Comparison

Nib 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

Nib

Features
Read full description

■ Where thoughts unfold Nib is a warm handwritten diary for iPad and Apple Pencil. The feeling of writing with a fountain pen on paper — captured in digital form. For anyone who wants to record today, organize class notes, or let ideas flow freely on the page. ■ Features ▸ Natural handwriting - Fountain pen, pencil, highlighter, eraser, lasso — optimized for Apple Pencil - 21 colors to express yourself - Blank, lined, and grid backgrounds ▸ Write directly on PDFs - Import textbooks, handouts, papers and annotate right away - Import from iCloud Drive, Files app, or anywhere - Select page ranges to import only what you need - Your annotations save separately — the original PDF stays intact ▸ Daily journal - End the day with a short note - Five moods (Heavy · Quiet · Even · Bloom · Radiant) to capture the feeling - Browse past days in the calendar ▸ Recording + auto-transcription - Record lectures or meetings while you write - Automatic transcription in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish - Notes and audio live side-by-side on the same page ▸ Organize by subject - Create subjects with 31 icons or draw your own - Tag notes with subjects - Browse by subject in the Shelf ▸ Six languages supported - 한국어 · English · 日本語 · 简体中文 · 繁體中文 · Español - Switch language directly in the app ■ Made for - People who want a handwritten journal on iPad - Students annotating PDF textbooks - Anyone recording lectures while taking notes - Those looking for a beautifully-designed diary app - Digital note-takers who miss the feel of paper ■ What's coming Nib is actively being improved. Dark mode and iCloud sync (across devices) are on the way. Feedback and suggestions welcome at hello@stockhub.kr ■ About the developer Nib is crafted by an independent developer. stockhub.kr

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

Nib4 screens
Xen Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nib at none against Xen Note's 2. Xen Note's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price 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. Nib asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Nib versus Xen Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNibXen Note
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYONGGYU KIMDYM CRAFT

In-app purchases

None

Nib

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 Nib free?
Nib 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 Nib or Xen Note have ads?
Nib shows ads; Xen Note does not.

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