# ZoomNotes vs Notebooks

The clearest difference is price: ZoomNotes at $7.99 against Notebooks's $17.99. ZoomNotes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). Notebooks's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and chart position (#164 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

ZoomNotes costs $7.99 and Notebooks $17.99 up front. Notebooks sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. ZoomNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notebooks holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 907 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of ZoomNotes's written reviews are positive against 83% of Notebooks's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ZoomNotes ships an update every 3 weeks, Notebooks every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ZoomNotes | Notebooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$7.99** | $17.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (907 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoomnotes/id462234530/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 907 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **84.3% of reviews** | 82.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#164** |
| Size | 149 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Deliverance Software Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/374494333) | [Alfons Schmid](https://appshunter.io/developer/297571754) |

## What reviewers say

### ZoomNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoomnotes/id462234530)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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- 🖥 Outdated user interface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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Handwriting to text conversion
- Improved page management
- Smoother page transitions
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Better integration with cloud services


### Notebooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838)

**Currently charting:** #164 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you write, organize, and manage documents, tasks, and files. It offers flexible writing modes, robust organization tools, and task management features, all while ensuring your data remains accessible and under your control.

**Highlights:** Formatted text, plain text, and Markdown writing, Create documents with styles, tables, and attachments, Organize with nested hierarchies and 'books', Task management with due dates and checklists, Wiki-style linking and backlinks, Full-text search, Cross-device synchronization

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Custom Storage Locations | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and flexible organization
- 🔒 Respects user data and privacy
- 👍 Reliable and stable
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer
- 👍 Elegant and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🐛 Formatting and editing limitations
- 🐛 Steep learning curve for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss after iOS upgrades
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Improved Markdown support
- More font and color customization options
- Better Apple Watch integration
- Export to Word format


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ZoomNotes free?

ZoomNotes costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Notebooks free?

Notebooks costs $17.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ZoomNotes or Notebooks?

Notebooks is rated higher. ZoomNotes averages 4.5 out of 5 from 907 ratings, while Notebooks averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do ZoomNotes or Notebooks have ads?

Neither ZoomNotes nor Notebooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ZoomNotes or Notebooks?

ZoomNotes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Notebooks every 5 weeks. Most recently, ZoomNotes was updated on September 29, 2026 and Notebooks on September 29, 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.*