Comparison

touchnotesPro vs BoardNotes

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

Head to head
About

touchnotesPro

This app combines handwriting, document annotation, and study tools for efficient note-taking. Import various file types, clip web content, and record lectures with real-time transcription. Organize ideas with mind maps and create flashcards for effective review.

Highlights
  • Handwriting and document annotation
  • Import PDFs, Word, EPUB, and web content
  • Speech and handwriting recognition
  • AI-powered formula recognition
  • Mind mapping for idea organization
  • Flashcard creation for review
  • Infinite canvas for freeform notes
Features
Read full description

touchnotesPro brings handwriting, document annotation and study tools together in one note-taking app. Keep your learning materials in one place, organize key ideas, and create flashcards from important content for review. From capturing ideas to understanding and revisiting them, build a knowledge space of your own. Write, read and annotate Import PDF, PowerPoint, Word and EPUB files. Add annotations, write on the page and highlight key points as you read, keeping your thoughts alongside your materials. Bring your learning materials together Web clipping: import articles, reference materials and web pages into your notes. Extract key points and organize the content so you can do more with what you read. Online video: import online videos, take notes while watching, and capture video frames to save on your note pages. Keep key moments from a lesson alongside your own thoughts. Speech transcription (ASR): turn speech into editable text in real time. This feature supports Simplified Chinese and English only. Capture lectures, meetings, interviews and ideas in these supported languages, then revisit and organize the text afterward. AI-powered recognition and study tools Handwriting recognition (OCR): convert handwriting into editable text. This feature supports Simplified Chinese and English only, making handwritten notes in these languages easier to organize digitally. Formula recognition: recognize mathematical formulas in handwriting or images and convert them into editable formulas. Connect ideas and review what matters Mind maps: organize the key points in your notes into clear hierarchies. See how ideas connect and build a clearer understanding of the whole topic. Flashcards: create flashcards from important content and organize them with multiple tags. Bring the key points from your notes into your review routine. More ways to capture your ideas Infinite canvas: write, draw, insert images and arrange content without fixed page boundaries. Explore ideas, organize knowledge and plan projects on an open canvas. Live Notes: combine moving content with handwriting, images and stickers to capture travel, everyday moments and inspiration in a more expressive way. Continue across devices Sync your notes across devices so you can pick up your study, work and note-taking where you left off. Handwriting, documents, audio, web pages, video, mind maps and flashcards: bring them together to capture, organize, understand and review.

About

BoardNotes

This app combines whiteboard, notebook, PDF management, mind mapping, and flashcard creation into a single, versatile handwriting note-taking tool. It offers a wide array of pen types, organizational features, and study aids to enhance productivity and learning.

Highlights
  • Handwriting note-taking
  • Integrated whiteboard
  • PDF import and editing
  • Mind mapping functionality
  • Spaced repetition flashcards
  • Multiple pen and brush types
  • Layer management
Features
Read full description

Feature Introduction: BoardNotes is a versatile handwriting note-taking app that integrates five major functions—whiteboard, notebook, PDF, mind map, and flashcards—covering most note-taking scenarios. It serves as your All-In-One App. Handwriting Pen: 1. BoardNotes utilizes Apple's native pen technology and has developed additional pens tailored for Chinese writing, including a fountain pen, a laser pointer for presentations, and a tape pen for masking notes. 2. Choose from a variety of brushes (laser pen, tape pen, ballpoint pen, straight-line pen, wavy-line pen, custom fountain pen, quill pen, pencil, marker, watercolor pen, fill pen, single-line pen, crayon, freehand pen) to unleash your creativity. 3. Lasso tool (extremely powerful). 4. Eraser (pixel eraser and object eraser). Whiteboard: 1. The whiteboard is ideal for organizing fragmented knowledge, brainstorming, and boosting creativity. 2. Write and draw freely without worrying about boundaries. 3. Customize background colors and grid templates. 4. Add various card types (text, image, video, audio, webpage, file, handwriting). 5. Multiple auxiliary tools: background board, pins, link navigation (supports bidirectional links), connectors, timer (countdown supported), calculator. 6. Quickly locate notes using the search function. Notebook & PDF: 1. Create notebooks and PDFs with multiple paper templates and cover options. Import images from Photos or PDFs from the Files app as pages or covers. 2. Add text, images, stickers, videos, webpage snapshots, audio recordings, links (bidirectional links supported), timers, calculators, and floating PDF windows. 3. Layer functionality—show or hide layers as needed. 4. Insert new pages via blank sheets, images, scanned documents, or files. 5. Cut, copy, and paste pages into other notebooks or PDFs. 6. Duplicate, rotate, or delete pages. 7. Reorder pages via long-press and drag in thumbnail view. 8. Create outlines and add bookmarks. 9. Search (text, handwritten notes, etc.). 10. Import e-books (epub, mobi, azw, etc.). Mind Map: 1. Mind mapping is a key feature within the whiteboard. 2. Nodes support multiple formats (text, image, handwriting, video, audio, webpage snapshot, file). 3. Offers 3 structures and 18 color schemes. 4. Add summaries (brackets). 5. Handwritten mind maps (using handwritten cards). 6. Long-press and drag selected cards into the mind map. 7. Reorder nodes or adjust hierarchy via long-press and drag. Flashcard: 1. Flashcards use the SuperMemo algorithm to automatically schedule optimal review intervals, reminding you before forgetting to maximize memory efficiency. 2. Flashcards support text, images, and handwriting. 3. Quickly create cards from notes in whiteboards, notebooks, or PDFs using the rectangular lasso tool. Download BoardNotes for free on iPad, iPhone, and Mac. For suggestions, please contact us via the in-app feedback feature.

