Comparison

OrigNotes vs BoardNotes

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

Head to head
About

OrigNotes

Create, organize, and manage high-quality handwritten notes with ease. Supports handwriting, drawing, image insertion, and PDF annotation. Stay organized and productive for study, work, or daily ideas.

Highlights
  • Handwritten notes and drawing
  • Image insertion and PDF annotation
  • Organize and search documents
  • Customizable note covers and paper styles
  • Palm rejection and writing settings
  • Variety of brushes and tools
  • Cloud sync support
Features
Read full description

OrigNotes is a powerful, free digital note-taking app built for iPad and iPhone. Whether you're taking handwritten notes, annotating PDFs, organizing ideas with mind maps, or capturing inspiration with images, audio, and video, OrigNotes gives you the tools to keep everything in one place. Write naturally with Apple Pencil, convert handwriting into editable text, search through your notes, and customize your workspace to fit the way you think and work. OrigNotes is free to use, and we're committed to keeping it that way. If you're enjoying OrigNotes, we'd greatly appreciate a 5-star review. Your support helps us continue improving the app and building new features for everyone. Have an idea or feature request? Leave us a review or contact us directly through the app. You can also check our Future Plans inside OrigNotes to see what we're working on and follow the progress of upcoming features. KEY FEATURES • Handwriting & Drawing Enjoy a natural writing experience with a variety of pens, brushes, and creative tools designed for Apple Pencil. • PDF Reading & Annotation Import PDFs to read, highlight, annotate, draw, and take notes directly on your documents. • Mind Maps Create mind maps to organize ideas, study topics, and brainstorm visually. Add topics and subtopics, drag and rearrange nodes, and customize your mind map to fit your ideas. • Handwriting to Text Turn handwritten notes into editable text for easier editing, organizing, and reuse. • Powerful Search Find information faster by searching handwritten notes and text inside PDFs. • Images, GIFs, Audio & Video Bring your notes to life with images, animated GIFs, audio, and video—all within your notebook. • Personalized Notebooks Customize covers, paper templates, and themes to create a workspace that feels like your own. • Custom Toolbar & Tool Box Arrange your favorite tools around the way you work and keep the ones you use most within easy reach. • Smooth Writing Experience Optimized handwriting, palm rejection, and Apple Pencil interactions help writing feel smooth, responsive, and natural. • Easy Organization Organize and sort your documents, bookmark important pages, and quickly get back to the content you need. • Data Protection & Backup Multiple backup options and improved data protection help keep your important notes safe. • Cloud Backup Back up your notebooks to cloud storage for easier long-term storage and management. MADE FOR THE WAY YOU TAKE NOTES From class notes and study materials to work documents, PDF annotation, brainstorming, and everyday ideas, OrigNotes gives you a flexible space to capture, organize, and develop your thoughts. Simple when you need it. Powerful when you need more. Write. Think. Create. Organize. All in OrigNotes.

About

BoardNotes

This app combines whiteboard, notebook, PDF management, mind mapping, and flashcard creation into a single, versatile handwriting note-taking tool. It offers a wide array of pen types, organizational features, and study aids to enhance productivity and learning.

Highlights
  • Handwriting note-taking
  • Integrated whiteboard
  • PDF import and editing
  • Mind mapping functionality
  • Spaced repetition flashcards
  • Multiple pen and brush types
  • Layer management
Features
Read full description

Feature Introduction: BoardNotes is a versatile handwriting note-taking app that integrates five major functions—whiteboard, notebook, PDF, mind map, and flashcards—covering most note-taking scenarios. It serves as your All-In-One App. Handwriting Pen: 1. BoardNotes utilizes Apple's native pen technology and has developed additional pens tailored for Chinese writing, including a fountain pen, a laser pointer for presentations, and a tape pen for masking notes. 2. Choose from a variety of brushes (laser pen, tape pen, ballpoint pen, straight-line pen, wavy-line pen, custom fountain pen, quill pen, pencil, marker, watercolor pen, fill pen, single-line pen, crayon, freehand pen) to unleash your creativity. 3. Lasso tool (extremely powerful). 4. Eraser (pixel eraser and object eraser). Whiteboard: 1. The whiteboard is ideal for organizing fragmented knowledge, brainstorming, and boosting creativity. 2. Write and draw freely without worrying about boundaries. 3. Customize background colors and grid templates. 4. Add various card types (text, image, video, audio, webpage, file, handwriting). 5. Multiple auxiliary tools: background board, pins, link navigation (supports bidirectional links), connectors, timer (countdown supported), calculator. 6. Quickly locate notes using the search function. Notebook & PDF: 1. Create notebooks and PDFs with multiple paper templates and cover options. Import images from Photos or PDFs from the Files app as pages or covers. 2. Add text, images, stickers, videos, webpage snapshots, audio recordings, links (bidirectional links supported), timers, calculators, and floating PDF windows. 3. Layer functionality—show or hide layers as needed. 4. Insert new pages via blank sheets, images, scanned documents, or files. 5. Cut, copy, and paste pages into other notebooks or PDFs. 6. Duplicate, rotate, or delete pages. 7. Reorder pages via long-press and drag in thumbnail view. 8. Create outlines and add bookmarks. 9. Search (text, handwritten notes, etc.). 10. Import e-books (epub, mobi, azw, etc.). Mind Map: 1. Mind mapping is a key feature within the whiteboard. 2. Nodes support multiple formats (text, image, handwriting, video, audio, webpage snapshot, file). 3. Offers 3 structures and 18 color schemes. 4. Add summaries (brackets). 5. Handwritten mind maps (using handwritten cards). 6. Long-press and drag selected cards into the mind map. 7. Reorder nodes or adjust hierarchy via long-press and drag. Flashcard: 1. Flashcards use the SuperMemo algorithm to automatically schedule optimal review intervals, reminding you before forgetting to maximize memory efficiency. 2. Flashcards support text, images, and handwriting. 3. Quickly create cards from notes in whiteboards, notebooks, or PDFs using the rectangular lasso tool. Download BoardNotes for free on iPad, iPhone, and Mac. For suggestions, please contact us via the in-app feedback feature.

