ForNote vs OpenScribe
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ForNote
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The notebook that turns Apple Pencil strokes into searchable, organized handwritten notes. ForNote is a native iPad and iPhone notes app for handwriting, sketching, and annotating PDFs. Draw with Apple Pencil, organize notebooks in nested folders, drop a photo or PDF as a page background, and find any handwritten word from Spotlight. HAND-DRAWN PAGES • Draw with Apple Pencil on iPad, or with your finger on iPhone • Pen, marker, eraser, and lasso with a full color picker • Native page-curl animation between pages • Pinch to zoom up to 5× • Floating tool palette you can drag anywhere on screen FOLDERS & ORGANIZATION • Nest folders inside folders — Files-style hierarchy • Drag and drop notebooks and folders between locations • Spring-load on the back arrow to navigate while dragging • Select multiple items at once • Bulk export, move, or delete in a single action PAGE BACKGROUNDS • Drop a photo as a background and annotate over it • Import a PDF — every page becomes a notebook page you can write on • Scan a document with the camera and turn it into pages instantly • Annotate every imported page with Apple Pencil SPOTLIGHT SEARCH • Vision OCR runs in the background on every page you draw on • Search for any handwritten word from Spotlight on your device • Tap a result to jump straight to the exact page • Turkish and English recognition out of the box STATISTICS • Track your writing streak across notebooks, pages, and folders • Library overview with item counts • Content breakdown of OCR-indexed and image-backed pages • Everything stays on-device LIQUID GLASS DESIGN Every card, sheet, and toolbar uses iOS 26's stunning Liquid Glass material. The whole app is built with native SwiftUI — no custom chrome, just the system you already know from Notes, Files, and Reminders. FORNOTE PLUS — TRY FREE • Unlimited notebooks • Unlimited PDF imports • Photos, PDF, and document scanner page backgrounds inside the editor • Detailed writing statistics Start a free trial today. Cancel anytime. Built for students, researchers, planners, and anyone who thinks better with a pen. Available in 3 languages: English, Turkish, and Simplified Chinese. ——————————————— Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://cagandurgun.com/fornoteprivacy
OpenScribe
This app transforms handwriting, PDFs, and audio into searchable, organized notes. It offers powerful OCR for instant retrieval, PDF annotation, and audio recording with transcription. Seamless iCloud sync keeps your work updated across devices.
- Handwriting to text conversion
- PDF annotation and signing
- Audio recording and transcription
- Universal search
- Offline work capability
- iCloud synchronization
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OpenScribe turns handwriting, PDFs, and audio into searchable, organized notes—fast, reliable, and private. Capture ideas in class, meetings, or on the go, then find anything instantly with powerful OCR and search. Annotate PDFs, record while you write, and export in formats that fit your workflow. iCloud keeps your library in sync across devices. What you can do - Capture handwriting: Write or sketch and convert ink to text with OCR. - Annotate PDFs: Import handouts, highlight, comment, sign, and export. - Record and transcribe: Take audio notes; transcriptions make everything searchable. - Search everything: Instantly find text in handwriting, PDFs, and transcripts. - Organize your library: Notebooks, pages, and quick actions for tidy projects. - Export and share: Send PDFs or text and keep your edits intact. - Work offline: Capture and edit without a connection; sync when you’re back online. - iCloud sync: Keep notes up to date across your Apple devices. Why OpenScribe - Focused and fast: A clean workspace built for study, research, and meetings. - Accurate OCR: Turn handwriting and scans into searchable text. - Private by design: Your data stays yours; iCloud sync and secure networking. - Built for iOS 17: Modern performance, smooth canvas, and system integration. Great for - Students: Lecture notes, scanned handouts, and quick study packs. - Professionals: Meeting minutes, whiteboard photos, and annotated briefs. - Researchers: Paper markup, audio interviews, and cross‑document search. Get started by importing a PDF, creating a notebook, or tapping record. OpenScribe helps you capture, understand, and share your work—without friction. ******************* Terms of Use ********************** Please read the terms of use under: https://openscribe.app/terms.html ******************* Privacy Policy ********************** Please read our privacy policy under: https://openscribe.app/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: OpenScribe at every 3 months against ForNote's every 11 months. OpenScribe also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. ForNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and OpenScribe sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ForNote ships an update every 11 months, OpenScribe every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ForNote | OpenScribe |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CAGAN DURGUN | VidOpt LLC |
In-app purchases
ForNote
- Monthly$0.991 Month
- Yearly$9.991 Year
OpenScribe
- OpenScribe Pro7 Days trial$1.991 Month









