# Notewise vs Notely

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notely at none against Notewise's 16. Notely also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Notewise's advantage is review sentiment (54% vs 33%) and ratings volume (282 vs 8). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notewise sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Notely asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notewise holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notewise has 282 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Notewise's written reviews are positive against 33% of Notely's.

Notewise ships an update every 2 days, Notely every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notewise | Notely |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (282 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notewise-ai-notes-pdf-docs/id6480045936/reviews)** | [4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-notes-and-pdf-app/id6760985471/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **282** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **54.3% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 435 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ZIIKR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535317711) | [JUSTIN WEI SUN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874016949) |

## What reviewers say

### Notewise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notewise-ai-notes-pdf-docs/id6480045936)

This app offers a versatile digital canvas for note-taking, PDF annotation, and sketching. It leverages AI to summarize content, generate quizzes, and transcribe audio. Designed for students, professionals, and creators, it provides tools for organization, collaboration, and enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** AI-powered note summarization and quizzing, Handwritten notes and PDF annotation, Audio recording with synced transcripts, OCR for searchable handwriting, Real-time collaboration, Infinite freeform canvas

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notewise Cloud Basic Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Notewise Cloud Starter Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Notewise Cloud Pro Monthly | $15.99 | per month |
| Notewise Cloud Basic Yearly | $28.99 | per year |
| Notewise Cloud Starter Yearly | $36.99 | per year |
| Notewise Cloud Pro Yearly | $129.99 | per year |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $1.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $2.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $3.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $4.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $5.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $6.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $7.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $8.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Marketplace Content | $9.99 | one-time |
| Notewise Unlimited | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🔄 Excellent cross-platform synchronization (Android, iOS, Mac, PC)
- ✨ Comprehensive feature set with tables, shapes, and drawing tools
- 🎨 High-quality dark mode implementation
- 📱 Works seamlessly across multiple devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes after updates
- 🐛 Handwriting and annotations disappearing randomly
- 🐛 Lasso selection tool includes unwanted background
- 🐛 App freezes and lags when highlighting large areas
- 🐛 Text input fields not functioning properly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on every update
- Handwritten content randomly disappears
- Annotations vanishing intermittently
- Lasso selection tool malfunctions
- Text input fields not responding

**Requested features**

- Add layers feature for advanced editing
- Implement automatic zoom box that follows writing
- Add pencil, waterbrush, and crayon drawing tools
- Sticker marketplace or sticker customization
- Horizontal page flipping/swiping navigation


### Notely

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-notes-and-pdf-app/id6760985471)

This app offers a private and flexible digital notebook for handwriting, typed notes, and PDF annotation. Convert handwriting to editable text, draw with precision tools, and organize your work with folders and backups. Keep ideas accessible without an account or internet connection.

**Highlights:** Handwriting to editable text conversion, Precision drawing tools, PDF annotation and markup, Organized library with folders, On-device search, Portable backups

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notewise free?

Notewise is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Notely free?

Notely is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Notewise or Notely?

Notewise is rated higher. Notewise averages 4.6 out of 5 from 282 ratings, while Notely averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.

### Do Notewise or Notely have ads?

Neither Notewise nor Notely shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notewise or Notely?

Notewise ships an update every 2 days, and Notely every 4 days. Most recently, Notewise was updated on October 12, 2026 and Notely on October 13, 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.*