Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader vs Notewise
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF reader designed for Apple devices. It allows users to edit PDFs, annotate documents, create bullet journals, and record audio, all while offering intuitive gesture controls and seamless integration with cloud services.
- Edit PDF pages
- Annotate documents with gestures
- Record and playback audio
- Create bullet journals
- Cloud sync across devices
- Masking pen for precise annotations
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Flexcil: The world’s ultimate iOS note-taking app Loved by Apple Editors - Editor's Choice, App of the Day, Note-taking on the next level, College Life, Apple Pencil Enhanced, New Apps We Love, Noteworthy Apps & Game, Productivity Boost for teachers Whether you’re taking notes, bullet journaling, reading documents, or editing pages from textbooks ー use Flexcil! It’s the #1 note-taking tool for any Apple device. Simply highlight by pen gestures and capture images and text on the study-note by pen gestures! Save time transcribing summaries by gestures on study-note with your Apple pencil. ALL IN ONE NOTE TAKING • Edit PDF pages • Annotate almost anything • Endless pen colors, sizes, and fonts • Seamlessly highlight and underline text with GESTURE • Summarize and organize your thoughts, texts and notes • Instantly open any PDF for reading and studying • Zoom to read small text • Organize and manage your books AND notes EASY AND INTUITIVE • Drag and paste text flawlessly • Add text and annotate with ease • Smooth Image selection • Reading and pen gesture mode - FLEXCIL EXCLUSIVE • Search the dictionary for any definitions you need • Improved the tiring, old-fashioned way of writing which results in wrist/palm pain BULLET JOURNAL & TAKE BETTER NOTES • Easily create bullet journal pages • Hundreds of colors and pen stroke sizes • Colorful covers & templates • Endless creativity ー perfect for artists, hobbyists, or anyone that wants to make studying more fun • Proven to boost productivity & happiness RECORD & PLAYBACK AUDIO • Record everything you hear whenever you take class notes or writing meeting notes • Replay audio recording and review what you wrote during the class or in the meeting • Tab on your note and hear what was said at the moment MULTITASK • Use Flexcil while other apps are open - take notes during lectures! • Edit 2 PDFs at once • Advanced viewing: full screen view, vertical scroll, 4-page view, and so much more COMPATIBLE WITH: • Zoom • Google Classroom • Google Drive • Dropbox • Box • iCloud • Notes • Digital textbooks • ebooks • PDFs and more! APPLE PENCIL • Simulate real-life note-taking by using your Apple Pencil - easy to use for all ages • Guaranteed ZERO touch malfunctions • Support Apple pencil 2nd generation & double tap Plus, enjoy these NEW FEATURES! • Cloud sync: Access your notes from anywhere, and seamlessly sync across devices. • Masking pen: Enhance your annotations with precision using the masking pen. Take your note-taking to the next level with Flexcil. Download the most comprehensive, easy to use, and innovative study tool on the App Store today! * Support: https://support.flexcil.com * Website: https://www.flexcil.com * Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/flexcil * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flexcil * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjro4WpiFnxqKxAXQmASNwg [Access Permission Guide] • Storage (Photos and Videos): Used for adding images to documents in Flexcil, accessing PDF files, purchasing and downloading store content. • Music and Audio: Used for voice recording features, purchasing and downloading store content. • Microphone: Used for voice recording. • Camera: Used for taking pictures when adding photos. • Notifications: Used to display important notification content.
Notewise
This app offers a versatile digital canvas for note-taking, PDF annotation, and sketching. It leverages AI to summarize content, generate quizzes, and transcribe audio. Designed for students, professionals, and creators, it provides tools for organization, collaboration, and enhanced productivity.
