# Inkflow Visual Notebook vs Charcoal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Charcoal at none against Inkflow Visual Notebook's 1. Charcoal also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Inkflow Visual Notebook's advantage is ratings volume (1.9K vs 143) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Inkflow Visual Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Charcoal asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Inkflow Visual Notebook against 4.5 for Charcoal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Inkflow Visual Notebook has 1.9K ratings behind it against 143, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Inkflow Visual Notebook's written reviews are positive against 77% of Charcoal's.

Inkflow Visual Notebook ships an update every 5 months, Charcoal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Inkflow Visual Notebook | Charcoal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkflow-visual-notebook/id519524685/reviews)** | [4.5 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 143 |
| Positive reviews | 71.2% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 42 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Qrayon, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/354980265) | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) |

## What reviewers say

### Inkflow Visual Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkflow-visual-notebook/id519524685)

This app offers a fluid digital writing and sketching experience, allowing users to easily capture, resize, and reorganize ideas. It supports high-resolution zooming for detailed work and integrates text, photos, and custom paper backgrounds. Users can share their creations in various formats.

**Highlights:** Fluid digital ink for writing and sketching, Resize and reorganize content with touch gestures, High-resolution zoom for precision detail, Insert text, photos, and custom paper backgrounds, Export to PDF, JPEG, and PNG, Inkport for scanning real-world notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inkflow Plus | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Great for brainstorming and sketching
- 👍 Useful for note-taking and journaling
- 👍 Versatile for various purposes (work, school, art)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited features in free version
- 💰 Paid upgrade is expensive for some users
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔒 Lack of cloud sync and cross-device access
- 🔒 Difficult to organize and manage notebooks/pages

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and data loss
- Unreliable auto-save and syncing
- Compatibility issues with newer devices/OS
- Pen/input lag and inconsistent responsiveness

**Requested features**

- Add more pen/brush options and customization
- Implement layers and advanced drawing tools
- Improve page management (insert, delete, reorder)
- Integrate cloud sync and cross-device access
- Add password protection and locking features


### Charcoal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484)

This app offers a simple yet powerful sketching experience with rich tools and beautiful color palettes. Easily create and export your artwork for use in other graphics programs. It supports modern iOS features like multiple windows and dark mode for enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Simple sketching interface, Rich drawing tools, Beautiful color palettes, Export sketches, Multiple window support, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Great for quick sketching
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Limited color palette
- 🎨 Lack of customization options
- 🎨 Missing advanced drawing tools
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Saved sketches lose quality
- Palette colors change unexpectedly
- Freezing when opening color palette

**Requested features**

- Ability to change brush/pen size
- Layers and blending tools
- Color wheel and custom color selection
- Import/export options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Inkflow Visual Notebook free?

Inkflow Visual Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Charcoal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Inkflow Visual Notebook or Charcoal?

Inkflow Visual Notebook is rated higher. Inkflow Visual Notebook averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Charcoal averages 4.5 from 143 ratings.

### Do Inkflow Visual Notebook or Charcoal have ads?

Neither Inkflow Visual Notebook nor Charcoal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Inkflow Visual Notebook or Charcoal?

Inkflow Visual Notebook ships an update every 5 months, and Charcoal every 2 months. Most recently, Inkflow Visual Notebook was updated on September 20, 2026 and Charcoal on September 8, 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.*