Comparison

ZoomNotes Lite vs Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing

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

Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing

Capture and organize handwritten notes and sketches digitally. This app preserves the expressiveness of your original drawings with innovative visualization technology. Tag, annotate, and store your creations in the cloud for easy retrieval and sharing.

Highlights
  • Hybrid visualization technology
  • Image-based input options
  • Natural sketching with Apple Pencil support
  • Editable notes and drawings
  • Tagging and annotation for search
  • Cloud storage integration
  • Customizable export styles
Features
Read full description

Carbo lets you capture and organize handwritten notes and sketches, bringing handwriting in the digital age, right on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Carbo's innovative visualization technology sets you free from pixel artefacts, while preserving all expressiveness of your original drawings. Collect notes, design sketches, or whiteboard drawings. Tag and annotate your notes for easy retrieval. Store them either on the device itself or in the cloud, with native support for iCloud, Evernote, and Dropbox. Finally, turn your notes and drawings into beautiful creations using a variety of handcrafted export styles and share them with the world. KEY FEATURES • Hybrid visualization technology: note picture is cleaned up and turned into a highly accurate monochrome representation. Carbo’s innovative rendering technology offers both the advantages of vector (sharpness) and bitmap (easy editing) techniques. • Image-based input options: take a new picture, import from camera roll, or import an image from iCloud Drive. • Drawing support: highly accurate and natural sketching capabilities. Full support for Apple Pencil & 3D Touch pressure sensitivity. • Note editing: edit any part of your note, i.e. select, resize, relocate, or remove any element. Make strokes thinner or thicker. • Annotations: add descriptive text to your note. These annotations are archived along with the image, and are globally searchable. • Tag your notes. Tags are colored for easier detection, and will help you classify notes. • Notes can be stored either on your device, or in the cloud using Evernote, Dropbox, and iCloud. • Efficient file-based storage: typical note is 400KB instead of the usual 3MB JPEG of a photo. • Export styles (iOS): choose among 7 beautifully handcrafted styles and their variants to customize your notes (Blackboard/chalks combos, Blueprint, Paper with several pen styles…). • Up to 1200-dpi black-and-white high-fidelity exports for print. • Many sharing options: Twitter, Facebook, AirDrop, Mail, Messages, iCloud Drive, Open in (another app)... • Latest iOS Support: App Search, iPad multitasking, Siri 'Remind Me', 3D Touch shortcuts, modern iOS 14 photo access (browsing & searching). • macOS 11 Big Sur / Mac Catalyst (Optimized for Mac). • Universal app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. • Pro Pack 2 or Pro Plan: one-off purchase to remove the 10-note limit. PRICING You can unlock all features either through Pro Pack 2, a one-time purchase, or through Pro Plan, an affordable subscription. Pro Pack upgrade pricing is also available if you own a previous version. HELP & FEEDBACK Visit creaceed.com/carbo for more information. Send your questions and feedback to carbo@creaceed.com Terms of Use: https://creaceed.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://creaceed.com/privacy

Screenshots

ZoomNotes Lite4 screens
Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ZoomNotes Lite at every 3 weeks against Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing's every 4 months. ZoomNotes Lite also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 55%) and ratings volume (214 vs 51). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 and Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for ZoomNotes Lite against 4.3 for Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 214 and 51 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of ZoomNotes Lite's written reviews are positive against 55% of Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZoomNotes Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ZoomNotes Lite versus Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZoomNotes LiteCarbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (214 ratings)4.3 (51 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.0% of reviews — better54.8% of reviews
Number of ratings214 — better51
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size151 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDeliverance Software LtdCreaceed SRL

Customer experience

ZoomNotes Lite

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

Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing

All ratings51 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral3.9%
Negative13.7%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral13.7%
Negative31.5%

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

Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing

From 51 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for sketching ideas
  • 👍 Pleasantly surprised by subscription plan
  • 👍 Laser-focused on B&W scanning
  • 👍 Excellent for capturing notes
  • 👍 Manipulate scans easily

Room to improve

  • 👎 Lacking features for daily use
  • 👎 Difficult for diagrams and notes
  • 👎 Rudimentary editing tools
  • 👎 Lacks color
  • 👎 Crippled by lack of export options

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

Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Keeps crashing on iPad
  • Update bricks app (crashes on launch)
  • Carbo keeps crashing
  • Sync problem with Evernote
  • Exporting pages (archiving) doesn't work
Show 8 more
  • Buggy on iOS 9.01 and iPhone 6S
  • iPhone keeps switching off sync with Evernote
  • App crashes frequently
  • File import from iCloud shows files but can't be opened
  • Beta Evernote sync does not work
  • Randomly selects other bits on the page
  • Clunky or doesn't quite work
  • Sync with Evernote was easy, but iPhone keeps switching off attempt to sync

Requested features

58 requests
  • Adding colors
  • More pencil sizes
  • Ability to handle multi-page docs
  • Viable export options (PDF, etc.)
  • Ability to bundle pages into PDF
Show 53 more
  • Put a title on scans
  • Copy and paste selected objects
  • Export an entire notebook as PDF
  • Desktop client for reassociating tags/annotations
  • Save notes as pictures to Photos
  • Select multiple vectors and change color/thickness
  • iCloud Drive support
  • Invert image
  • Copy/cut/paste selections
  • Export svg file
  • OneDrive cloud option
  • Scan a whole page of doodles and separate them
  • Improve paper edge detection
  • Multi-page option
  • Text box or drawing function
  • Improve captured image quality
  • Edge-detection feature
  • Better handling of lined paper
  • Sync with Evernote
  • Choice of line sizes for annotations
  • Color picker and highlighter pen
  • Support for different writing utensils on one surface
  • Multiple page support
  • Different sized pens
  • More customization for page size
  • PDF vector export
  • Filter multiple tags
  • Re-editing scanned documents
  • Cloud sync for notes
  • Copy feature for local and cloud storage
  • Save to Photos app
  • Ability to use notes as pictures
  • Select multiple vectors and change color or thickness
  • Scan entire page of doodles and separate them
  • More cloud options (OneDrive)
  • Text box or drawing function
  • Better paper edge detection
  • Multi-page option
  • Improve captured image quality
  • Edge-detection
  • Better handling of lined paper
  • Sync with Evernote
  • Choice of line sizes for annotations
  • Color picker and highlighter pen
  • Support for different writing utensils on one surface
  • Multiple page support
  • Different sized pens
  • More customization for page size
  • PDF vector export
  • Filter multiple tags
  • Re-editing scanned documents
  • Cloud sync for notes
  • Copy feature for local and cloud storage

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
3 purchases

Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Plan (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Plan (Yearly)7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Pack 2$23.99

Questions

Is ZoomNotes Lite free?
ZoomNotes Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing free?
Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ZoomNotes Lite or Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing?
Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing is rated higher. ZoomNotes Lite averages 4.2 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing averages 4.3 from 51 ratings.
Do ZoomNotes Lite or Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing have ads?
Neither ZoomNotes Lite nor Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZoomNotes Lite or Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing?
ZoomNotes Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, and Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing every 4 months. Most recently, ZoomNotes Lite was updated on October 23, 2026 and Carbo › Pencil Notes & Drawing on October 20, 2026.

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