Comparison

abcNotes Full Version vs Notability

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

Head to head
About

abcNotes Full Version

This app allows you to create stylish and functional notes and to-do lists with a realistic paper sticky note feel. It offers extensive customization options for appearance and functionality, including iCloud synchronization and checklist management.

Highlights
  • iCloud Synchronization
  • Checklist style notes
  • Customizable appearance (backgrounds, skins, icons)
  • Virtual desktops
  • Scale, rotate, and drag notes
  • Email and share notes
  • Save notes as images
Read full description

• iCloud Synchronization between iOS and MacOS X! • Checklist style notes! Manage your tasks directly on notes. abcNotes was designed to become your stylish and highly customizable, functional and easy to use assistant in taking notes and managing To Do lists. abcNotes is an awesome note taking application! It takes advantage of unique iOS devices touchscreen preserving realistic look & feel of paper sticky notes. abc Notes - Checklist & Sticky Note Application for iPhone and iPad (share, email and synch your lists, memos, projects and school notebooks) HINT: To make a checklist note: Double tap the note to edit it. Tap the Note Properties button (blue one with tools icon). Find the checklist switch next to text alignment toggles. The total number of unchecked items is displayed as badge on abcNotes icon. BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE: • 88 backgrounds to choose from • 45 note skins • 27 badge designs & 115 icons EXTREMELY FUNCTIONAL: • 15 virtual desktops • Scale, rotate and drag notes • Easy to edit, duplicate, move between desktops • Supports any iPad orientation SHARE YOUR NOTES: • Email notes and desktops • Copy note image to any application • Synchronize notes between iOS devices • Save notes as image and place to lock or home screen No more boring note lists – abcNotes brings you the ability to make REAL notes on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Put everything you need to remember into abcNotes! View you notes the way you want! Rotate your abcNotes to any angle you wish! abcNotes is great for shopping lists, student class notebook, to record lecture and interview notes or to track projects, recordings and more tasks at home, school and university (class or homework). Please feel free to contact us at alsedi.apple@gmail.com if you have suggestions, feature requests, or bug reports.

About

Notability

Capture, organize, and enhance your thoughts with a versatile digital notebook. Seamlessly blend handwriting, typing, and multimedia to annotate documents, record lectures, and generate summaries. Ideal for students and professionals seeking to boost productivity and learning.

Highlights
  • Handwritten and typed notes
  • PDF and document annotation
  • Audio recording and transcription
  • AI-powered summaries and quizzes
  • Customizable organization
  • Cross-device sync
Features
Read full description

From your first lecture to your next big meeting, Notability helps you think, learn, and work better. Take handwritten notes, annotate documents, record audio, and stay organized in one place so your ideas are always clear, searchable, and ready when you need them. NEW: NOTABILITY CLASSIC IS BACK Prefer to pay one time for Notability? Our Classic plan is a one-time purchase with no subscription required. FREE DIGITAL NOTES FOR WORK & SCHOOL • Write, type, or sketch with digital ink, highlighters, and text tools. • Mark up anything: PDFs, textbooks, lecture slides, images, and more. • Combine handwriting, typed text, images, diagrams, and sketches on the same page. • Stay organized with customizable folders and subjects that grow with you. FOR PROFESSIONALS: WORK SMARTER AND SAVE TIME • Mark up documents, capture meetings, organize ideas, and present with confidence. • Import and handwrite on any document: PDFs, DOCs, presentations, reports, and more. • Fill out forms in the office or on a job site. • Combine handwriting, text, photos and documents in one place. • Record calls and meetings to transcribe voice in real-time. Audio is synced to your notes so nothing is missed. • Receive automated meeting notes, takeaways, and summaries. • Search handwriting, transcripts, text, and PDFs to quickly revisit decisions and action items. • Present notes, documents, and ideas in full screen, with a laser pointer to guide attention. • View and edit two notes side-by-side to stay focused and productive. • Share a PDF of your note in one tap. FOR STUDENTS: STUDY SMARTER AND ACE EXAMS • Take handwritten notes digitally or annotate lecture slides or your textbooks. • Record lectures and get instant audio transcripts and real-time summaries in your notes. • Audio recordings are synced to the exact moment you write in a note — perfect for lectures. • Import lecture slides, textbook PDFs, and assignments into organized folders and subjects. • Search across handwriting, typed notes, and transcripts to instantly find content from classes. • Study content from your note with personalized quizzes and flashcards to practice with active recall. • Chat with your notes to review concepts, clarify ideas, and prepare for exams. WORK YOUR WAY • Seamlessly switch between handwriting and typing. • Import files instantly and keep everything connected. • Share notes easily to collaborate or get feedback when needed. • Access your notes across iPad, iPhone, Mac, and the web. • Create beautiful notes using templates from the Notability Gallery. UPGRADE TO A NOTABILITY SUBSCRIPTION Notability is free to use. With an upgraded subscription, you can receive: • Unlimited note-taking • AI-powered productivity and study tools • Handwriting recognition and math conversion • Live Audio transcripts • Auto-backup and iCloud sync Download for free on iPad, iPhone, Mac, and web. Privacy Policy: notability.com/privacy Terms of Service: notability.com/terms