Screenshots

OrigNotes4 screens
BoardNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OrigNotes at none against BoardNotes's 25. OrigNotes also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. BoardNotes sells 23 one-off in-app purchases. OrigNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for OrigNotes against 4.7 for BoardNotes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 313 and 115 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of OrigNotes's written reviews are positive against 81% of BoardNotes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OrigNotes ships an update every 11 days, BoardNotes every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
OrigNotes versus BoardNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrigNotesBoardNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (313 ratings)4.7 (115 ratings)
Positive reviews83.6% of reviews — better81.0% of reviews
Number of ratings313 — better115
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB339 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHangzhou Future Writing Technology Co.,LTD.Chongqing Ouluowa Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

OrigNotes

All ratings313 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive83.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative14.5%

BoardNotes

All ratings115 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive81.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

OrigNotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

BoardNotes

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Whiteboards erasing automatically
  • No automatic backup leading to data loss
  • Syncing issues between iPad and Mac
  • Pencil tip not appearing on PDF annotations
  • App crashes frequently
Show 11 more
  • Recording data is lost
  • Cannot create new notebooks
  • Gear icon for settings missing in dark mode
  • Issue with eraser and color selection logic
  • Lasso tool missing cut button after cropping
  • PDF embeds appear blurry
  • Handwriting search not implemented
  • Accidental touches/palm rejection issues
  • Chinese font display issues in markdown
  • App freezes when using search function
  • Software flashes back (crashes)

Requested features

24 requests
  • Sync to Google Drive/other cloud services
  • Faster 'add to cards' function
  • View carded items in sidebar
  • Color coding for pins
  • Image opacity adjustment
Show 19 more
  • Faster image copy from whiteboard
  • Android app version
  • WebDAV function
  • Markdown editing/viewing function
  • Handwriting recognition and search
  • Improve palm rejection/anti-touch
  • Add more brush types (with stroke variation)
  • Search for handwritten text
  • Dark Mode UI
  • More calculator functions (square root, trig identities)
  • In-app browser (ChatGPT, YouTube integration)
  • Easier UI navigation of notebook pages
  • Ability to change existing page formats
  • More in-depth pen fine-tuning
  • Optimize UI, move undo/redo to top right
  • Adjust pressure sensitivity
  • Customizable top toolbar icons
  • Add college rule paper
  • Translate function for papers

In-app purchases

None

OrigNotes

No in-app purchases

23 purchases

BoardNotes

One-time23
  • 7 days membership$0.99
  • 5 days membership$0.99
  • Math Formula Recognition$1.99
Show 20 more
  • 1 month membership$1.99
  • Annual Membership$3.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$3.99
  • 6 months membership$3.99
  • 6 months membership (discount)$3.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$4.99
  • Annual Membership$4.99
  • 6 months membership2 variants$4.99
  • Full version Unlock$5.99
  • Annual Membership (discount)$5.99
  • 6 months membership$6.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$6.99
  • Annual Membership2 variants$6.99
  • Spring Festival Discount$6.99
  • Annual Membership$7.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$7.99
  • Permanent Unlock All(discount)$7.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$8.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$9.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$19.99

Questions

Is OrigNotes free?
OrigNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BoardNotes free?
BoardNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, OrigNotes or BoardNotes?
OrigNotes and BoardNotes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 313 and 115 ratings respectively.
Do OrigNotes or BoardNotes have ads?
BoardNotes shows ads; OrigNotes does not.
Which is updated more often, OrigNotes or BoardNotes?
OrigNotes ships an update every 11 days, and BoardNotes every 10 days. Most recently, OrigNotes was updated on September 26, 2026 and BoardNotes on September 27, 2026.

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