# AcademyNote vs ZensNote

AcademyNote and ZensNote are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. AcademyNote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and ZensNote sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

AcademyNote ships an update every 4 months, ZensNote every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AcademyNote | ZensNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Size | 95 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arif Hossain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841328852) | [Study Note AI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874959157) |

## What reviewers say

### AcademyNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/academynote-ai-study-app/id6752850476)

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $12.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Plan | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Plan | $59.99 | per year |


### ZensNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zensnote-ai-study-note-taker/id6758782007)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Learning Tools: Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Notebook: Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Knowledge Suite: Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| ZensNote Premium — Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| 250 Study Credits | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1,000 Study Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| 3,000 Study Credits | $49.99 | one-time |
| 7,000 Study Credits | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AcademyNote free?

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

### Is ZensNote free?

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

### Do AcademyNote or ZensNote have ads?

Neither AcademyNote nor ZensNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AcademyNote or ZensNote?

AcademyNote ships an update every 4 months, and ZensNote every 2 months. Most recently, AcademyNote was updated on September 11, 2026 and ZensNote on September 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.*