ManualMaker / Manual creation vs Plotava
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ManualMaker / Manual creation
Easily create detailed manuals by combining photos and text. Organize steps with explanations, add notes and drawings to images, and export your guides as PDF files for seamless sharing. Ideal for work instructions, training, and personal how-to guides.
- Organize steps with photos and text
- Import or take photos
- Add notes and drawings to images
- Export as PDF
- Create work instructions
- Build training materials
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Create clear manuals by adding photos and explanations one step at a time. Use them for work instructions, handovers, how-to guides, or recipes. What you can do • Take photos or add images from your device • Write an explanation for each step • Add notes to photos and maps • Share your manual as a PDF Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Plotava
Organize field data with linked records and plans. Import or sketch plans, add detailed points with media and GPS context, and create professional markups. Export organized packages for seamless office-to-field communication.
- Import PDF plans or sketch new ones
- Add numbered field points with photos and notes
- Create detailed markups with dimensions and shapes
- Export professional PDF packages
- Offline functionality
- Local-first data storage
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Turn photos, notes and PDFs into documents people can follow. Make illustrated instructions, a home record, a photo report or a clear handoff for work. Create pages, bring in existing material and keep the details together in a Binder. Export a PDF without rebuilding the document somewhere else. CREATE, DON'T JUST COLLECT Start with a Blank Report or a template for Work Instructions, Meeting Notes, Photo Log and more. Add headings, paragraphs, photos, numbered steps, checklists and signature blocks. Edit your own report text on the page and align content left, center or right. BRING YOUR MATERIAL TOGETHER Import PDFs, scan paper documents, photograph a plan or start a sketch. Keep authored Reports and imported pages in the same Binder. Add photos, supporting PDFs, notes and silent video where they belong. KEEP THE CONTEXT CONNECTED Place a Point on a page or photo to connect it to the relevant evidence. Add more detail inside a photo, link to another Sheet, or keep notes and measurements beside the exact location they describe. Complete Binder exports preserve navigation between pages, Points and supporting details. SHOW WHAT YOU MEAN Mark up photos and plans with arrows, notes, dimensions, lines, shapes and freehand drawing. Add imperial dimensions and ordinate measurements. Your imported original stays unchanged; the PDF you export is a new file. SPEAK YOUR EXPLANATION Use Dictate to write a Report block with on-device transcription. Keep, play or delete the original Recordings. On supported devices with Apple Intelligence enabled, Tidy Text can refine dictated wording on-device. Review the result or return to the original words. Tidy Text requires iOS 26 and compatible hardware. EXPORT WHAT THE READER NEEDS Choose Complete Binder for linked context, Photo Report for visual evidence, Measurement Schedule for recorded dimensions, or Pages Only for just your pages without a cover, index or Point-detail pages. Pages Only does not preserve navigation links. Preview, print or share the PDF. Share PDF + Recordings (.zip) includes audio as separate files, not embedded PDF playback. PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL Document a room update. Make a visual setup guide. Explain a repeatable process. Record existing conditions or prepare a client handoff. Start with the material you have; a construction plan is not required. LOCAL-FIRST, WITHOUT AN ACCOUNT No sign-up, advertising or tracking. Work offline after source material is on your device. There is no automatic cloud sync or upload. Use Binder Backup to keep an editable recovery copy, and share only what you choose. Optional aerial imagery, address search and purchases require a connection. The built-in User Guide helps you explore the app. FREE AND PRO One binder at a time is free, with everything in it. Finish it, export the PDF, delete it, start the next. Pro keeps unlimited binders on this device. Plotava Pro is an auto-renewing monthly or annual subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://plotava.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://plotava.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Plotava at 5.0 against ManualMaker / Manual creation's 3.5. Plotava also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. ManualMaker / Manual creation sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Plotava sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Plotava holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
ManualMaker / Manual creation ships an update every 3 weeks, Plotava every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ManualMaker / Manual creation | Plotava |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 69.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | YOSHIHIRO TAKAHASHI | Charged Alpha |
Customer experience
ManualMaker / Manual creation
Plotava
In-app purchases
ManualMaker / Manual creation
- ManualMaker Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
- ManualMaker Pro Yearly$11.991 Year
- Remove all ads.$5.99
Plotava
- Plotava Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
- Plotava Pro Annual$79.991 Year
Questions
Is ManualMaker / Manual creation free?
Is Plotava free?
Which has better reviews, ManualMaker / Manual creation or Plotava?
Do ManualMaker / Manual creation or Plotava have ads?
Which is updated more often, ManualMaker / Manual creation or Plotava?
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