Comparison

BoardNotes vs UnivNote

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

Head to head
About

BoardNotes

This app combines note-taking, whiteboarding, PDF management, mind mapping, and flashcards into a single, versatile tool. It offers a rich set of handwriting and drawing features, supports various media types, and includes an intelligent flashcard system for efficient learning.

Highlights
  • Integrated whiteboard, notebook, PDF, mind map, and flashcards
  • Extensive handwriting pen and brush options
  • Lasso tool and pixel/object eraser
  • Whiteboard with media cards and auxiliary tools
  • Notebooks and PDFs with import/export and page management
  • Mind mapping with customizable nodes and structures
  • Spaced repetition flashcards with SuperMemo algorithm
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.

About

UnivNote

This app offers a smooth and reliable PDF note-taking experience, focusing on writing, reading, and organizing. It provides tools for studying, such as a masking highlighter for memorization and a feature to collect missed problems for review. The app supports multiple layers for notes and various viewing options for workbooks.

Highlights
  • Fast writing with low heat
  • Masking highlighter for memorization
  • Review scheduling and Mistake Notes
  • Multi-layer note organization
  • Multiple view options for workbooks
  • Editable shapes and lecture recording
  • Handwriting-synced audio playback
Features
Read full description

UnivNote — Smooth PDF Note App UnivNote makes the fundamentals — writing, reading, and organizing on PDFs — fast and reliable, instead of leading with AI. Write on textbooks, slides, papers, and books with iPad and Apple Pencil, and keep working on the same notes on iPhone and Mac. Memorize with the masking highlighter, review on schedule, and collect missed problems in Mistake Notes — your whole study flow in one app. ▶ What Makes UnivNote Different · Fast writing with lower heat Pen, eraser, lasso, and paste never stall, even as your notes pile up. We keep improving scrolling and note opening on stroke-heavy pages, along with heat and battery. · Cover, test, and review on schedule Cover answers with the masking highlighter and tap to check. Drag a rectangular mask with your finger to move it, or drag a corner to resize it. Right/wrong memory test results set your next review date, and the “Review” tab and Home Screen widget show today’s reviews and your weekly and monthly schedule. You can also set your own review intervals. · Layers — keep the original and your notes apart Keep handwriting, answers, and corrections on 5 layers per note and hide them with one tap. Edits touch only the current layer, so ink on the others stays as it is. · Views built for workbooks Choose Vertical scroll, Horizontal page turn, Horizontal scroll, or Two-page view, and keep your place with Lock Zoom and Lock View. Extend page margins on all four sides to make room for working out problems. · Shapes you can re-edit anytime 30+ shapes, from lines and arrows to 3D shapes like cylinders, cones, and spheres. Keep fine-tuning their form with handles after inserting. · Lecture recording and class notes Audio recording with handwriting-synced playback, laser pointer, reading mode, and gesture shortcuts. Recordings are kept even if the app quits unexpectedly. ▶ Main Features · Pen, pencil, highlighter, fountain pen, eraser — widths, colors, line styles · Lasso and rectangle select — move, resize, rotate, copy, duplicate, move to layer · Apple Pencil double-tap and squeeze actions, favorite pens, per-note tool memory · No-Pencil mode — finger writing, two-finger scroll · Masking highlighter, right/wrong memory tests, Review tab and widget · Mistake Notes — collect lassoed problems and jump back to their page · Page links and backlinks · Shape insertion, image paste and crop, text boxes · Text recognition (OCR), word-aware highlighting on PDF text · Unified search — PDF text, text boxes, note titles · Sidebar table of contents — detects and edits PDF outlines, Build Contents with AI · Import EPUB ebooks and Office documents, “Translate with Your AI” · AI Connection — your AI reads your notes to help organize and review (needs UnivNote for Mac) · Import folders and .zip files exported from other note apps in one go · Bring in PDFs and photos from other apps via the share sheet · 90+ design templates, note covers, infinite notes · Study clock — stopwatch and timer, exam countdowns per subject · Folder library — nested folders, grid view, hide, lock · Page manager — add, delete, duplicate, rotate, multi-select · iCloud sync, WebDAV import, Auto Backup (folder or WebDAV) · “Help” guide in Settings, 27 languages ▶ Pricing · Free for up to 20 notes · Unlimited Notes is a one-time lifetime purchase · No subscription · No ads · Family Sharing supported · Early Supporters automatically get Unlimited Notes ▶ Privacy · No note data is sent externally · Notes stay on your device or your own iCloud ▶ Recommended Setup · iPad + Apple Pencil recommended; iPhone and Mac supported · iPadOS 18 or later, optimized for 13" and 11" iPad Pro / iPad Air

Screenshots

BoardNotes4 screens
UnivNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: UnivNote at none against BoardNotes's shown. UnivNote also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). BoardNotes's advantage is ratings volume (117 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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 10 one-off in-app purchases and UnivNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

UnivNote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BoardNotes has 117 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of BoardNotes's written reviews are positive against 100% of UnivNote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BoardNotes ships an update every 2 weeks, UnivNote daily. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
BoardNotes versus UnivNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoardNotesUnivNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (117 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings117 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size342 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChongqing Ouluowa Technology Co., Ltd.Jeonghwan Ryu

Customer experience

BoardNotes

All ratings116 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.3%

UnivNote

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and 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

UnivNote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

BoardNotes

One-time10
  • 5 days membership$0.99
  • Math Formula Recognition$1.99
  • 1 month membership$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Permanent Unlock All$4.99
  • 6 months membership$4.99
  • 6 months membership$6.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$6.99
  • Annual Membership$7.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$7.99
  • Permanent Unlock All$9.99
1 purchases

UnivNote

One-time1
  • Unlimited Notes$9.99

Questions

Is BoardNotes free?
BoardNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UnivNote free?
UnivNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BoardNotes or UnivNote?
UnivNote is rated higher. BoardNotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117 ratings, while UnivNote averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do BoardNotes or UnivNote have ads?
BoardNotes shows ads; UnivNote does not.
Which is updated more often, BoardNotes or UnivNote?
BoardNotes ships an update every 2 weeks, and UnivNote daily. Most recently, BoardNotes was updated on November 14, 2026 and UnivNote on November 15, 2026.

Other comparisons