# CollaNote vs Freeform

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Freeform at none against CollaNote's 4. Freeform also leads on ratings volume (448K vs 15K) and iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18.6). CollaNote's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CollaNote sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Freeform asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for CollaNote against 4.5 for Freeform. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freeform has 448K ratings behind it against 15K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 73% and 72% positive.

CollaNote ships an update every 6 days, Freeform every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CollaNote | Freeform |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268/reviews)** | [4.5 (448K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freeform/id6443742539/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 15K | **448K** |
| Positive reviews | **72.8% of reviews** | 72.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 224 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zauberberg Lab Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693142923) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### CollaNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268)

This app offers a comprehensive note-taking experience with advanced tools for digital planning, PDF markup, and flashcard creation. It features a wide array of pens, handwriting stabilization, and AI-powered assistance for enhanced productivity and creativity. Organize, secure, and share your notes seamlessly across devices.

**Highlights:** 25+ pens and brushes, PDF, PPT, DOC markup, Flashcard creation, Translation tool, Audio recording, AI-powered tools, Real-time collaboration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium Loyal Users | $6.95 | one-time |
| Premium: Time Limited Sale | $6.95 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Welcome Offer | $9.69 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $13.90 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Very good writing app
- 🚀 Great app and easy to navigate
- 🚀 Excellent note taking app
- 👍 Amazing free note taking app
- 👍 Fantastic for teaching

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitching, crashing, and issues with writing tools
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and bugs
- 🐛 Issues with PDF annotations and exports
- 🐛 Problems with organization and navigation
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- Pen and eraser issues after updates
- Freezing and crashing when deleting or moving notes
- Inconsistent behavior of favorite pen settings
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login screen freezes

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support
- Improve text editing and formatting
- Enhance organization with nested folders
- Implement better backup and sync options
- Add more pen/pencil customization


### Freeform

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freeform/id6443742539)

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

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CollaNote free?

CollaNote 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, CollaNote or Freeform?

CollaNote is rated higher. CollaNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Freeform averages 4.5 from 448K ratings.

### Do CollaNote or Freeform have ads?

Neither CollaNote nor Freeform shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CollaNote or Freeform?

CollaNote ships an update every 6 days, and Freeform every 3 months. Most recently, CollaNote was updated on October 29, 2026 and Freeform on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*