StoneNote vs Recall
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StoneNote
Seamlessly take handwritten notes while watching study videos on the same page. This app integrates a video player directly into your notes, allowing for automatic pausing, screenshot capture, and video bookmarking. Organize your work with layered notes and folders, and sync across devices.
- Integrated video player within notes
- Automatic video pause while writing
- Screenshot capture and insertion
- Layered notes support
- Folder-based organization
- iCloud sync
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Take handwritten notes while watching study videos on the same page. StoneNote seamlessly integrates notes and videos. No need to split screens, watch videos directly on the note page with ease. Capture screenshots effortlessly, enjoy automatic pause while writing, insert video bookmarks, and even recognize speech in the video. Smooth handwriting experience * Our self-developed vector ink engine offers an elegant, smooth, and precise writing experience. * Choose from various brushes: fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and highlighter. * Easily switch brush colors and sizes. * Deeply supports Apple Pencil for precise writing on iPad. Deep integration of notes and videos * Built-in video player within the notes, allowing you to take notes while watching videos. * Automatically pauses video playback when you start writing. * Choose from various video playback modes: side-by-side, top-and-bottom split screen, floating window, etc. * Capture screenshots with a simple two-finger tap and drag them into your notes. * Play videos from your device and online, with the ability to download and cache online videos. * Choose video subtitles and language. * Supports playback speed adjustment, video bookmarks, and video speech recognition. Images and texts * Insert images and text in various ways: click, copy, drag, etc. * Adjust image size, rotate, and freely crop. * Adjust text font, size, and color. Import, annotate, and share * Import various media, including PDF documents and videos. * Write and annotate with various stroke styles. * Export and share your notes. Layered notes support * Non-disruptive, write on separate layers without affecting other layer content. * Easily create and delete layers. * One-click hide or show layers. Effortlessly edit your notes * Use the lasso tool to move, zoom, and modify your notes. * Easily erase strokes with the eraser tool. Well-organized notes * Create folders with unlimited levels to manage your notes. * Move notes between folders. * iCloud sync keeps your notes up-to-date on all devices. * Export your notes in various formats anytime. — Upgrade to StoneNote Pro to unlock unlimited notes and iCloud sync. One-time purchase, no subscription fees, and enjoy future free updates.
Recall
This app helps you learn and retain information using spaced repetition flashcards. It supports offline study, private cloud syncing, and importing from other popular flashcard formats.
- FSRS spaced repetition algorithm
- Offline study support
- Private CloudKit sync
- Native Anki import
- Selective deck syncing
- Local-first architecture
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A flashcard app using the FSRS algorithm. Features offline support, private CloudKit sync, and native Anki imports. App Store Description Recall is a local-first (on Mac) spaced repetition flashcard app built for privacy, and efficiency. It uses a custom SQLite backend and the Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler (FSRS) to manage your reviews. Core Features: Anki Import: Natively imports Anki .apkg files. Preserves your existing media, cloze deletions, and Image Occlusion masks. (When exporting your Anki file check - Support older Anki versions; otherwise it will not import to Recall). Local-First Architecture: The app runs entirely from a local database. It does not require an active internet connection to study, search, or edit cards. Advanced Scheduling: Uses the FSRS algorithm to calculate review intervals, minimizing daily workload while maintaining retention. Private CloudKit Sync: Syncs via your personal iCloud account using Advanced Data Protection. Your data and media are encrypted before leaving your device. Selective Sync: Choose which decks sync to iCloud and which stay local, saving storage space on your iPhone for large, media-heavy decks. Standalone Mode: Can be used completely offline with sync permanently disabled.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Recall at 100% against StoneNote's 50%. Recall also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). StoneNote's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. StoneNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Recall asks for nothing beyond the download.
Recall holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of StoneNote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Recall's.
StoneNote ships an update every 10 days, Recall every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StoneNote | Recall |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 斯熠 巩 | Kedarnath Malapati |
Customer experience
StoneNote
Recall
In-app purchases
StoneNote
- StoneNote Pro$4.99
Recall
No in-app purchases









