Comparison

Handwriting Scan vs FlowTimer

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

Head to head
About

Handwriting Scan

Digitize handwritten notes and paper memos, converting them into searchable text. Organize, review, and share your captured information easily. Extract to-do lists and sync them with your reminders.

Highlights
  • OCR for handwritten notes
  • Searchable text notes
  • Markdown export
  • iCloud support
  • Task extraction and management
  • Sync with Apple Reminders
Features
Read full description

WriteScan helps you capture handwritten notes and paper memos, turn them into searchable text, and keep them organized. It keeps the freedom of writing on paper while making your notes easier to find, review, and share later. Main Features - Capture notebooks and journals with your camera and convert them to text with OCR - Save each page with both the original image and recognized text - Search past notes by keyword - Copy and share notes in Markdown format - iCloud support: data is stored on your device and in iCloud - Scan multiple pages in a single flow - Extract handwritten TODO lists and manage them as tasks - Organize detected tasks by parent groups - Sync tasks with Apple Reminders - Optionally save captured images to your photo library Perfect for - Digitally managing notebooks and journals - Quickly capturing shopping lists and ideas - Reviewing meeting notes or study notes later - Turning paper TODO lists into a task list - Archiving past notebooks for future reference Privacy & Security Your data is stored on your device and in iCloud. Text recognition uses an external AI service, but submitted data is never used for training. Terms of Use & Privacy Policy Terms of Use: https://writescan.app/en/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://writescan.app/en/privacy/

About

FlowTimer

Features
Read full description

See your remaining time at a glance — a bold number, a full-screen segment meter, and color that shifts as time runs out. A minimal, focused visual timer for iPhone and iPad. WHY YOU'LL USE IT • Study or work sessions, including Pomodoro-style intervals • Kids' routines, classrooms, and special-needs support — make "how much longer" visible • Anyone who finds it hard to sense time passing • Cooking, workouts, breaks — anything you need to time • You just want a clean, satisfying timer with nothing extra FEATURES • Wall-clock accurate countdown — stays correct even after returning from the background • Full-screen segment meter shows remaining time at a glance • Smooth color shift as time runs low (teal → amber → orange → red) • Interval mode for repeating work/break cycles (Pomodoro-style) • Weekly report to review how you've been using your time • Live Activity and Lock Screen support to track progress at a glance • Home Screen widget — start a saved timer with one tap • Notification, sound, and haptic feedback when time's up • Built for iPhone and iPad, in English and Japanese A no-frills timer you can actually rely on. TERMS & PRIVACY • Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ • Privacy Policy: https://flow-timer.com/privacy

Screenshots

Handwriting Scan4 screens
FlowTimer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FlowTimer at none against Handwriting Scan's 3. Handwriting Scan's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 days) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Handwriting Scan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. FlowTimer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handwriting Scan ships an update every 3 days, FlowTimer every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Handwriting Scan versus FlowTimer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandwriting ScanFlowTimer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKodai HiradateCLEARBIX WORKS

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Handwriting Scan

Subscriptions2
  • Pro plan(monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Pro plan (Annual)1 Year trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • 20-Scan Add-on Pack$0.49
None

FlowTimer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handwriting Scan free?
Handwriting Scan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FlowTimer free?
FlowTimer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Handwriting Scan or FlowTimer have ads?
Neither Handwriting Scan nor FlowTimer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handwriting Scan or FlowTimer?
Handwriting Scan ships an update every 3 days, and FlowTimer every 6 days. Most recently, Handwriting Scan was updated on October 1, 2026 and FlowTimer on September 21, 2026.

Other comparisons