Comparison

ZoomNotes Lite vs Loose Leaf

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

Head to head
About

ZoomNotes Lite

This app allows for handwritten notes and sketches on various digital documents, including PDFs and Office files. It offers unlimited zooming, customizable paper styles, and extensive sharing options. Additional features and pen types are available through in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Unlimited zoom and panning
  • Handwritten notes and sketches
  • Markup PDFs and Office documents
  • Customizable paper sizes and styles
  • Extensive document sharing options
  • Digital planning with calendar integration
Features
Read full description

ZoomNotes Lite is an iPad/iPhone visual note-taking app. It lets you quickly make handwritten notes and sketches on virtual paper, on PDF files, on MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint docs (via GoogleDrive), and over images. Uniquely, it also lets you zoom in and out without arbitrary limits, an invaluable feature for this type of app. It has a free fully functioning pen (although you will be able to try the pens too), and more available as in-app purchases. It has unlimited paper sizes/styles, unlimited colours and line thicknesses, and a large range of ways to share its documents making ZoomNotes the most versatile handwriting/drawing app. ZoomNotes Desktop for Mac now also available. ZoomNotes is much more than a replacement for your trusted paper notebook! Compatible with any capacitive stylus pen (although fingers work well too). Here some reviews of the app store of the full version- The best note taking app available! ***** by MarkNance – Version 7.1.4 – Jul 6, 2016 Don’t be put off by all its features! ***** by Stevearcher – Version 7.1.3 – May 24, 2016 Most complete Note app I’ve tried ***** by ItsDartstx – Version 7.1.3 – Apr 20, 2016 Most effective note taking app ***** by John25642 – Version 7.1.3 – Jul 7, 2016 Full featured and innovative ***** by music-major – Version 7.1.3 – May 15, 2016 Hands(writing)-down, best notepad replacement out there. ***** by Jed123zz – Version 7.1.3 – Mar 23, 2016 Free features include: -1 Pen type - Felt tip. -Huge Zoom Range and Whiteboard page style -Rotatable views -Split screen mode (edit 2 documents at once) -Digital planning with links, which can also show events and reminders from the Calendar and Reminder apps -Write over PDF file -Write over MS Word, Powerpoint and Excel files (via GoogleDrive) -Calendar events/reminders :add events linked to your documents, possibly with alarms. The URL in the event links back to the document in ZoomNotes. -Typed text- limited to a single font, fills and borders -Regular shapes and arrows -Symbol library -Select, scale, rotate and shift -Cut, copy, paste (including between documents, pages and other apps) -Write over pdf files (markup) -Configurable paper types -Intuitive folder interface for documents -Sharing as PDF files, images, videos or ZoomNotes documents (via email, iTunes, clipboard, Dropbox, Twitter and Evernote) -In app printing -VGA compatible for use with projectors, monitors and AirPlay -Universal app - iPhone and iPad -iCloud support -Geo-located documents; documents can be optionally geo-located and viewed as pins on a map. -Layers let you control what is visible on a page, also options for 'master layers' which show on all pages. In app purchases features include: -7 extra Pen types, including Italic, Gel, Nib, Pencil and Watercolour. -Sub-pages (pages within pages within...) -Typed text- fully configurable fonts, colours, fills and borders -Unlimited colours and line styles -Bookmarks with animated playback -Insert images from camera or photo library -Insert web pages -Insert videos from camera or photo library -Edit inserted images, including masking and cropping -Record and playback sounds, including import and export of caf files - Handwriting recognition (14 different languages). Please note that the full version of ZoomNotes is equivalent to the Lite version with all the in-app purchases. There are lots more details including some videos of the app in action at www.zoom-notes.com Please remember to leave us a review. If you wish, you can send us feedback directly, we reply to every email sent to support@zoom-notes.com. If you experience any problems or bugs in the app, please email us your device information, which iOS version you are running to support@zoom-notes.com and we will fix it asap. Twitter - @zoomnotes

About

Loose Leaf

Capture your thoughts, sketches, and ideas with an intuitive digital notebook. Offers unlimited pages, customizable templates, and easy import/export options. Its simple interface mimics the feel of pen and paper for effortless creativity.

Highlights
  • Unlimited pages
  • Customizable templates
  • Image and PDF import
  • Moveable scraps with scissors tool
  • Ruler and protractor tool
  • Sidebar scrap drawer
  • Export and share options
Read full description

Loose Leaf is great for notes, sketches, ideas, and more! Watch the video and find out more: https://getlooseleaf.com FEATURES • Unlimited pages • Templates! Blank, lined, grid, and more! • Easy image and PDF import • As easy as pen and paper • Scissors create moveable scraps • Ruler / protractor tool for simple shapes • Sidebar scrap drawer • Export and share ideas via major social networks • Send pages quickly to other apps • Share pages to your contacts in Loose Leaf • Simple two-finger gesture page navigation EASY TO USE 1 finger to draw, erase, or cut 2 fingers to move and navigate NO HIDDEN COSTS • No in app purchases • No subscriptions • No settings TRANSLATE Want Loose Leaf in your language? Help us translate it at http://bit.ly/translate-looseleaf ! If you have any questions or suggestions, you can always send us an email at hello@getlooseleaf.com or reach out to @getlooseleaf.

