Comparison

Neo Notes vs Moleskine Notebooks

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

Head to head
About

Neo Notes

This app digitizes your handwritten notes, allowing you to store, edit, and share them easily. It offers transcription to digital text, voice recording synced with notes, and cloud backup options. Enhance productivity and learning by keeping your handwriting accessible anywhere.

Highlights
  • Digitize handwriting instantly
  • Edit and format notes
  • Transcribe handwriting to text
  • Record audio synced with notes
  • Cloud backup and sync
  • Share notes in various formats
  • Tag and search handwritten data
Read full description

Neo smartpen is an innovation which transfers the handwritten data to digital text by using technology. Now, you can keep your handwriting in a digital form and bring them everywhere. Neo Notes is a dedicated application of Neo smartpen. You can digitize your handwriting instantly and simultaneously. It also provides an offline mode that stores your handwriting and transfer when the pen is connected with your smartphone. Transferred data can be easily edited and shared in a variety of platforms. Enhance your work productivity, learning, and self-development. [Main Updates] - The search function has been enhanced. From now on, you can search without running transcribe. - The design has changed from Notebook cover to the Settings. - You can share your handwritten documents in Microsoft Word(.docx) and PowerPoint(pptx) format. This function is experimental, and it will be stabilized gradually. ------------ Main Features ----------- [Digital Storage] Neo smartpen saves the handwritten data to the connected smart device. Its sensitive pressure recognition saves the handwritten data on the Ncode notebook accurately. [Editing Function] You can edit and change the font color and size as you prefer or delete any unnecessary data. You can also emphasize important information with a highlighter in edit mode. [Text Transcription] You can transcribe handwritten to digital text with a simple touch with a fingertip. Convert your written data to a digital text and copy & paste it on your memos or emails. Neo Notes support up to 15 different language transcriptions. [Auto Save Options] Use our “Authentication Center” and log in with your choice of Cloud services; OneNote, Evernote, Adobe CC or Google Drive. Then you can toggle on Auto Save Function at “Auto Save Options”. Now, you can check your data anywhere. [Easy and Convenient Share] Your handwritten contents can be shared via email, SNS and different applications in PDF, image, text and vector format. [Google Drive Backup and Restoring] If you upload your written contents to Google drive, then you can download it to other smart devices and continue to write or edit. Even if you wish to use different devices alternatively or change it to brand new one, you can save and download the existing data from Google drive. [Record & Playback] Record your voice while you write down your notes. You can playback the audio files that are synced with the pen strokes. Do not miss any important parts of your lectures or conversation by using the record function. [Tag & Search] You can easily search for any data by using a tag function. You can effectively manage your handwritten data by tagging it into different subjects. You may easily search your saved written contents by data or text. [Offline Sync] Neo smartpen saves written data on the offline mode and then automatically transfers and saves data once it is connected to your smart device. You can write without connecting it to your smart devices. (Neo smartpen is able to save up to 1,000 pages of written data) [Notebox] You can lock the used notebook before you use the same kind of notebook with this function. (If a used notebook is not locked your handwriting on the new notebook may overlap with used notebook) [Calendar View] The calendar view helps you to quickly search the data by date. Not only the date, but also the written place and the weather are recorded, so it is convenient to remember the environment at the time of writing. [Calendar Sync] Once you write your schedule on to “N Planner” it will sync with the designated online calendar. (Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar)

About

Moleskine Notebooks

Capture handwritten notes and sketches on paper and instantly convert them to digital text and vector art. Seamlessly export your work to various file formats for easy sharing and integration into presentations. Best of both worlds for productivity and creativity.

Highlights
  • Handwritten notes to text conversion
  • Export notes as Word, RTF, TXT
  • Draw diagrams and import to presentations
  • Export sketches as vector art
  • Syncs with Moleskine Smart Pen and Notebooks
  • Offline note-taking with automatic sync
Features
Read full description

From paper to digital, the timeless pleasure of handwriting meets the limitless power of technology to evolve, expand, and reinvent your ideas. Every thought lives on paper, every idea grows beyond its boundaries. With Moleskine Notebooks (formerly Moleskine Notes), your creativity moves seamlessly between the physical world and the digital one. Designed for those who love to write, sketch, and create by hand, while also wanting to revisit, transform, and enhance their work on digital devices. Write on paper, watch it on screen. Place your smart notebook beneath your iPad: as your pen flows on paper, Moleskine Notebook captures every word, every line, every draft in real time. Instantly see your work come to life on your device, ready to explore, edit, or share. From your hand, beyond the page. With Moleskine Notebooks you can: - Turn handwritten notes into editable digital text. - Transform sketches and drawings into images for your digital projects. - Enrich your notes with the Apple Pencil or use the power of Artificial Intelligence to improve, organize, and reinterpret your creations. Rediscover the joy of freehand writing, empowered by digital technology. Moleskine Notebook is more than an app: it is the keyboard for creative minds. It accompanies you on a journey between inspiration and innovation, while preserving the beauty of handwriting. Moleskine Notebooks. Write the future, starting from paper. Terms of Service: https://www.moleskineeveryday.com/terms

Screenshots

Neo Notes4 screens
Moleskine Notebooks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Moleskine Notebooks at 4.1 against Neo Notes's 2.4. Moleskine Notebooks also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (714 vs 42). Neo Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (41% vs 15%). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Moleskine Notebooks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Neo Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Moleskine Notebooks holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Moleskine Notebooks has 714 ratings behind it against 42, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Neo Notes's written reviews are positive against 15% of Moleskine Notebooks's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Neo Notes ships an update every 2 months, Moleskine Notebooks fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Neo Notes versus Moleskine Notebooks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeo NotesMoleskine Notebooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (42 ratings)4.1 (714 ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.1% of reviews — better14.7% of reviews
Number of ratings42714 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size179 MB179 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNeoLAB Convergence IncMoleskine Srl

Customer experience

Neo Notes

All ratings41 ratings
Positive22.0%
Neutral17.1%
Negative61.0%
Written reviews141 reviews
Positive41.1%
Neutral17.7%
Negative41.1%

Moleskine Notebooks

All ratings712 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral5.1%
Negative17.1%
Written reviews423 reviews
Positive14.7%
Neutral9.0%
Negative76.4%

Bugs and requests

Neo Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Moleskine Notebooks

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unable to log in to Moleskine account
  • Google Drive integration and backup issues
  • Incorrect page/date display in planner
  • Partial or missing note transcription

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved calendar integration and event management
  • Ability to rearrange and organize notebook pages
  • Better handwriting recognition and text editing tools
  • Seamless migration from previous app versions

In-app purchases

None

Neo Notes

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Moleskine Notebooks

Subscriptions2
  • Bundle + AI - Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Bundle + AI - Annual Plan3 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Neo Notes free?
Neo Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Moleskine Notebooks free?
Moleskine Notebooks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Neo Notes or Moleskine Notebooks?
Moleskine Notebooks is rated higher. Neo Notes averages 2.4 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Moleskine Notebooks averages 4.1 from 714 ratings.
Do Neo Notes or Moleskine Notebooks have ads?
Neither Neo Notes nor Moleskine Notebooks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Neo Notes or Moleskine Notebooks?
Neo Notes ships an update every 2 months, and Moleskine Notebooks fortnightly. Most recently, Neo Notes was updated on October 24, 2026 and Moleskine Notebooks on October 24, 2026.

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