# OrigNotes vs BoardNotes

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.

Both are free to download. BoardNotes sells 23 one-off in-app purchases. OrigNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | OrigNotes | BoardNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (313 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orignotes/id6446162922/reviews) | [4.7 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boardnotes-notes-pdf-docs/id6448847544/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **313** | 115 |
| Positive reviews | **83.6% of reviews** | 81.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 96 MB | 339 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hangzhou Future Writing Technology Co.,LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676398498) | [Chongqing Ouluowa Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686544790) |

## What reviewers say

### OrigNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orignotes/id6446162922)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### BoardNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boardnotes-notes-pdf-docs/id6448847544)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (23)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 days membership | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 days membership | $0.99 | one-time |
| Math Formula Recognition | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 month membership | $1.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $3.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $3.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $3.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership (discount) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $4.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full version Unlock | $5.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership (discount) | $5.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $6.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $6.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $6.99 | one-time |
| Spring Festival Discount | $6.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All(discount) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $8.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $9.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 All-in-one app
- 💡 Feature-rich note-taking
- ✍️ Excellent Apple Pencil integration
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🚀 Smooth performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔥 Device gets hot
- 🐛 Data loss (whiteboards erased)
- 🚫 No automatic backup
- 🔍 Limited search functions

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Sync to Google Drive/other cloud services
- Faster 'add to cards' function
- View carded items in sidebar
- Color coding for pins
- Image opacity adjustment


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*