Comparison

Defter Notes vs Intermezzo

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

Head to head
About

Defter Notes

This app provides an infinite canvas for spatial thinking, allowing users to capture, connect, and explore ideas through handwriting, drawing, and text. It adapts to various creative processes, offering fluid editing and intuitive navigation for deep work and complex projects.

Highlights
  • Infinite canvas for spatial thinking
  • Handwriting, drawing, and text input
  • Connect and link ideas
  • Stacks for deep work
  • Fluid editing with gestures
  • Supports PDFs, images, and links
Features
Read full description

Defter Notes is loved by academics, students, teachers, researchers, journal keepers, knowledge workers, designers, architects, engineers, writers, and anyone who thinks best with their hands and eyes.  It’s built for people who see ideas as living things: connected, evolving, and worth exploring. Think without boundaries Defter Notes gives you an infinite canvas for spatial thinking. Drop ideas anywhere. Draw connections. Expand as far as your thoughts take you. Enjoy pure creative flow. Capture ideas your way Whether it starts as a quick sketch, a handwritten note, or a PDF you’re diving into, Defter Notes adapts to your process. Write, draw, or type; then move, link, and layer it all together. Your ideas stay flexible and alive. Work the way your brain works Move items freely. Zoom in and out of context. Build hierarchies of Spaces that let you go deeper into your projects. Defter Notes stays out of the way so your focus stays on thinking. Top features * Stacks for deep work: Ideal for reading, studying, or comparing multiple resources. * Deft movement with gestures: Drag pages or extract text directly out of PDFs. * Cross-reference and multitask: View, resize, and reorder documents side by side. * Handwriting and text tools: Combine pen, pencil, marker, and text boxes using Apple Pencil or Scribble. * Fluid editing: Double-tap any item to edit or share. * Intuitive navigation: Use the mini-map, navigation bar, gestures, and select tool to move effortlessly through infinite spaces. * Supports links and files: Drop in PDFs, images, URLs, and attachments right onto your canvas. Join the community: https://discord.com/invite/GjS5tJSmBW Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://www.defternotes.com/touprivacypolicy https://defternotes.com

About

Intermezzo

Features
Read full description

Intermezzo reminds you to rest your eyes — calmly, on every screen you use. Every 20 minutes (or any interval you choose), a serene full-screen break invites you to look away, breathe, and reset. When you're back, so is your focus. WORKS EVERYWHERE, TOGETHER Start a break on your Mac and your iPhone and iPad pause with it — at the same instant. Intermezzo syncs over iCloud anywhere, and uses your local Wi-Fi for split-second alignment between devices on the same network. DESIGNED TO BE IGNORED (UNTIL IT MATTERS) No nagging countdowns. On the Mac, the time to your next break lives quietly in the menu bar; on iPhone and iPad the home screen stays calm. When it's time, a gentle chime and a breathing overlay do the rest. Postpone or skip whenever life happens. RESPECTS YOUR BATTERY AND YOUR PRIVACY No background polling — Intermezzo schedules ahead and sleeps. No accounts or tracking. Anonymous, aggregate settings analytics help us improve the app; your personal data never leaves your own iCloud and your own network. • Follows the 20-20-20 eye-care rule out of the box; fully configurable • Synchronized breaks and settings across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch • Menu-bar-only mode on the Mac • Light/dark adaptive themes: System, Calm, Midnight, Forest • Free for 10 days, then $14.99 once — no subscription. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch.

Screenshots

Defter Notes4 screens
Intermezzo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Defter Notes at fortnightly against Intermezzo's every 2 months. Intermezzo's advantage is device support (5 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Defter Notes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Intermezzo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Defter Notes ships an update fortnightly, Intermezzo every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Defter Notes versus Intermezzo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDefter NotesIntermezzo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (75 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings75 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDeft Works ApSBrandon Price

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Defter Notes

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly Plan$2.991 Month
  • Mini Supporter$2.991 Month
  • Supporter$7.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Yearly Plan$17.991 Year
  • Big Supporter$29.991 Month
One-time2
  • Lifetime Access - Welcome Offer$29.99
  • Lifetime Access$39.99
1 purchases

Intermezzo

One-time1
  • Unlock Intermezzo$14.99

Questions

Is Defter Notes free?
Defter Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Intermezzo free?
Intermezzo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Defter Notes or Intermezzo have ads?
Neither Defter Notes nor Intermezzo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Defter Notes or Intermezzo?
Defter Notes ships an update fortnightly, and Intermezzo every 2 months. Most recently, Defter Notes was updated on November 3, 2026 and Intermezzo on October 25, 2026.

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