Comparison

Absolute Board vs OrigNotes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Absolute Board

This free drawing and handwriting app allows users to sketch and take notes with unlimited board size and color options. Save and share your ideas easily, with features like a traceable eraser, photo import, and printing capabilities.

Highlights
  • Unlimited board size
  • Unlimited color choice
  • Path traceable eraser
  • Email snapshot of drawing
  • Zooming and panning
  • Undo/Redo functions
  • Import photos
  • Print snapshot
Features
Read full description

* April 2011 - "New & Noteworthy" (Productivity) application on the American App Store * * April 2011 - "What's Hot" (Productivity) application on the American App Store * * April 2011 - "Staff Favorites" (All) application on the Korean App Store * * April 2011 - "No. 1 Free App" (Productivity) application on the Korean App Store * Best quality FREE drawing & handwriting app for iPad It's so simple & convenient - just sketch & take notes about anything in your mind. Save and share your novel ideas in the school, cafeteria, office or even on the bed. ▶ Unlimited board size ▶ Unlimited color choice for pen & background ▶ Path traceable eraser ▶ Ability to email snapshot of your drawing ▶ Zooming in/out & moving with two fingers ▶ Undo/Redo functions ▶ Import a Photo ▶ Print Snapshot (Air Print)

About

OrigNotes

Create, organize, and manage high-quality handwritten notes with ease. Supports handwriting, drawing, image insertion, and PDF annotation. Stay organized and productive for study, work, or daily ideas.

Highlights
  • Handwritten notes and drawing
  • Image insertion and PDF annotation
  • Organize and search documents
  • Customizable note covers and paper styles
  • Palm rejection and writing settings
  • Variety of brushes and tools
  • Cloud sync support
Features
Read full description

OrigNotes is a powerful, free digital note-taking app built for iPad and iPhone. Whether you're taking handwritten notes, annotating PDFs, organizing ideas with mind maps, or capturing inspiration with images, audio, and video, OrigNotes gives you the tools to keep everything in one place. Write naturally with Apple Pencil, convert handwriting into editable text, search through your notes, and customize your workspace to fit the way you think and work. OrigNotes is free to use, and we're committed to keeping it that way. If you're enjoying OrigNotes, we'd greatly appreciate a 5-star review. Your support helps us continue improving the app and building new features for everyone. Have an idea or feature request? Leave us a review or contact us directly through the app. You can also check our Future Plans inside OrigNotes to see what we're working on and follow the progress of upcoming features. KEY FEATURES • Handwriting & Drawing Enjoy a natural writing experience with a variety of pens, brushes, and creative tools designed for Apple Pencil. • PDF Reading & Annotation Import PDFs to read, highlight, annotate, draw, and take notes directly on your documents. • Mind Maps Create mind maps to organize ideas, study topics, and brainstorm visually. Add topics and subtopics, drag and rearrange nodes, and customize your mind map to fit your ideas. • Handwriting to Text Turn handwritten notes into editable text for easier editing, organizing, and reuse. • Powerful Search Find information faster by searching handwritten notes and text inside PDFs. • Images, GIFs, Audio & Video Bring your notes to life with images, animated GIFs, audio, and video—all within your notebook. • Personalized Notebooks Customize covers, paper templates, and themes to create a workspace that feels like your own. • Custom Toolbar & Tool Box Arrange your favorite tools around the way you work and keep the ones you use most within easy reach. • Smooth Writing Experience Optimized handwriting, palm rejection, and Apple Pencil interactions help writing feel smooth, responsive, and natural. • Easy Organization Organize and sort your documents, bookmark important pages, and quickly get back to the content you need. • Data Protection & Backup Multiple backup options and improved data protection help keep your important notes safe. • Cloud Backup Back up your notebooks to cloud storage for easier long-term storage and management. MADE FOR THE WAY YOU TAKE NOTES From class notes and study materials to work documents, PDF annotation, brainstorming, and everyday ideas, OrigNotes gives you a flexible space to capture, organize, and develop your thoughts. Simple when you need it. Powerful when you need more. Write. Think. Create. Organize. All in OrigNotes.

Screenshots

OrigNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: OrigNotes at 4.7 against Absolute Board's 3.6. OrigNotes also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (336 vs 12). Absolute Board's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 83%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OrigNotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OrigNotes has 336 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 91% of Absolute Board's written reviews are positive against 83% of OrigNotes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Absolute Board ships an update every 2 months, OrigNotes every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Absolute Board versus OrigNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAbsolute BoardOrigNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (12 ratings)4.7 (336 ratings) — better
Positive reviews91.1% of reviews — better82.8% of reviews
Number of ratings12336 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHyeoseong HwangHangzhou Future Writing Technology Co.,LTD.

Customer experience

Absolute Board

All ratings12 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive91.1%
Neutral2.2%
Negative6.7%

OrigNotes

All ratings336 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive82.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative13.8%

In-app purchases

None

Absolute Board

No in-app purchases

None

OrigNotes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Absolute Board free?
Absolute Board is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OrigNotes free?
OrigNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Absolute Board or OrigNotes?
OrigNotes is rated higher. Absolute Board averages 3.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while OrigNotes averages 4.7 from 336 ratings.
Do Absolute Board or OrigNotes have ads?
Neither Absolute Board nor OrigNotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Absolute Board or OrigNotes?
Absolute Board ships an update every 2 months, and OrigNotes every 11 days. Most recently, Absolute Board was updated on October 2, 2026 and OrigNotes on September 30, 2026.

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