Screenshots

ZoomNotes Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Loose Leaf at none against ZoomNotes Lite's 10. Loose Leaf also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). ZoomNotes Lite's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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

Both are free to download. ZoomNotes Lite sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Loose Leaf asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for ZoomNotes Lite against 4.2 for Loose Leaf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 214 and 57 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of ZoomNotes Lite's written reviews are positive against 68% of Loose Leaf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZoomNotes Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, Loose Leaf every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ZoomNotes Lite versus Loose Leaf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZoomNotes LiteLoose Leaf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (214 ratings)4.2 (57 ratings)
Positive reviews72.0% of reviews — better67.9% of reviews
Number of ratings214 — better57
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.610.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size151 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDeliverance Software LtdMilestone Made, LLC

Customer experience

ZoomNotes Lite

All ratings214 ratings
Positive77.6%
Neutral9.8%
Negative12.6%
Written reviews329 reviews
Positive72.0%
Neutral8.5%
Negative19.5%

Loose Leaf

All ratings57 ratings
Positive77.2%
Neutral8.8%
Negative14.0%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive67.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative26.4%

User reviews

ZoomNotes Lite

From 214 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Versatile and feature-rich
  • 👍 Smooth handwriting experience
  • 💡 Powerful customization options
  • 🚀 Seamless PDF annotation
  • 👍 Reliable syncing and backup

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
  • 👎 Confusing and outdated user interface
  • 🐛 Inconsistent pen and eraser behavior
  • 👎 Limited free version functionality

Loose Leaf

From 57 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and functional
  • 💡 Versatile for various uses
  • ✨ Mimics real-life experience
  • 🎨 Customizable paper/templates
  • ✍️ Easy to use interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unadjustable eraser size
  • 🐛 No landscape mode support
  • 🐛 Difficult to use for left-handed users
  • 🐛 Laggy performance
  • 🐛 No text box insertion

Bugs and requests

ZoomNotes Lite

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Syncing issues leading to document conflicts
  • Random lines and dots appearing on the page
  • Disappearing handwritten notes after saving
  • Inability to unlock paid features after purchase

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved text editing and formatting
  • Easier organization with better folder management
  • More tutorials and documentation
  • Ability to recover accidentally deleted notes

Loose Leaf

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Does not rotate to landscape view
  • Sidebar makes writing difficult on the left
  • Cannot insert text box
  • Cannot crop pictures
  • No way to delete projects
Show 11 more
  • No way out of current project
  • Biased against left-handed users
  • Issues importing photos from library
  • PDFs not imported directly from app
  • Low resolution import for photos
  • Appends advertisements even after purchase
  • Freezes up for long periods
  • Control buttons unresponsive or delayed
  • Crashes during startup
  • Cannot change pen size
  • Slow execution on older devices

Requested features

14 requests
  • Adjustable eraser size
  • RGB color selector for pencil
  • PDF as paper template
  • Text box insertion
  • Crop pictures in square/rectangle
Show 9 more
  • Day timer sheet offerings
  • Zooming for writing/drawing
  • Export selected pages
  • Landscape mode
  • More colors
  • EPUB import
  • Implement text input
  • iPhone version
  • Albums feature

In-app purchases

10 purchases

ZoomNotes Lite

One-time10
  • Highlighter pen$0.99
  • Text$0.99
  • Images$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Bookmarks$0.99
  • Sounds$0.99
  • Sub-documents$0.99
  • Tables$0.99
  • Workspaces$1.99
  • All Pens$2.99
  • All features$7.99
None

Loose Leaf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZoomNotes Lite free?
ZoomNotes Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loose Leaf free?
Loose Leaf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZoomNotes Lite or Loose Leaf?
ZoomNotes Lite and Loose Leaf are both rated 4.2 out of 5 on the App Store, from 214 and 57 ratings respectively.
Do ZoomNotes Lite or Loose Leaf have ads?
Neither ZoomNotes Lite nor Loose Leaf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZoomNotes Lite or Loose Leaf?
ZoomNotes Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, and Loose Leaf every 2 months. Most recently, ZoomNotes Lite was updated on August 26, 2026 and Loose Leaf on September 18, 2026.

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