Comparison

Notability vs Moleskine Notebooks

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

Head to head
About

Notability

Capture, organize, and enhance your ideas with handwritten notes, document annotation, and audio recording. This app streamlines learning and work by making your notes searchable, shareable, and interactive.

Highlights
  • Handwritten notes and sketching
  • PDF and document annotation
  • Audio recording synced to notes
  • Handwriting recognition
  • AI-powered summaries and takeaways
  • Customizable organization with folders
  • 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

About

Moleskine Notebooks

Capture your handwritten notes and sketches digitally. Transform them into editable text or shareable images, enhanced with AI or Apple Pencil. Seamlessly bridge the gap between your physical notebook and digital devices.

Highlights
  • Handwritten notes to editable text
  • Sketches to digital images
  • AI-powered enhancements
  • Apple Pencil integration
  • Physical to digital workflow
  • Real-time capture
Features
Read full description

From paper to digital, the timeless pleasure of handwriting meets the limitless power of technology to evolve, expand, and reinvent your ideas. Every thought lives on paper, every idea grows beyond its boundaries. With Moleskine Notebooks (formerly Moleskine Notes), your creativity moves seamlessly between the physical world and the digital one. Designed for those who love to write, sketch, and create by hand, while also wanting to revisit, transform, and enhance their work on digital devices. Write on paper, watch it on screen. Place your smart notebook beneath your iPad: as your pen flows on paper, Moleskine Notebook captures every word, every line, every draft in real time. Instantly see your work come to life on your device, ready to explore, edit, or share. From your hand, beyond the page. With Moleskine Notebooks you can: - Turn handwritten notes into editable digital text. - Transform sketches and drawings into images for your digital projects. - Enrich your notes with the Apple Pencil or use the power of Artificial Intelligence to improve, organize, and reinterpret your creations. Rediscover the joy of freehand writing, empowered by digital technology. Moleskine Notebook is more than an app: it is the keyboard for creative minds. It accompanies you on a journey between inspiration and innovation, while preserving the beauty of handwriting. Moleskine Notebooks. Write the future, starting from paper. Terms of Service: https://www.moleskineeveryday.com/terms

Screenshots

Notability4 screens
Moleskine Notebooks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Notability at 4.8 against Moleskine Notebooks's 4.1. Notability also leads on ratings volume (459K vs 715) and review sentiment (36% vs 15%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Notability sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Moleskine Notebooks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Notability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 459K ratings behind it against 715, 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 15% of Moleskine Notebooks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notability ships an update weekly, Moleskine Notebooks fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Notability versus Moleskine Notebooks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotabilityMoleskine Notebooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (459K ratings) — better4.1 (715 ratings)
Positive reviews36.1% of reviews — better14.9% of reviews
Number of ratings459K — better715
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#103 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size457 MB179 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGinger LabsMoleskine Srl

Customer experience

Notability

All ratings458,669 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews3,783 reviews
Positive36.1%
Neutral8.7%
Negative55.1%

Moleskine Notebooks

All ratings714 ratings
Positive77.6%
Neutral5.0%
Negative17.4%
Written reviews424 reviews
Positive14.9%
Neutral9.0%
Negative76.2%

User reviews

Notability

From 459K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Moleskine Notebooks

From 715 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Seamless handwriting-to-digital conversion
  • 🔒 Secure data storage and sync
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 💡 Innovative integration of physical and digital note-taking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and app instability
  • 🔌 Unreliable pen-to-app connectivity and sync
  • 🤔 Inconsistent performance across devices
  • ⏱️ Slow and laggy app experience

Bugs and 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

Moleskine Notebooks

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unable to log in to Moleskine account
  • Google Drive integration and backup issues
  • Incorrect page/date display in planner
  • Partial or missing note transcription

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved calendar integration and event management
  • Ability to rearrange and organize notebook pages
  • Better handwriting recognition and text editing tools
  • Seamless migration from previous app versions

In-app purchases

9 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 Plus7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Notability Plus$19.991 Year
  • Notability Pro$19.991 Month
  • Notability Pro3 Days trial$99.991 Year
2 purchases

Moleskine Notebooks

Subscriptions2
  • Bundle + AI - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Bundle + AI - Annual Plan3 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Notability free?
Notability is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Moleskine Notebooks free?
Moleskine Notebooks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notability or Moleskine Notebooks?
Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 459K ratings, while Moleskine Notebooks averages 4.1 from 715 ratings.
Do Notability or Moleskine Notebooks have ads?
Neither Notability nor Moleskine Notebooks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notability or Moleskine Notebooks?
Notability ships an update weekly, and Moleskine Notebooks fortnightly. Most recently, Notability was updated on November 12, 2026 and Moleskine Notebooks on November 7, 2026.

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