# Notability vs Stylus Labs Write

Notability and Stylus Labs Write both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of Stylus Labs Write's written reviews are positive against 36% of Notability's. Stylus Labs Write also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.5). Notability's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (457K vs 295). On price, rating, 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 Stylus Labs Write sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Notability against 4.8 for Stylus Labs Write. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 295, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 82% of Stylus Labs Write's.

Notability ships an update weekly, Stylus Labs Write every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Stylus Labs Write |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews) | [4.8 (295 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write/id1580794413/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 295 |
| Positive reviews | 36.3% of reviews | **82.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#74** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [Matthew White](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498369427) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

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

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Grossing · Productivity, #140 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


### Stylus Labs Write

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write/id1580794413)

This app offers advanced tools for managing and editing handwritten notes and documents. It supports cloud integration, vector graphics, and includes features for intelligent selection, reflowing text, and creating links. It's ideal for note-taking, brainstorming, and sketching.

**Highlights:** Intelligent selection, erase, and move tools, Reflow handwritten text with insert space, Create handwritten links and bookmarks, Save and paste clippings, Unlimited undo/redo jog dial, Split view for dual document editing, Standard note-taking and drawing tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full version | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is Stylus Labs Write free?

Stylus Labs Write is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Notability or Stylus Labs Write?

Notability and Stylus Labs Write are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 457K and 295 ratings respectively.

### Do Notability or Stylus Labs Write have ads?

Neither Notability nor Stylus Labs Write shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notability or Stylus Labs Write?

Notability ships an update weekly, and Stylus Labs Write every 7 months. Most recently, Notability was updated on September 25, 2026 and Stylus Labs Write on September 24, 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.*