# Notability vs Kanbana

The clearest difference is rating: Notability at 4.8 against Kanbana's 4.1. Notability also leads on ratings volume (458K vs 187) and chart position (#102 vs unranked). Kanbana's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 36%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). 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 Kanbana sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 458K ratings behind it against 187, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 75% of Kanbana's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Notability ships an update every 6 days, Kanbana every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Kanbana |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (458K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews)** | [4.1 (187 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanbana-organize-everything/id581409040/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **458K** | 187 |
| Positive reviews | 36.1% of reviews | **74.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#102** | — |
| Size | 415 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [Homestake Digital LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1661198104) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

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

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Grossing · Productivity, #193 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, iPhone Duo 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


### Kanbana

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanbana-organize-everything/id581409040)

This app helps you manage daily tasks and responsibilities with an intuitive visual interface. Organize work, personal life, and projects using customizable boards and color-coded task cards. Track progress and gain clarity at a glance.

**Highlights:** Create lists and tasks, Prioritize tasks, Track progress, Visual workflow management, Customizable boards, Color-coded task cards, Drag-and-drop task management

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kanbana Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Kanbana Premium | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and efficient
- 👍 Visually appealing
- 💡 Flexible organization
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Helps improve productivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and data loss
- 🔒 Poor customer support
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Syncing issues across devices
- 🔨 Functionality regressed after update

**Reported bugs**

- Tasks disappearing or reappearing unexpectedly
- Boards and lists getting deleted without warning
- Subscription issues and being stuck in trial mode
- Slow performance and UI responsiveness

**Requested features**

- More color options
- Ability to set reminders and due dates
- Improved drag-and-drop functionality
- Customizable backgrounds and layouts
- Offline access and data export


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is Kanbana free?

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

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

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 458K ratings, while Kanbana averages 4.1 from 187 ratings.

### Do Notability or Kanbana have ads?

Neither Notability nor Kanbana shows ads.

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

Notability ships an update every 6 days, and Kanbana every 10 days. Most recently, Notability was updated on October 30, 2026 and Kanbana on October 23, 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.*