Comparison

ZoomNotes vs Notes Writer Pro

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

Head to head
About

ZoomNotes

This comprehensive visual note-taking app offers extensive zoom capabilities for creating handwritten notes and sketches on various digital surfaces. It supports PDF annotation, digital planning with calendar integration, and advanced features like sub-pages and bookmarks for organized visual files.

Highlights
  • Extensive zoom range for notes and sketches
  • Write over PDF and Office documents
  • Digital planner creation and calendar integration
  • Sub-pages for hierarchical organization
  • Bookmarks with presentation playback
  • Handwriting recognition for search
  • Layers for content control
Features
Read full description

ZoomNotes is the most comprehensive visual note-taking app with huge zoom range. Make handwritten notes and sketches on virtual paper, huge WhiteBoards , PDF files, images and MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents (via GoogleDrive). Sync your documents between your iPad and iPhone with iCloud. ZoomNotes is compatible with any capacitive stylus pen and also with the top electronic pens on the market including the fabulous Apple Pencil. ZoomNotes Desktop for Mac now also available. Features include: MULTIPLE PEN TYPES There are 8 pen types to choose from including gel, nib, pencil and watercolour each with unlimited line thicknesses. HANDWRITING RECOGNITION Search handwritten notes. DIGITAL PLANNING Either import a planner pdf or use the ‘Custom digital planner’ option to create your own. You can configure a planner to show events and reminders from the Calendar and Reminder apps. SUB-PAGES This unique feature allows you to use ‘pages within pages’. This allows you to use sticky-notes and enables the creation of hierarchical visual files. You can also insert whole pdf files as sub-pages, or import pages from other ZoomNotes documents into a sub-page. BOOKMARKS Bookmarks allow you save views in your documents, and then return to them at a later date. There are animated playback facilities to allow you to present with or to create videos from your document. LINKS Add links between pages, and even between documents. This lets you create your own digital planners, enhance imported pdf planners or create indices. SPLIT_SCREEN Edit and view two documents side by side (or above and below). You can now also have 2 views of the same document. CALENDAR EVENTS Add events/reminders linked to your documents, possibly with alarms. The URL in the event links back to the document in ZoomNotes. HUGE ZOOM RANGE, WHITEBOARD MODE Zoom in and out without arbitrary limits including rotated views. LAYERS Layers let you control what is visible on a page, also options for 'master layers' which show on all pages. WRITE OVER PDF FILES Import and write over PDFs, Microsoft Office files Word, Excel and PowerPoint (via GoogleDrive). UNLIMITED PAPER SIZES AND STYLES Make your page as small or as large as you like. Choose any type of paper with our configurable paper types. FULLY EDITABLE In ZoomNotes, you can select, scale, rotate, shift and flip (mirror) objects. Cut, copy and paste are also available, including between documents, pages and other apps. SHAPES AND ARROWS Regular shapes and arrows (ideal for visual mapping); they can be drawn with the polygon tool or roughly drawn by hand and automatically converted into the exact geometric shape. SYMBOL LIBRARY Fully configurable library of reusable shapes and images. IMAGES AND IMAGE EDITING Insert images (photos) in your documents at any size and scale. Crop, mask, re-sample, edit transparency, scan-correct and deform images. Insert images and videos from camera or photo library. TYPED TEXT Enter typed text via keyboard; with a wide range of fonts and font sizes, font colours, fills and borders. Text can be entered at all zoom scales and can be selected and moved, scaled and rotated. RECORD AND PLAYBACK SOUNDS Including import and export of mp3 files. You can also insert a sound recording on the page to which it relates. Now linked to drawing. SHARE DOCUMENTS Share documents as PDF files, images, videos or ZoomNotes documents (via email, iTunes, clipboard, Dropbox, Twitter and Evernote, Airdrop, iCloud Drive and Open in. USE FOR PRESENTATIONS ZoomNotes is VGA compatible for use with projectors, monitors and AirPlay. MAGNIFICATION WINDOW Write into a zoomed in view whilst still viewing the zoomed out view. There are lots more details including videos or the app in action at www.zoom-notes.com. We respond to every email sent to support@zoom-notes.com

About

Notes Writer Pro

This app is a versatile writing and note-taking tool that supports rich text and Markdown. It allows users to annotate PDFs, fill out forms, and organize their work into unlimited notebooks. The app also includes scanning capabilities and various export options for seamless sharing and backup.

Highlights
  • Rich text and Markdown writing
  • PDF annotation and form filling
  • Unlimited notebook organization
  • Document scanning
  • Cloud sync and multiple export formats
  • Distraction-free writing mode
Features
Read full description