- AI-powered note summarization and quizzing
- Handwritten notes and PDF annotation
- Audio recording with synced transcripts
- OCR for searchable handwriting
- Real-time collaboration
- Infinite freeform canvas
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Apple Design Awards Nominee, 6M+ users worldwide. Notewise is the future of note-taking on iPhone and iPad. Whether you’re recording meetings, sketching diagrams, annotating PDFs, or writing ideas, Notewise gives you a personalized workspace that feels like your second brain — supercharged by AI. With Notewise, you don’t just take notes. You create good notes — searchable, personalized, and interactive. Write Your First AI Note Meet your first AI Note, shaped by your context across audio, text, handwriting and docs. • Capture Anything: Start with audio, text, handwriting, docs or images. • Note: A living AI note that writes itself from everything you capture. • AI Chat: Chat with the note you're in or across every note and the web. • Search: Find details in handwriting, text, audio, files and even images. With Notewise, you always start with what matters. Personalization That Feels Like Magic Designed to take good notes for iPhone and iPad note-takers • Multiple sources, one note: Capture in any order your thoughts arrive, it stays together. • Auto-updates: Your Note grows every time new information arrives. • Suggest changes: Approve changes before your Note is edited. • Custom Tabs: Every note, your format. Choose from 20+ templates or create one. • Profile Building: Define your preferences, get customized notes. Whether you want class notes in Cornell format or meeting notes as action items, it just works. Canvas Tools Built for Power Users Use the full toolbox to create your own system of thinking and learning: Pen, Highlighter, Eraser, Lasso, Tape, Shape, Textbox, Image, Audio Recorder, Table, Zoombox, Ruler, Laser Pointer, Sticky Notes, Creative Brushes, Stickers, Background Removal, Videos Create good notes freely. Every tool is fast, fluid, and purpose-built. Stay Present in Every Meeting • Record meetings, coffee chats, classes and voice memos. • Notewise transcribes every recording. Available across 20+ languages. • Each meeting builds on the last. Yesterday's meetings informs today's decisions. • Chat with all your meetings at once. Bring context across files and texts as well. Leave Lectures with Confidence • One note for school: record lectures, annotate slides, take class notes, draw diagrams. • View class notes in Cornell or Outline format, or create one of your own. • Generate podcasts for audio visual learning and test your knowledge with quizzes. • Chat with everything you save: textbooks, notes, recordings, whiteboard images. Annotate, Edit, Chat • Upload PDFs, docs, slides, textbooks and more. • Bring PDF knowledge in the same place as recordings, typed notes and handwriting. • Chat with your files, ask questions within and beyond them. Privacy-First by Design We’re a small, independent team. We don’t sell your data. We don’t show ads. Your notes are encrypted, secure, and under your control. Try For Free • Start with 10 free canvas notes, upload slides and docs • Experience AI powered thinking. Start with a 7 day free trial of Notewise 4.0 • Use core features for free—forever Always Getting Better Canvas updates, recent additions include: • Customized Toolbar: Keep tools you like, hide the ones you don't use • Connector: Link any two elements to connect ideas, draw diagrams and map workflows • Font Selection: Choose from 2000+ Google Fonts And we're just getting started. Take Good Notes Only Notewise is built for professionals, students and knowledge workers around the world. Whether you’re working on your next start-up idea, making decisions in a meeting or simply taking class notes, design your own productivity system in Notewise, a notes app that thinks as human, works like AI. — Build your notes your way with a tool that respects your privacy. Download Notewise for free today and experience the future of note-taking: contextual, personal, powerful. Privacy Policy: https://www.notewise.dev/privacy-policy Terms & Conditions: https://www.notewise.dev/terms-conditions
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Notewise at none against Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's shown. Notewise also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Notewise sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Notewise holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 403 and 275 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 55% of Notewise's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader ships an update weekly, Notewise every 2 days. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.
