PaperFlow vs Notepen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
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
Notepen
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Notepen brings the feel of a paper notebook to your iPad and iPhone. Write, sketch and plan with Apple Pencil on pages that look like real paper. WRITE NATURALLY β’ Ballpoint, pencil and fountain pen, highlighter, eraser, lasso and ruler β’ Palm rejection: rest your hand on the screen while you write β’ Fine control of width and opacity, custom colors TEMPLATES FOR EVERYTHING β’ Ruled, grid, dotted, Cornell and music staff pages β’ Daily, weekly and monthly planners, sprint plan, meeting notes, habit tracker and priority matrix β’ A4, A5 and A6 in portrait or landscape, shown at their real size MAKE IT YOURS β’ 24 covers; white, cream, kraft, textured or dark paper β’ Adjustable line intensity so your writing stands out STAY ORGANIZED β’ Open notebooks in tabs and switch with a tap β’ Folders, favorites and search β’ Add, duplicate and delete pages; lock the zoom SHARE, STAY PRIVATE β’ Export any notebook as a PDF β’ Everything is stored on your device. No account, no ads, works offline. Available in 25 languages.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notepen at none against PaperFlow's 3. PaperFlow's advantage is device support and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PaperFlow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Notepen asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | PaperFlow | Notepen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | β |
| Ads | No | β |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | β |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 β better | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Freedom It | Hamdi Tug |
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
Notepen
No in-app purchases