You have lecture notes to take, a story to tell, article to publish, whether it’s today’s journal entry, tomorrow’s thesis, highlight important things in ebooks and PDFs, fill out a PDF form or get the most from your business meetings. Notes Writer is an excellent assistant in study and business, also being effective for writing down your ideas and thoughts and sharing them! Students, teachers, writers, doctors, journalists, scholars and business professionals use Notes Writer daily to store notes, annotations, memos, signed PDFs, papers, highlighted PDF text-books, lectures and more. With Notes Writer Pro you can: + WRITE. EDIT. FORMAT · Write Everywhere: Use Notes Writer as an stand-alone writing app even if you don’t have a computer or you are offline in the wilds · Create rich text format (RTF) and advanced Markdown (MD) documents · Define margins, headers/footers, paper sizes, MLA and APA style format · Live counters: characters, words, sentences, lines, Avg. Word length, Words per sentence & reading time · Text to Speech for proofreading · Dictation lets you speak text instead of typing · Typewriter: Distraction-Free mode, letting you focus on what you’re writing · Over 30 languages typing support including Japanese, Chinese, Arabic & Hebrew · Extra keys: tab, forward delete, cursor up/down/left/right, etc. + ANNOTATE PDFs. FILL FORMS. SIGN DOCUMENTS. · PDF Annotations: highlight, strikeout, underline, notes, voice notes, pencil, stamp, sign... · Fill out forms. Supports PDF AcroForms standard · Sign with your own signature documents, contracts, forms · Digital Signature Validation + ORGANIZE. STRUCTURE. FIND. · Organize your work in unlimited notebooks, folders and subfolders · Create notebooks and projects in your own tree-like structure: Sections, Classes, Lectures, Grades, Drafts, Folders, Chapters, Research, etc. · Design the cover of your notebooks · Full-text search your library of documents and projects + SCAN NOTES. RESEARCH. PDF LIBRARY · Split view: Open two PDFs or handwritten notes simultaneously on screen. Compare or use them as book and paper · Full PDF reader and manager included for reference files, text books, ebooks, articles, resources, papers, etc. · Use the camera of your iPad/iPhone to scan documents, notes, recipes, tickets, etc. as PDF · Open PowerPoint, Word and Excel files + SHARE NOTES. EXPORT PDF, HTML… · Open attachments directly from the Mail app · Sync via iCloud, Dropbox, Box, WebDAV and Google Drive · Convert to multiple formats RTF, Markdown, PDF, ePub, HTML, RTFD, TXT, etc. · Zip folders/notebooks and email them + AUTOMATIC BACKUPS. BE SAFE. PROTECT YOUR WORK · Protect your work with an app security passcode · Protect any folder or project with a passcode · Automatic Backups of your notes and notebooks Notes Writer is more than an innovative, fast and reliable note-taking, PDF annotator and writing app designed for anyone who take notes or writes. This is a smart notepad and writing workspace for your iPad and iPhone. Privacy Policy http://www.noteswriter.com/Kairoos_Privacy_Policy.html EULA https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ZoomNotes4 screens
Notes Writer Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

ZoomNotes and Notes Writer Pro both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of ZoomNotes's written reviews are positive against 48% of Notes Writer Pro's. ZoomNotes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and price ($7.99 vs $9.99). Notes Writer Pro's advantage is ratings volume (3.2K vs 907). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support 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

ZoomNotes costs $7.99 and Notes Writer Pro $9.99 up front. Notes Writer Pro sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. ZoomNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for ZoomNotes against 4.6 for Notes Writer Pro. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 907 and 3.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of ZoomNotes's written reviews are positive against 48% of Notes Writer Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZoomNotes ships an update every 3 weeks, Notes Writer Pro every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ZoomNotes versus Notes Writer Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZoomNotesNotes Writer Pro
Price$7.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.5 (907 ratings)4.6 (3.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.3% of reviews — better48.3% of reviews
Number of ratings9073.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB375 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDeliverance Software LtdKairoos Solutions SL

Customer experience

ZoomNotes

All ratings907 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral4.1%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews324 reviews
Positive84.3%
Neutral5.9%
Negative9.9%

Notes Writer Pro

All ratings3,193 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral2.6%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews785 reviews
Positive48.3%
Neutral15.2%
Negative36.6%

User reviews

ZoomNotes

From 907 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful features
  • 👍 Customizable interface
  • 🖋 Smooth handwriting
  • 🗓 Calendar integration
  • 🔗 Linking capabilities

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 📚 Steep learning curve
  • 🖥 Outdated user interface
  • 🔍 Cluttered menus
  • 🔀 Inconsistent page navigation

Notes Writer Pro

From 3.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent note-taking app
  • 📁 Great folder organization
  • 🎨 Customizable notebook covers
  • 🔍 Useful PDF annotation tools
  • 🤖 Impressive AI capabilities

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔄 Sync and file transfer issues
  • 🕰️ Slow performance and lag
  • 🔒 Poor customer support
  • 💰 Misleading upgrade pricing

Bugs and requests

ZoomNotes

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Randomly deleted text and input
  • Syncing issues with cloud storage
  • Unstable performance after updates
  • Compatibility problems with newer devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Handwriting to text conversion
  • Improved page management
  • Smoother page transitions
  • Customizable keyboard shortcuts
  • Better integration with cloud services
Show 1 more
  • Streamlined UI design

Notes Writer Pro

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Notes randomly disappearing
  • Formatting issues with text and images
  • Unreliable audio recording and playback
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • Inability to transfer files between free and pro versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Handwriting recognition
  • Improved eraser and shape tools
  • Customizable keyboard and toolbar
  • Better integration with cloud storage
  • Ability to rotate and resize images

In-app purchases

None

ZoomNotes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Notes Writer Pro

Subscriptions1
  • Notes Writer Pro AI Assistant3 Days trial$2.991 Month

Questions

Is ZoomNotes free?
ZoomNotes costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notes Writer Pro free?
Notes Writer Pro costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZoomNotes or Notes Writer Pro?
Notes Writer Pro is rated higher. ZoomNotes averages 4.5 out of 5 from 907 ratings, while Notes Writer Pro averages 4.6 from 3.2K ratings.
Do ZoomNotes or Notes Writer Pro have ads?
Neither ZoomNotes nor Notes Writer Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZoomNotes or Notes Writer Pro?
ZoomNotes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Notes Writer Pro every 2 weeks. Most recently, ZoomNotes was updated on September 23, 2026 and Notes Writer Pro on September 22, 2026.

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