AINotes vs PaperFlow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AINotes
Capture ideas naturally with a professional note-taking and document annotation app. Enjoy smooth, paper-like handwriting on an infinite canvas with features like layers, split-screen editing, and extensive import/export options. Organize your study, work, and creative projects effortlessly.
- Paper-like handwriting with Apple Pencil support
- Infinite canvas for freeform ideation
- Multi-layer editing for complex content
- Annotate PDFs, DOCs, PPTs, and ebooks
- OCR for text recognition from scanned documents
- Organize notes with folders and templates
- iCloud sync and local backups
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AINotes is a professional note-taking and document annotation app for iPad and iPhone, with smooth, paper-like handwriting. Use Apple Pencil, an infinite canvas, freeform layout, multiple layers, and split-screen editing to capture ideas naturally and keep your study, work, and creative projects organized. AINotes is currently free to use, with no subscription required for its core features. WRITE NATURALLY • Optimized for iPhone and every iPad size, with pressure sensitivity and tilt support on compatible Apple Pencil models • Write and draw with a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, brush pen, or pencil • Use a highlighter, shapes, magnifier, laser pointer, ruler, and other precision tools • Customize stroke colors, widths, and styles, then refine content with the precision eraser and lasso tools THINK WITHOUT LIMITS • Create structured paged notes or explore ideas freely on an infinite canvas • Zoom and pan smoothly to organize outlines, build mind maps, plan projects, and develop creative sketches • Freely move, resize, and rotate handwriting, text, images, and shapes • Use multiple layers to edit complex content independently, and view or edit multiple notes side by side READ & ANNOTATE MULTIPLE FORMATS • Import PDF, DOC, and PPT files; Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents; and ebooks in EPUB, MOBI, and AZW3 formats • Read imported documents and ebooks, then add handwriting, highlights, shapes, text, and comments • Import screenshots, photos, worksheets, exam papers, and other images, then crop, resize, rotate, and arrange them freely • When you need to capture paper content, scan documents, recognize text with OCR, and use smart correction and filters for clearer results • Export finished work as a PDF, individual images, or a single long image STAY ORGANIZED, MAKE IT YOUR OWN • Organize classes, projects, meetings, and personal notes with folders • Search note titles and content to quickly find what you need • Personalize notes with beautiful covers and ruled, grid, dot grid, blank, Cornell note, and other paper templates • Write comfortably in low light with Dark Mode • Sync notes between iPhone and iPad with iCloud, and create local backups that you can restore when needed FREE TO USE • No subscription or payment is required to access the core features • Work offline and capture ideas wherever you are • Export and share in multiple formats while keeping control of your notes and backups BUILT FOR STUDY, WORK & CREATIVITY Use AINotes for classroom notes, reviewing mistakes, lesson planning, handout annotation, meeting notes, document review, ebook reading, study notes, project planning, digital journaling, creative sketches, and everyday inspiration. Start using AINotes today—write naturally, think without limits, and turn every idea into something clear and useful. For technical support or feedback, contact us: Email: feedback@prodsoft.net Privacy Policy: https://www.prodsoft.net/privacy_policy.html Terms of Use: https://www.prodsoft.net/terms_of_use.html
PaperFlow
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Write by hand and link like you type. A word you wrote becomes a link, your handwritten pages sit in the same graph as the notes you type, and one search reads both. CIRCLE A WORD. IT BECOMES A LINK. Lasso a word on the page, tap "Link to a note" and pick the note. That note lists the page under "Mentioned in". A link like [[Calculus II - notebook#page=12]] opens your handwriting on page 12. HANDWRITTEN AND TYPED, ONE GRAPH Every notebook you write is a node beside the notes you type, with links and backlinks both ways. Tap a node to see what it connects to. TYPE A WORD. FIND THE PAGE YOU WROTE. One search covers your handwriting, the notes you type and the text inside your PDFs. Your handwriting is read on your device, and it stays handwriting: it turns into text only when you ask. THE SYNTAX YOU ALREADY TYPE Wikilinks with autocomplete, note embeds, callouts, YAML properties, a templates folder, a daily note, LaTeX, Mermaid flowcharts and code blocks. Tabs, split panes, floating windows, a command palette and a quick switcher. PLAIN FILES, ON YOUR DEVICE Your notes are files: .md for what you type, .ink for what you write. The vault shows up in the Files app, every notebook exports to PDF or PNG, and the whole vault exports as a zip. Everything works offline, and two devices writing on the same page don't erase each other. A PEN WORTH WRITING WITH Press and the line thickens; tilt the pencil and it shades. Squeeze or double-tap Apple Pencil to switch tools, hover shows where the tip will land, and Pencil Pro's barrel roll turns the nib. Your palm leaves no mark. A different paper on every page. PDFS AND GOODNOTES NOTEBOOKS COME IN Import a PDF and write on top of it. Goodnotes notebooks open as PaperFlow notebooks. WHAT'S FREE, WHAT'S PLUS The notebook is free forever, with no page limit: writing, linking, search, the graph, import and export. That list doesn't shrink. PaperFlow Plus adds sync across your devices with a copy in the cloud, AI that suggests links up to a monthly allowance, and MCP access so your own AI assistant can read and write the vault once you allow it. 7 days free for new subscribers. PAPERFLOW PLUS Monthly or annual subscription with a free trial, renewed automatically until you cancel in your device Settings. The price is shown in the app before you confirm. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://paperflow.dev/privacy/en Support: https://paperflow.dev/support
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AINotes at none against PaperFlow's 3. PaperFlow's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (15.0 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
Both are free to download. PaperFlow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. AINotes asks for nothing beyond the download.
AINotes ships an update every 9 days, PaperFlow every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AINotes | PaperFlow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (14 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 188 MB | 85 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PRODSOFT PTE LTD | Freedom It |
In-app purchases
AINotes
No in-app purchases
PaperFlow
- PaperFlow Plus (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- PaperFlow Plus (Annual)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Founder Plan (lifetime)$99.90









