Comparison

Inkelle vs Noteleaf

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

Head to head
About

Inkelle

Features
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Inkelle is a handwriting notes app built for iPad and Apple Pencil, combining the freedom of natural handwriting with powerful organization and search. NATURAL HANDWRITING โ€ข Smooth PencilKit ink with custom brush presets, pressure sensitivity, and colors โ€ข Finger/stylus toggle, zoomed writing mode, automatic shape recognition โ€ข Multi-page documents, thumbnail sidebar, page outline, and presentation mode ORGANIZE AND SEARCH โ€ข Notebooks, tags, and smart folders for flexible organization โ€ข On-device handwriting OCR + Spotlight global search โ€ข Trash and version history โ€” recover deletions and roll back changes IMPORT AND ANNOTATE โ€ข Import PDFs and annotate them in your own handwriting โ€ข Insert photos from your library or camera, add text boxes and stickers โ€ข Template backgrounds, export to PDF or image, system share sheet AUDIO AND CALENDAR โ€ข Attach voice recordings to your notes to capture ideas on the go โ€ข Detect dates in your notes and create calendar events with one tap AI STUDY KIT (OPTIONAL) โ€ข Summaries, Q&A, math solving, and auto-generated flashcards (SM-2 spaced repetition) โ€ข AI is powered by DeepSeek with your own API key; the app always asks for explicit consent before any text is sent. AI is fully optional โ€” when off, all notes stay on your device and in your iCloud. ICLOUD SYNC โ€ข Private sync across your devices via iCloud/CloudKit, stored in your own private container โ€ข Home Screen widget for quick access to recent notes Inkelle respects your privacy: OCR runs on-device, there are no analytics or tracking SDKs, and your AI key is stored only in the local keychain. Inkelle Pro unlocks unlimited notebooks with an annual subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. The free version includes 10 notebooks, and viewing, editing, and exporting your existing notes is never restricted. Privacy & Terms โ€ข Privacy Policy: https://inkelle.pages.dev/privacy.html โ€ข Terms of Use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Noteleaf

Features
Read full description

Noteleaf is a handwriting notebook that feels like real looseleaf paper. Write freely with Apple Pencil, rearrange pages, choose from templates, and make it your own. โ–  Key Features Looseleaf Feel Pages can be reordered freely, just like real looseleaf paper. Move, insert, or remove pages to organize your notes the way you want. Handwriting with Apple Pencil Write naturally with Apple Pencil. Supports Scribble. Turn on Apple Pencil-Only Mode in Settings to prevent accidental palm touches. Ruler Tool Draw perfectly straight lines at any angle using the on-screen ruler โ€” no physical ruler needed. 10 Page Templates Choose from blank, lined, wide-ruled, grid, dot grid, Cornell, and more. Mix templates freely within a single notebook. 16 Leather Cover Colors Personalize each notebook with a color that suits you โ€” 16 rich leather-style covers to choose from. PDF Export Export any notebook as a PDF to share or archive your notes. Notebook Sharing Share notebooks with others in the app's native format. Device Sharing and notebook sharing work when either device has Premium โ€” the other device doesn't need to purchase. โ–  One-Time Purchase Noteleaf is free to download. One in-app purchase unlocks: ใƒป Unlimited notebooks (free tier: 1 notebook) ใƒป PDF export ใƒป Notebook sharing All handwriting features are available for free. No subscription. No account required.

Screenshots

Inkelle4 screens
Noteleaf4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Inkelle sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per year and Noteleaf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Inkelle ships an update every 4 days, Noteleaf weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Inkelle versus Noteleaf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInkelleNoteleaf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days โ€” betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size12 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerๆ™— ๆž—masafumi matsumoto

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Inkelle

Subscriptions1
  • Inkelle Pro โ€” Annual7 Days trial$5.991 Year
One-time1
  • Inkelle Pro โ€” Lifetime$17.99
1 purchases

Noteleaf

One-time1
  • Premium Unlock$9.99

Questions

Is Inkelle free?
Inkelle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Noteleaf free?
Noteleaf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Inkelle or Noteleaf have ads?
Neither Inkelle nor Noteleaf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Inkelle or Noteleaf?
Inkelle ships an update every 4 days, and Noteleaf weekly. Most recently, Inkelle was updated on October 31, 2026 and Noteleaf on October 31, 2026.

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