Comparison

Notely vs Xen Note

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

Head to head
About

Notely

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
Read full description

Notely is a private, flexible notebook for handwriting, typed notes, PDFs, and visual thinking on iPad and iPhone. Write naturally, clean up a page when you choose, and keep your work available without an account or internet connection. TURN HANDWRITING INTO EDITABLE TEXT Tap the handwriting button to convert canvas writing fully on device. Matched pen and pencil strokes become fitted, editable text immediately in one undoable step. Unmatched ink stays on the page, and unreadable handwriting is never removed. You can also scan physical pages or import photos as typed text. DRAW WITH PRECISION Use pen, pencil, highlighter, eraser, lasso, shape recognition, and a resizable ruler. Zoom from a full-page overview into extreme detail while curves and typed text stay crisp. Pan with one finger when finger drawing is off. Apple Pencil pressure, hover, double tap, and squeeze are supported on compatible hardware, and smart Pencil gestures are customizable. REAL PAGES OR AN INFINITE CANVAS Add, duplicate, reorder, name, section, bookmark, and delete pages while ink, text, images, and sticky notes move together. Intentional blank pages stay in exports. Prefer open space? Switch to a seamless whiteboard instead. Imported PDF pages remain protected and navigation-only. FIND WHAT YOU WROTE Search titles, typed text, sticky notes, handwriting, images, and PDF text with a private on-device index. Results include highlighted context and page or source details. Unlocked note titles and typed text can also appear in system Spotlight; locked and trashed notes stay excluded. TEXT THAT STAYS TIDY Place and move text boxes with a finger or Apple Pencil. Text boxes fit their contents automatically instead of stretching across the page. Use headings, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, lists, checklists, fonts, sizes, and colors. Resize a block manually whenever you want a fixed layout. ANNOTATE PDFS AND SCANS Import PDFs from Files and mark them up with the same drawing and text tools. Add images, scan physical pages, or recognize text from Photos. Export paged notes as PDF or as individual PNG pages. ORGANIZE A LARGE LIBRARY Use color-coded folders and subfolders, favorites, templates, trash recovery, modified/created/title sorting, grid or list layouts, and multi-select actions. Move, favorite, export, trash, restore, or permanently delete several notes together. New notes open as soon as they are created while the library updates in the background. MOVE BETWEEN IDEAS Keep several notes open, switch between them, close individual notes, or open another existing note without returning to the library. Copy, cut, and paste mixed lasso selections across open notes. Focus Mode hides the interface when you want only the page. PORTABLE, VALIDATED BACKUPS Back up one note, a selection, a folder, or the full library to a portable Notely archive, then restore it additively without overwriting existing notes. Attachments and archive contents are validated before restore. Locked notes are never placed into a portable backup unless you remove their lock first. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Notely works offline and stores notes locally on your device. There is no required account, cloud sync, analytics, or personal-data collection. Lock individual notes with Face ID or a password when you want another layer of privacy. MORE TO EXPLORE - Quick Note and Recent Notes actions in Shortcuts - A configurable Study Buddy widget with quick capture and recent unlocked notes - Drawing replay with speed and timeline controls - Per-orientation toolbar placement with a visible drag handle - A consistent light interface designed around paper and ink - Letter, A4, portrait, landscape, and paper-style defaults Apple Pencil, hover, squeeze, Face ID, camera scanning, Spotlight, and Shortcuts features require compatible hardware and system support.

About

Xen Note

Features
Read full description

Xen Note Key Features 1. Seamless Cross-Device Sync • Subscribe to sync all your data across devices in real time. • Continue your notes anywhere, on any device. 2. Your Perfect Writing Environment • Write freely with intuitive digital ink and highlighters. • Import and annotate PDFs, images, and documents effortlessly. • Complete your stylish notes with elegant templates and backgrounds. 3. Maximize Work & Study Productivity • Manage projects and schedules with an at-a-glance dashboard. • Record meetings or lectures and sync them with your notes so you never miss a moment. • Quickly find and organize everything with tags and folders. Xen Note Plus (Subscription): Unlock Full Productivity Upgrade to Xen Note and enjoy these features without limits. • Real-Time Cross-Device Sync: Your data syncs instantly across all your devices. Continue your notes wherever you go. • Unlimited Attachments: Remove all limits on audio recordings, images, files, and PDFs. Capture and manage even the largest meeting materials or textbooks. • Unlimited Premium Templates: Choose from a wide range of beautiful premium backgrounds and templates. Create a notebook you'll want to use every day.

Screenshots

Notely4 screens
Xen Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notely at none against Xen Note's 2. Xen Note's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). 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. Xen Note sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Notely asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Notely versus Xen Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotelyXen Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJUSTIN WEI SUNDYM CRAFT

In-app purchases

None

Notely

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Xen Note

Subscriptions2
  • Xen Note Monthly Membership$1.991 Month
  • Xen Note Yearly Membership$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Notely free?
Notely is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Xen Note free?
Xen Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Notely or Xen Note have ads?
Neither Notely nor Xen Note shows ads.

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