# Notability vs BigPaper

The clearest difference is rating: Notability at 4.8 against BigPaper's 4.0. Notability also leads on ratings volume (457K vs 17) and chart position (#80 vs unranked). 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 BigPaper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 27% of BigPaper's.

Notability ships an update weekly, BigPaper every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | BigPaper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews)** | [4.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bigpaper-mind-map-pdf-markup/id1633929939/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | **36.5% of reviews** | 26.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#80** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 253 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [10happy Technology Development(Dalian) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1567148260) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

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

**Currently charting:** #80 Top Grossing · Productivity, #129 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


### BigPaper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bigpaper-mind-map-pdf-markup/id1633929939)

This app offers an infinite canvas for note-taking, PDF annotation, and mind mapping. Import various document formats and add text, handwriting, tables, and more. Efficiently organize and edit content without page limitations.

**Highlights:** Infinite canvas for freeform note-taking, Import and annotate PDFs and other documents, Mind mapping with element connections, Handwriting and drawing tools with Smart Shapes, Table creation and linking, Multi-format document import and export, Screenshot mode for quick content capture

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BigPaper - Full Version Unlock | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is BigPaper free?

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

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

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while BigPaper averages 4.0 from 17 ratings.

### Do Notability or BigPaper have ads?

Neither Notability nor BigPaper shows ads.

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

Notability ships an update weekly, and BigPaper every 5 days. Most recently, Notability was updated on September 24, 2026 and BigPaper on July 5, 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.*