Comparison

Wellnote vs Freenotes®

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

Head to head
About

Wellnote

Experience natural handwriting with a stylus for note-taking and document annotation. Organize your thoughts with categorization and search, and study more effectively using split-screen and custom templates. Import and mark up PDFs, Word, and PPT files for interactive learning.

Highlights
  • Real handwriting experience with stylus
  • Categorize and search notes
  • Import and annotate PDFs, Word, PPT
  • Split-screen for multitasking
  • Customizable templates
  • Masking tape feature for memorization
Features
Read full description

Real Writing Experience -- Combined with a stylus pen, you can feel the real touch of writing on the iPad, achieving a natural writing sensation. -- Wellnote provides a smooth writing experience, accurately capturing your handwriting whether you're jotting down notes quickly or making detailed records. Categorize Notes -- The categorization feature allows you to organize your notes by project, course, or topic, keeping your notes tidy and orderly. -- With the search function, you can easily find the notes you need. -- The writing effects that used to require a stack of paper can now be easily achieved on the iPad. Import Documents for Annotation -- Log in to Baidu Cloud, and files in the cloud (PPT, Word, PDF) can be downloaded and imported at any time. -- Annotate, mark, and highlight directly on PDF files or by importing PPTs and Word documents as PDFs, making learning more interactive and vivid. -- Combining text and notes helps you better understand and remember the content of your studies. Study More Efficiently -- The split-screen feature allows you to view different books, materials, or apps simultaneously, efficiently taking notes. -- Using the split-screen feature in class allows you to record key points in real-time while viewing class materials, ensuring you don't miss any important information. -- The masking tape feature can cover and reveal content, allowing you to study and memorize more efficiently. Customize Templates -- Based on your personal learning and working style, custom templates let you create note formats that meet your needs. -- With preset templates, you can not only improve the efficiency of organizing notes but also study and review more effectively. Explanation of Automatic Subscription Service (1) Subscription Services: AI+VIP Continuous Monthly Subscription (1 month), AI+VIP Continuous Annual Subscription (12 months) (2) Subscription Price: For example, AI+VIP continuous monthly subscription (1 month) is US$1.99 per month, and the continuous annual subscription product is US$10.99/year. The specific price will be adjusted according to promotional activities during different periods, subject to the actual display within the application. (3) Payment: After the user confirms the purchase and makes the payment, it will be credited to the iTunes account. (4) Auto-renewal: The Apple iTunes account will be charged within 24 hours before expiration, and upon successful payment, the subscription period will be extended by one subscription cycle. (5) Cancel Service: You can go to "Settings" on your iPhone --> enter "iTunes Store & App Store" --> tap "Apple ID" and select "View Apple ID", enter the "Account Settings" page, tap "Subscriptions" to manage auto-renewal subscriptions. If you need to cancel, simply turn it off 24 hours before the end of each billing cycle, and no further charges will be incurred within 24 hours before expiration. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: https://wellnote.meatmeet.top/app/privacy/index.html?language=en End User Licensing Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ If you have any questions, you can contact us via email for assistance: wellnote@maxeye.com

About

Freenotes®

This AI-powered digital notepad transforms your device into an intelligent workspace. It offers handwriting recognition, PDF annotation, and AI assistance for summarizing documents, answering questions, and aiding in study. Organize notes, sketch ideas, and sync across devices for a seamless paperless experience.

Highlights
  • AI Summaries and Chat with PDFs
  • AI Homework and Study Helper
  • Handwritten Note Organization
  • OCR Search and PDF Annotation
  • Infinite Canvas and Shape Recognition
  • Active Recall Tape and Flashcards
  • Picture-in-Picture Video Note-Taking
Features
Read full description