Screenshots

touchnotesPro4 screens
BoardNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BoardNotes at 80% against touchnotesPro's 30%. BoardNotes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (116 vs 4). touchnotesPro's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, 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. touchnotesPro sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and BoardNotes sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BoardNotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BoardNotes has 116 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of touchnotesPro's written reviews are positive against 80% of BoardNotes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

touchnotesPro ships an update every 3 weeks, BoardNotes every 10 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
touchnotesPro versus BoardNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertouchnotesProBoardNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (4 ratings)4.7 (116 ratings) — better
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4116 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.215.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size667 MB342 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer广东新空电子科技股份有限公司Chongqing Ouluowa Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

touchnotesPro

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative40.0%

BoardNotes

All ratings115 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.3%

Bugs and requests

touchnotesPro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BoardNotes

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Whiteboards erasing automatically
  • No automatic backup leading to data loss
  • Syncing issues between iPad and Mac
  • Pencil tip not appearing on PDF annotations
  • App crashes frequently
Show 11 more
  • Recording data is lost
  • Cannot create new notebooks
  • Gear icon for settings missing in dark mode
  • Issue with eraser and color selection logic
  • Lasso tool missing cut button after cropping
  • PDF embeds appear blurry
  • Handwriting search not implemented
  • Accidental touches/palm rejection issues
  • Chinese font display issues in markdown
  • App freezes when using search function
  • Software flashes back (crashes)

Requested features

24 requests
  • Sync to Google Drive/other cloud services
  • Faster 'add to cards' function
  • View carded items in sidebar
  • Color coding for pins
  • Image opacity adjustment
Show 19 more
  • Faster image copy from whiteboard
  • Android app version
  • WebDAV function
  • Markdown editing/viewing function
  • Handwriting recognition and search
  • Improve palm rejection/anti-touch
  • Add more brush types (with stroke variation)
  • Search for handwritten text
  • Dark Mode UI
  • More calculator functions (square root, trig identities)
  • In-app browser (ChatGPT, YouTube integration)
  • Easier UI navigation of notebook pages
  • Ability to change existing page formats
  • More in-depth pen fine-tuning
  • Optimize UI, move undo/redo to top right
  • Adjust pressure sensitivity
  • Customizable top toolbar icons
  • Add college rule paper
  • Translate function for papers

In-app purchases

10 purchases

touchnotesPro

One-time10
  • Basic Cloud Package$1.99
  • Premium Cloud Package$1.99
  • 享做笔记vip-1年$3.99
Show 7 more
  • Premium Cloud Package$3.99
  • 享做笔记vip-2年$4.99
  • Basic Cloud Package$6.99
  • Student Cloud Package$6.99
  • Student Cloud Package$9.99
  • vip$9.99
  • Premium Cloud Package$14.99
10 purchases

BoardNotes

One-time10
  • 5 days membership$0.99
  • Math Formula Recognition$1.99
  • 1 month membership$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Permanent Unlock All$4.99
  • 6 months membership$4.99
  • 6 months membership$6.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$6.99
  • Annual Membership$7.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$7.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$9.99

Questions

Is touchnotesPro free?
touchnotesPro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BoardNotes free?
BoardNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, touchnotesPro or BoardNotes?
BoardNotes is rated higher. touchnotesPro averages 2.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while BoardNotes averages 4.7 from 116 ratings.
Do touchnotesPro or BoardNotes have ads?
BoardNotes shows ads; touchnotesPro does not.
Which is updated more often, touchnotesPro or BoardNotes?
touchnotesPro ships an update every 3 weeks, and BoardNotes every 10 days. Most recently, touchnotesPro was updated on November 3, 2026 and BoardNotes on November 3, 2026.

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