# Notability vs Notewise

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Notability at 457K against Notewise's 271. Notability also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and chart position (#77 vs unranked). Notewise's advantage is review sentiment (55% vs 37%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). 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 Notewise sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notability holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 271, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 55% of Notewise's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Notability ships an update weekly, Notewise every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Notewise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews)** | [4.6 (271 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notewise-ai-notes-pdf-docs/id6480045936/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 271 |
| Positive reviews | 36.5% of reviews | **54.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#77** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 427 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.5** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [ZIIKR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535317711) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

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

**Currently charting:** #77 Top Grossing · Productivity, #126 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


### Notewise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notewise-ai-notes-pdf-docs/id6480045936)

This app offers a versatile digital canvas for note-taking, PDF annotation, and sketching. It leverages AI to summarize content, generate quizzes, and transcribe audio. Designed for students, professionals, and creators, it provides tools for organization, collaboration, and enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** AI-powered note summarization and quizzing, Handwritten notes and PDF annotation, Audio recording with synced transcripts, OCR for searchable handwriting, Real-time collaboration, Infinite freeform canvas

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notewise Cloud Basic Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Notewise Cloud Starter Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Notewise Cloud Pro Monthly | $15.99 | per month |
| Notewise Cloud Basic Yearly | $28.99 | per year |
| Notewise Cloud Starter Yearly | $36.99 | per year |
| Notewise Cloud Pro Yearly | $129.99 | per year |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $1.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $2.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $3.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $4.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $5.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $6.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $7.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $8.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $9.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Unlimited | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🔄 Excellent cross-platform synchronization (Android, iOS, Mac, PC)
- ✨ Comprehensive feature set with tables, shapes, and drawing tools
- 🎨 High-quality dark mode implementation
- 📱 Works seamlessly across multiple devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes after updates
- 🐛 Handwriting and annotations disappearing randomly
- 🐛 Lasso selection tool includes unwanted background
- 🐛 App freezes and lags when highlighting large areas
- 🐛 Text input fields not functioning properly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on every update
- Handwritten content randomly disappears
- Annotations vanishing intermittently
- Lasso selection tool malfunctions
- Text input fields not responding

**Requested features**

- Add layers feature for advanced editing
- Implement automatic zoom box that follows writing
- Add pencil, waterbrush, and crayon drawing tools
- Sticker marketplace or sticker customization
- Horizontal page flipping/swiping navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is Notewise free?

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

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

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while Notewise averages 4.6 from 271 ratings.

### Do Notability or Notewise have ads?

Neither Notability nor Notewise shows ads.

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

Notability ships an update weekly, and Notewise every 2 days. Most recently, Notability was updated on September 25, 2026 and Notewise on September 22, 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.*