Comparison

ZoomNotes vs Patternly

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

Patternly

Features
Read full description

Stop circling the same decision. Patternly turns an uncertain moment into one small experiment you can actually try. Start with what feels stuck. Patternly helps you shape a focused question, choose a tiny action, and decide how long to try it. Quick check-ins capture what happened without turning reflection into another chore. With Patternly you can: • Turn a stuck point into one clear question • Create a practical, time-boxed tiny experiment • Capture action-specific evidence, resistance, and field notes • Page through your notebook and revisit earlier check-ins • Reflect on the outcome and choose your next move • Notice patterns across what you tried One complete experiment loop is available free. Patternly Plus unlocks unlimited tiny experiments and may include a trial for eligible App Store accounts. The App Store confirmation screen always shows the current price and renewal terms before purchase. Patternly is a reflection and learning tool. It does not provide medical, mental-health, legal, or emergency advice. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ZoomNotes4 screens
Patternly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Patternly at Free against ZoomNotes's $7.99. ZoomNotes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads and iOS requirement 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

Patternly is free to download; ZoomNotes costs $7.99 up front. Patternly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ZoomNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ZoomNotes versus Patternly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZoomNotesPatternly
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (907 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings907 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB63 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDeliverance Software LtdHuu Duoc Ngo

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

Patternly

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ZoomNotes

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Patternly

Subscriptions2
  • Patternly Plus Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Patternly Plus Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is ZoomNotes free?
ZoomNotes costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Patternly free?
Patternly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ZoomNotes or Patternly have ads?
Neither ZoomNotes nor Patternly shows ads.

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