Freenotes: Freedom to write, organize, and shine Transform your iPad into a powerful AI-driven digital notepad. Freenotes is an all-in-one workspace designed for students and professionals who want the natural feel of handwriting with the power of artificial intelligence. Whether you are annotating a complex PDF, planning your week, or recording a lecture, Freenotes helps you stay organized with seamless, free-form experience. AI Summary Quickly find key points and action items from long recordings or documents. AI Chat with PDF Ask questions directly to your imported files to get instant answers. AI Homework Helper Take a screenshot or upload a document (PDF or photo) to instantly get answers. AI Study Companion Clarify concepts, define terms, and check your handwritten notes for accuracy, turning passive review into active recall. Organize Notes Categorize and organize your notes by projects, courses, or topics, automating the organization of your note library. Quick Search via OCR Search through your handwritten scripts easily using accurate text recognition. PDF Annotation Highlight, underline, and add comments to documents with custom pen styles. Infinite Canvas Sketch ideas or mind map on a whiteboard that expands as you work. Apple Pencil Pro Support Experience low-latency writing that feels like real paper. Shape Recognition Turn rough drawings into clean, perfect geometric shapes for diagrams. Hyperlink Support Navigate through digital planners using clickable internal and external links. Active Recall Tape Hide specific parts of your notes to test your memory and study better. Paper Templates Access various backgrounds including grid, Cornell, and dotted paper. Flashcards Build study sets directly from your pages to help with exam prep. Seamless Video Learning Use Picture-in-Picture (PiP) to take notes while watching online videos (YouTube, lecture recordings), and instantly capture relevant screenshots directly into your notes. iCloud & Google Drive Sync Securely back up your digital notebook to access your data anywhere. Who is Freenotes For? Students: Create study guides, annotate lecture slides, and use the "Active Recall" tape tool for exam prep. Professionals: Record meetings, organize projects into folders, and sign PDF documents on the go. Creatives: Sketch ideas on an infinite whiteboard and export high-quality files to share with your team. Join over 1 million happy users transitioning to a smarter, paperless future. Try Freenotes today and experience the next era of AI note-taking. Privacy Policy: https://www.freenotetech.com/policy/ Terms of Service: https://www.freenotetech.com/terms/

Screenshots

Wellnote4 screens
Freenotes®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Wellnote at free against Freenotes®'s free with in-app purchases. Wellnote also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 60%). Freenotes®'s advantage is ratings volume (61K vs 794) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). 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. Wellnote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Freenotes® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. 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 — 4.7 for Wellnote against 4.7 for Freenotes®. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freenotes® has 61K ratings behind it against 794, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Wellnote's written reviews are positive against 60% of Freenotes®'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wellnote ships an update fortnightly, Freenotes® weekly. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Wellnote versus Freenotes®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWellnoteFreenotes®
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (794 ratings) — better4.7 (61K ratings)
Positive reviews77.5% of reviews — better59.6% of reviews
Number of ratings79461K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size439 MB704 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMAXEYE US INC.Free Notes AI Note Taker LTD

Customer experience

Wellnote

All ratings794 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews307 reviews
Positive77.5%
Neutral9.8%
Negative12.7%

Freenotes®

All ratings60,756 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews2,361 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral5.5%
Negative34.9%

Bugs and requests

Wellnote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Freenotes®

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Occasional freezing or lagging when writing/drawing
  • Issues with the shape recognition tool not working as expected
  • Problems with the eraser tool not functioning properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add handwriting recognition and search functionality
  • Improve iCloud sync and backup capabilities
  • Expand pen/pencil customization options
  • Implement support for external links and clickable content
  • Introduce features for easier notebook organization and splitting

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Wellnote

Subscriptions3
  • AI+VIP$1.991 Month
  • AI+VIP$10.991 Year
  • AI Pro VIP$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • AI Credits$9.99
18 purchases

Freenotes®

Subscriptions11
  • Freenotes Weekly Plus Member$1.997 Days
  • Freenotes Weekly Pro Member$6.997 Days
  • Premium Freenotes AI Weekly7 Days trial$6.997 Days
Show 8 more
  • Freenotes Yearly Plus Member$9.991 Year
  • Freenotes Yearly Plus Member1 Year trial2 variants$9.991 Year
  • Monthly Pro Member Promotion1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Freenotes Monthly Pro Member$19.991 Month
  • Premium Freenotes AI Monthly1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Freenotes Yearly Pro Member1 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly Pro Member Discount1 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Freenotes Yearly Pro Member$39.991 Year
One-time7
  • Marketplace Content$1.99
  • Marketplace Content$2.99
  • Marketplace Content$3.99
Show 4 more
  • Marketplace Content$9.99
  • Marketplace Content$10.99
  • Freenotes Remove Ads$29.99
  • Freenotes Plus Member Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Wellnote free?
Wellnote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Freenotes® free?
Freenotes® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wellnote or Freenotes®?
Wellnote is rated higher. Wellnote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 794 ratings, while Freenotes® averages 4.7 from 61K ratings.
Do Wellnote or Freenotes® have ads?
Neither Wellnote nor Freenotes® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wellnote or Freenotes®?
Wellnote ships an update fortnightly, and Freenotes® weekly. Most recently, Wellnote was updated on September 28, 2026 and Freenotes® on September 28, 2026.

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