# Notability vs Pocket Scanner by Spalgin

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pocket Scanner by Spalgin at none against Notability's 10. Pocket Scanner by Spalgin also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Notability's advantage is chart position (#110 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notability sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Pocket Scanner by Spalgin asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notability ships an update weekly, Pocket Scanner by Spalgin every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Pocket Scanner by Spalgin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (459K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-study/id360593530/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **459K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 36.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#110** | — |
| Size | 455 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [fevzi emre karahan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1859971862) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

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

**Currently charting:** #110 Top Grossing · Productivity, #156 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture, organize, and enhance your thoughts with digital ink, typed text, and audio recordings. This app helps you mark up documents, create presentations, and study smarter with AI-powered tools. Access your notes across all your devices for seamless productivity.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes, typing, and sketching, PDF and document annotation, Audio recording synced to notes, AI-powered summaries and quizzes, Folder and subject organization, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| 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 |

**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


### Pocket Scanner by Spalgin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-scanner-by-spalgin/id6813529880)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is Pocket Scanner by Spalgin free?

Pocket Scanner by Spalgin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Notability or Pocket Scanner by Spalgin have ads?

Neither Notability nor Pocket Scanner by Spalgin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notability or Pocket Scanner by Spalgin?

Notability ships an update weekly, and Pocket Scanner by Spalgin every 2 days. Most recently, Notability was updated on November 5, 2026 and Pocket Scanner by Spalgin on October 31, 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.*