# Notability vs Microsoft PowerPoint

Notability and Microsoft PowerPoint both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 53% of Microsoft PowerPoint's written reviews are positive against 37% of Notability's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notability sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Microsoft PowerPoint sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. 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 4.7 for Microsoft PowerPoint. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 457K and 578K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 53% of Microsoft PowerPoint's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Microsoft PowerPoint |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews)** | [4.7 (578K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-powerpoint/id586449534/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 457K | **578K** |
| Positive reviews | 36.5% of reviews | **53.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #80 | **#29** |
| Size | 411 MB | 447 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.5** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## 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


### Microsoft PowerPoint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-powerpoint/id586449534)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Productivity, #117 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Create, edit, and present slideshows from anywhere. Access recent files, sync across devices via OneDrive, and collaborate with others in real time. Features AI-powered design ideas and a Presenter Coach for public speaking practice.

**Highlights:** Create and edit presentations, View and present slideshows, Sync across devices with OneDrive, Real-time collaboration, Design ideas and templates, AI-powered Presenter Coach

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Office 365 Personal | $6.99 | per month |
| Office 365 Home | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal Student | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Premium Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Microsoft Copilot Pro | $20.00 | per month |
| Office 365 Personal | $69.99 | per year |
| Office 365 Home | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful for school and work
- 🚀 Smooth transitions and animations
- 👍 Wide range of fonts and designs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Difficult to share and collaborate
- 🔒 Limited functionality compared to desktop version
- 🔋 Slow loading times
- 👎 Requires subscription for full features

**Reported bugs**

- Slides getting corrupted or deleted unexpectedly
- Inability to open or save files in certain locations
- Inconsistent behavior when using Bluetooth keyboard
- Text formatting issues when moving between devices
- Overwriting of recent changes with older versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to select and edit multiple slides at once
- Improved palm rejection and text input with Apple Pencil
- Equation editor for scientific presentations
- Picture-in-picture mode for viewing slides and taking notes
- Seamless integration with other cloud storage services


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is Microsoft PowerPoint free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notability or Microsoft PowerPoint?

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while Microsoft PowerPoint averages 4.7 from 578K ratings.

### Do Notability or Microsoft PowerPoint have ads?

Neither Notability nor Microsoft PowerPoint shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notability or Microsoft PowerPoint?

Notability ships an update weekly, and Microsoft PowerPoint weekly. Most recently, Notability was updated on September 24, 2026 and Microsoft PowerPoint on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Notability or Microsoft PowerPoint?

Notability currently peaks at #80 in the App Store charts, and Microsoft PowerPoint at #29. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*