Comparison

Wellnote vs StarNote

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

StarNote

This app offers a realistic pen-on-paper handwriting experience on tablets with an infinite canvas for notes and sketches. It includes advanced layering, PDF annotation, and a robust organizer for efficient digital note-taking and planning.

Highlights
  • Realistic low-latency handwriting
  • Infinite canvas for unlimited space
  • Layered design for complex projects
  • Deep PDF annotation and markup
  • Robust file management and search
  • Lifetime access with one-time purchase
  • Free templates and digital assets
Read full description

StarNote is a clean and powerful note-taking app for handwriting, PDF annotation, study, work, and everyday planning. Write naturally with your stylus, organize notebooks, mark up PDFs, and keep all your ideas in one simple workspace. Built for students, professionals, and tablet users, StarNote helps you take class notes, review lecture slides, annotate documents, plan your day, and build a paperless study or work system. With smooth handwriting, flexible notebooks, PDF markup, and digital planning tools, StarNote makes it easy to capture ideas and stay organized. No monthly subscription. Choose a one-time purchase and enjoy a long-term note-taking tool without ongoing fees. Download StarNote and start building your digital notebook today.

Screenshots

Wellnote4 screens
StarNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Wellnote at free against StarNote's paid. Wellnote also leads on ratings volume (914 vs 94). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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 StarNote sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. 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 4.6 for StarNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wellnote has 914 ratings behind it against 94, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Wellnote's written reviews are positive against 74% of StarNote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wellnote ships an update fortnightly, StarNote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Wellnote versus StarNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWellnoteStarNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (914 ratings) — better4.6 (94 ratings)
Positive reviews77.1% of reviews — better74.4% of reviews
Number of ratings914 — better94
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size445 MB422 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMAXEYE US INC.Onyx International Inc.

Customer experience

Wellnote

All ratings914 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews319 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral9.7%
Negative13.2%

StarNote

All ratings94 ratings
Positive89.4%
Neutral5.3%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews90 reviews
Positive74.4%
Neutral14.4%
Negative11.1%

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
21 purchases

StarNote

One-time21
  • StarNote AI Trial$0.99
  • Templates\Stickers$3.90
  • Templates\Stickers$4.49
Show 18 more
  • Templates\Stickers$4.79
  • Templates\Stickers$5.00
  • Templates\Stickers$5.79
  • StarNote Lifetime PRO$5.99
  • Templates\Stickers$6.69
  • Templates\Stickers$6.79
  • StarNote AI Plus$6.99
  • Templates\Stickers$7.79
  • Templates\Stickers$8.99
  • Templates\Stickers$9.79
  • Templates\Stickers$9.99
  • Templates\Stickers$10.99
  • Templates\Stickers$11.49
  • Templates\Stickers$11.90
  • Templates\Stickers$12.99
  • StarNote AI Pro$22.99
  • Templates\Stickers$38.90
  • Templates\Stickers$42.90

Questions

Is Wellnote free?
Wellnote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StarNote free?
StarNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wellnote or StarNote?
Wellnote is rated higher. Wellnote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 914 ratings, while StarNote averages 4.6 from 94 ratings.
Do Wellnote or StarNote have ads?
Neither Wellnote nor StarNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wellnote or StarNote?
Wellnote ships an update fortnightly, and StarNote every 2 weeks. Most recently, Wellnote was updated on October 13, 2026 and StarNote on October 10, 2026.

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