Screenshots

abcNotes Full Version4 screens
Notability4 screens

Verdict

The call

abcNotes Full Version and Notability both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of abcNotes Full Version's written reviews are positive against 36% of Notability's. abcNotes Full Version also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.5). Notability's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On rating, ads and device support 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

Notability is free to download; abcNotes Full Version costs $2.99 up front. Notability sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. abcNotes Full Version asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for abcNotes Full Version against 4.8 for Notability. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 882, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of abcNotes Full Version's written reviews are positive against 36% of Notability's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

abcNotes Full Version ships an update every 2 months, Notability weekly. Both last shipped on September 27, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
abcNotes Full Version versus Notability: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterabcNotes Full VersionNotability
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (882 ratings)4.8 (457K ratings)
Positive reviews86.1% of reviews — better36.3% of reviews
Number of ratings882457K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank—#77 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB411 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperALSEDI GroupGinger Labs

Customer experience

abcNotes Full Version

All ratings882 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews1,089 reviews
Positive86.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative6.8%

Notability

All ratings456,880 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews3,628 reviews
Positive36.3%
Neutral8.7%
Negative55.0%

Bugs and requests

abcNotes Full Version

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Notability

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Notes disappearing or getting corrupted
  • Frequent crashes and performance issues
  • Palm rejection problems after updates
  • Inconsistent behavior when importing files

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved folder/hierarchy organization
  • More shape recognition and drawing tools
  • Side-by-side viewing of multiple notes
  • Ability to edit/rename audio recordings
  • Better integration with other apps and services

In-app purchases

None

abcNotes Full Version

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Notability

Subscriptions9
  • Notability Lite$5.991 Month
  • Notability Plus$7.991 Month
  • Notability Plus$12.993 Months
Show 6 more
  • Notability Lite$14.991 Year
  • Notability Plus1 Year trial2 variants$19.991 Year
  • Notability Plus$19.991 Year
  • Notability Pro$19.991 Month
  • Notability Plus$29.991 Year
  • Notability Pro3 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Notability Classic$49.99

Questions

Is abcNotes Full Version free?
abcNotes Full Version costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notability free?
Notability is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, abcNotes Full Version or Notability?
abcNotes Full Version and Notability are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 882 and 457K ratings respectively.
Do abcNotes Full Version or Notability have ads?
Neither abcNotes Full Version nor Notability shows ads.
Which is updated more often, abcNotes Full Version or Notability?
abcNotes Full Version ships an update every 2 months, and Notability weekly. Most recently, abcNotes Full Version was updated on September 27, 2026 and Notability on September 27, 2026.

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