an update weekly, and GUGA every 4 days. Most recently, WinkNotes was updated on October 19, 2026 and GUGA on October 16, 2026.

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