# Notability vs Blankbook

The clearest difference is rating: Notability at 4.8 against Blankbook's 3.9. Notability also leads on ratings volume (457K vs 129) and chart position (#77 vs unranked). Blankbook's advantage is review sentiment (55% vs 36%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notability sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Blankbook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 129, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 55% of Blankbook's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Notability ships an update weekly, Blankbook every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and July 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Blankbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews)** | [3.9 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blankbook-paper-note/id1481732301/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 129 |
| Positive reviews | 36.3% of reviews | **54.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#77** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [璐 徐](https://appshunter.io/developer/1691481212) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530)

**Currently charting:** #77 Top Grossing · Productivity, #159 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notability Lite | $5.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $7.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Notability Lite | $14.99 | per year |
| Notability Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $29.99 | per year |
| Notability Pro | $99.99 | per year |
| Notability Classic | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for note-taking
- 👍 Smooth handwriting experience
- 📝 Excellent organization and file management
- 🎙️ Useful audio recording feature
- 🔍 Handwriting recognition and search

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with iCloud
- 🔍 Limited search and organization options
- 🖍️ Frustrating highlighter behavior
- 🔒 Concerns about subscription model
- 🔧 Buggy after recent updates

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Blankbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blankbook-paper-note/id1481732301)

Experience a natural handwriting feel on an infinite canvas. Organize notes with a visual bookshelf and access tools quickly. Offers various paper types and intuitive controls for seamless creativity.

**Highlights:** Infinite scrolling canvas, 7 static paper types (dark/light variants), Pen, pencil, marker, lasso, ruler, erasers, Three quick-access tool slots, Intuitive gesture controls, Automatic dark mode matching system settings

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.49 | per month |
| Lifetime | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✍️ Natural handwriting and pen feel
- ♾️ Infinite canvas for unlimited space
- 🎨 Simple and clean interface
- ⚡ Good performance and responsiveness
- 💰 One-time purchase option available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app failures
- 💾 Data loss and note disappearance
- ⏱️ Severe lag with large amounts of data
- 🔄 Notes not syncing across devices
- 🗂️ No folder or organizational system

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when creating new sheets or files
- Notes permanently disappear without warning
- Severe lag and slow loading with accumulated data
- Delete function doesn't permanently remove notes
- Unresponsive settings and help buttons

**Requested features**

- Folder organization system for notes
- Cloud backup and sync across devices
- Image and PDF insertion capability
- Snap-to-grid and smart shapes
- Ability to rotate and scale selected content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

Notability is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Blankbook free?

Blankbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Notability or Blankbook?

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while Blankbook averages 3.9 from 129 ratings.

### Do Notability or Blankbook have ads?

Neither Notability nor Blankbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notability or Blankbook?

Notability ships an update weekly, and Blankbook every 4 days. Most recently, Notability was updated on September 26, 2026 and Blankbook on July 26, 2026.

---

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