| Parameter | Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader | Notewise |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (403 ratings) | 4.6 (275 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.2% of reviews — better | 54.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 403 — better | 275 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 227 MB | 428 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Flexcil Inc. | ZIIKR |
Customer experience
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
Notewise
User reviews
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
From 403 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Best Apps for STUDENTS!!! 😀😀
- 👍 Love this app
- 🚀 Powerful multi-page PDF viewer
- 👍 Great for studying
- 👍 Excellent app for note taking
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🐛 Syncing and backup problems
- 🐛 Buggy handwriting recognition
- 🐛 Unreliable palm rejection
- 🐛 Missing key features from previous version
Notewise
From 275 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🔄 Excellent cross-platform synchronization (Android, iOS, Mac, PC)
- ✨ Comprehensive feature set with tables, shapes, and drawing tools
- 🎨 High-quality dark mode implementation
- 📱 Works seamlessly across multiple devices
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes after updates
- 🐛 Handwriting and annotations disappearing randomly
- 🐛 Lasso selection tool includes unwanted background
- 🐛 App freezes and lags when highlighting large areas
- 🐛 Text input fields not functioning properly
Bugs and requests
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
Reported bugs
5 issues- Sudden data loss and file deletion
- Inability to restore purchases
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent behavior of undo/redo functions
- Annotations not exporting correctly
Requested features
6 requests- Add iCloud sync and backup
- Improve handwriting search and recognition
- Bring back reading mode and one-page scrolling
- Add more pen and brush options
- Allow customizing notebook paper styles
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- Implement auto-save and version control
Notewise
Reported bugs
18 issues- App crashes on every update
- Handwritten content randomly disappears
- Annotations vanishing intermittently
- Lasso selection tool malfunctions
- Text input fields not responding
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- App freezes when highlighting large areas with markers
- Handwriting input not registering
- Palm rejection issues causing unwanted marks
- Shape recognition failures
- Scribble-to-erase function unreliable
- PDF export causing app crashes
- Notes auto-deleting or getting corrupted
- Sync getting stuck mid-process
- Slow and delayed cross-device synchronization
- UI elements obscuring page content after 20+ minutes of use
- Copy-paste functionality limited and unreliable
- App performance degradation over time
- Glitchy behavior with shape drawing mode
Requested features
20 requests- Add layers feature for advanced editing
- Implement automatic zoom box that follows writing
- Add pencil, waterbrush, and crayon drawing tools
- Sticker marketplace or sticker customization
- Horizontal page flipping/swiping navigation
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- Ability to pause real-time syncing
- MacBook native app with full feature parity
- More shape customization (arcs for graphing)
- Improved text formatting and customization options
- Single page view mode (vertical and horizontal)
- Notebook organization beyond just pages
- Magnifying glass tool like GoodNotes
- More pen and pencil style options
- Line spacing customization for text
- PDF import from web/internet
- Printing functionality
- Audio recording and sharing capabilities
- Hyperlink support on desktop version
- Scroll locking to prevent accidental page movement
- Better shape recognition (arrows, parentheses)
In-app purchases
Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader
- Upgrade product for old usersFree
- Premium$8.99
- Flexcil Standard$9.99
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- 2021-2022 Color Planner$11.99
- Flexcil NEW Design Planner 22$11.99
- Premium & Toolbar Skin Pack$12.99
- Hello Kitty Planner 2022$13.99
- My Melody & Kuromi Planner 22$13.99
- Standard & 21-22 Planner Pack$14.99
- Standard & Design Planner Pack$14.99
- Standard & 2023 Planner Pack$14.99
- 2026 Ultimate Planner(Dated) : Pro$15.49
- Nelna 6-in-1 Planner Bundle$19.99
Notewise
- Notewise Cloud Basic Monthly$4.991 Month
- Notewise Cloud Starter Monthly$6.991 Month
- Notewise Cloud Pro Monthly$15.991 Month
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- Notewise Cloud Basic Yearly$28.991 Year
- Notewise Cloud Starter Yearly7 Days trial$36.991 Year
- Notewise Cloud Pro Yearly$129.991 Year
- Notewise Marketplace Content$1.99
- Notewise Marketplace Content$2.99
- Notewise Marketplace Content$3.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Notewise Marketplace Content$4.99
- Notewise Marketplace Content$5.99
- Notewise Marketplace Content$6.99
- Notewise Marketplace Content$7.99
- Notewise Marketplace Content$8.99
- Notewise Marketplace Content$9.99
- Notewise Unlimited$19.99
Questions
Is Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader free?
Is Notewise free?
Which has better reviews, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or Notewise?
Do Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or Notewise have ads?
Which is updated more often, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or Notewise?
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