# Absolute Board vs Noteshelf

The clearest difference is rating: Noteshelf at 4.6 against Absolute Board's 3.6. Noteshelf also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (7.1K vs 12). Absolute Board's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and review sentiment (90% vs 57%). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Noteshelf sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Absolute Board asks for nothing beyond the download.

Noteshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noteshelf has 7.1K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Absolute Board's written reviews are positive against 57% of Noteshelf's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Absolute Board ships an update every 2 months, Noteshelf weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Absolute Board | Noteshelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-board/id425756908/reviews) | **[4.6 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteshelf-ai-notes-and-pdf/id6458735203/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **7.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **89.7% of reviews** | 56.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 558 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hyeoseong Hwang](https://appshunter.io/developer/369169972) | [Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318004740) |

## What reviewers say

### Absolute Board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-board/id425756908)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Noteshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteshelf-ai-notes-and-pdf/id6458735203)

Create handwritten notes, annotate PDFs, and record audio with this app. It offers extensive customization for notebooks, a variety of writing tools, and AI-powered features for summarization and translation. Organize your thoughts and documents seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Handwritten note creation, PDF annotation and markup, Audio recording with notes, AI-powered summarization and translation, Customizable notebooks and templates, Handwriting to text conversion, Document scanning and import

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium for Noteshelf 2 users | $9.99 | one-time |
| Noteshelf 3 Premium - Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth handwriting experience
- 📚 Versatile note-taking features
- 🎨 Customizable templates and covers
- 🔍 Accurate handwriting recognition
- 💻 Seamless integration across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔄 Sync issues between devices
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data security
- 🔍 Unreliable search functionality
- 🔧 Buggy or missing features from previous versions

**Reported bugs**

- Notebooks failing to open or sync correctly
- Handwriting recognition not working as expected
- Imported PDFs losing formatting or functionality
- Unexpected loss of data or notes
- Compatibility issues with older devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to create folders within notebooks
- Improve page organization and navigation
- Implement a more intuitive color picker and pen customization
- Introduce a history/undo feature for linked pages
- Add support for custom stickers and templates


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Absolute Board free?

Absolute Board is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Noteshelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Absolute Board or Noteshelf?

Noteshelf is rated higher. Absolute Board averages 3.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Noteshelf averages 4.6 from 7.1K ratings.

### Do Absolute Board or Noteshelf have ads?

Neither Absolute Board nor Noteshelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Absolute Board or Noteshelf?

Absolute Board ships an update every 2 months, and Noteshelf weekly. Most recently, Absolute Board was updated on October 15, 2026 and Noteshelf on October 21, 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.*