# Notability vs DisplayNote App for iPad

The clearest difference is rating: Notability at 4.8 against DisplayNote App for iPad's 2.3. Notability also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (457K vs 4). DisplayNote App for iPad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.5). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notability sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. DisplayNote App for iPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 25% of DisplayNote App for iPad's.

Notability ships an update every 6 days, DisplayNote App for iPad every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | DisplayNote App for iPad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews)** | [2.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/displaynote-app-for-ipad/id1538952631/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **36.3% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#81** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [DisplayNote Technologies Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/540711786) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

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

**Currently charting:** #81 Top Grossing · Productivity, #148 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 Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| 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


### DisplayNote App for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/displaynote-app-for-ipad/id1538952631)

Wirelessly share your iPad screen to a larger display. This app enables seamless casting across any network, making presentations and content sharing effortless.

**Highlights:** Wireless screen casting, Cross-network compatibility, iPad to big screen sharing, Effortless content sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is DisplayNote App for iPad free?

DisplayNote App for iPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Notability or DisplayNote App for iPad?

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while DisplayNote App for iPad averages 2.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Notability or DisplayNote App for iPad have ads?

Neither Notability nor DisplayNote App for iPad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notability or DisplayNote App for iPad?

Notability ships an update every 6 days, and DisplayNote App for iPad every 3 months. Most recently, Notability was updated on October 1, 2026 and DisplayNote App for iPad on June 4, 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.*