ZoomNotes vs MDCollections
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
MDCollections
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MDCollections is a fully customizable inventory and collection manager. Whether you're cataloging books, tools, trading cards, wine, or electronics, MDCollections adapts to how you think about your stuff. Works out of the box: No setup and no accounts. Create a collection and start adding items. The app organizes folders and templates for you, and you can browse everything in the Files app. Know where it is: Organize items by location, down to the specific shelf or container. Generate and print QR code labels so you can scan a box and instantly see what's inside. Know what you have: Create unlimited collections with fully customizable properties: text, numbers, dates, tags, currency, images, and documents. Track exactly what matters for each collection. Add items fast: Scan a barcode to auto-fill product details from online databases. Simplify the capture interface to add items in seconds. Find it instantly: Search, sort, and filter across all your collections. View item details with images, notes, and every property at a glance. Pinch to zoom into any image. Own your data: Everything is stored as plain Markdown files with YAML frontmatter, right on your device. No cloud lock-in and no account required. Compatible with any app that reads Markdown. Point collections at your own folders to use them with an Obsidian vault, including Dataview and Templater. View it your way: Group items into stacks by any property. Choose custom thumbnails. Sort, filter, and search across everything you own. No subscriptions. No ads. No tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: MDCollections at $3.99 against ZoomNotes's $7.99. ZoomNotes's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
ZoomNotes costs $7.99 and MDCollections $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ZoomNotes ships an update every 3 weeks, MDCollections every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZoomNotes | MDCollections |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (907 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 84.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 907 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 149 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Deliverance Software Ltd | Live Rays LLC |
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
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- Streamlined UI design
MDCollections
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ZoomNotes
No in-app purchases
MDCollections
No in-app purchases









