# Notability vs ZoomNotes Lite

The clearest difference is rating: Notability at 4.8 against ZoomNotes Lite's 4.2. Notability also leads on ratings volume (457K vs 214) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). ZoomNotes Lite's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 37%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notability sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and ZoomNotes Lite sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 214, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 72% of ZoomNotes Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Notability ships an update weekly, ZoomNotes Lite every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | ZoomNotes Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews)** | [4.2 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoomnotes-lite/id621255925/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 214 |
| Positive reviews | 36.5% of reviews | **72.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#79** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 151 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [Deliverance Software Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/374494333) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

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

**Currently charting:** #79 Top Grossing · Productivity, #130 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


### ZoomNotes Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoomnotes-lite/id621255925)

This app allows for handwritten notes and sketches on various digital documents, including PDFs and Office files. It offers unlimited zooming, customizable paper styles, and extensive sharing options. Additional features and pen types are available through in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Unlimited zoom and panning, Handwritten notes and sketches, Markup PDFs and Office documents, Customizable paper sizes and styles, Extensive document sharing options, Digital planning with calendar integration

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Highlighter pen | $0.99 | one-time |
| Text | $0.99 | one-time |
| Images | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bookmarks | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sounds | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sub-documents | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tables | $0.99 | one-time |
| Workspaces | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Pens | $2.99 | one-time |
| All features | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Versatile and feature-rich
- 👍 Smooth handwriting experience
- 💡 Powerful customization options
- 🚀 Seamless PDF annotation
- 👍 Reliable syncing and backup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 👎 Confusing and outdated user interface
- 🐛 Inconsistent pen and eraser behavior
- 👎 Limited free version functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues leading to document conflicts
- Random lines and dots appearing on the page
- Disappearing handwritten notes after saving
- Inability to unlock paid features after purchase

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and formatting
- Easier organization with better folder management
- More tutorials and documentation
- Ability to recover accidentally deleted notes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is ZoomNotes Lite free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notability or ZoomNotes Lite?

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while ZoomNotes Lite averages 4.2 from 214 ratings.

### Do Notability or ZoomNotes Lite have ads?

Neither Notability nor ZoomNotes Lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notability or ZoomNotes Lite?

Notability ships an update weekly, and ZoomNotes Lite every 3 weeks. Most recently, Notability was updated on September 24, 2026 and ZoomNotes Lite on August 26, 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.*