Comparison

Notebook vs NoteEase

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

Head to head
About

Notebook

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and tasks with a versatile digital notebook. Create rich notes with text, files, audio, and video. Organize content visually, collaborate in real-time, and access everything across your devices.

Highlights
  • Rich note creation with text, files, audio, and video
  • Checklist creation for task management
  • Bookmark collection and offline reading
  • Kanban-style note organization
  • Real-time collaboration and sharing
  • AI-powered journaling suggestions
  • Cross-device and cloud synchronization
Features
Read full description

Zoho Notebook is a free, ad-free note-taking app for students, teams and researchers: capture, find and reuse what you write down — typed notes, Apple Pencil handwriting, voice recordings with AI transcription, checklists, files and document scans in one note. Syncs across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other devices. WHAT PEOPLE USE NOTEBOOK FOR 1. MEETING AND LECTURE NOTES Record with audio or video cards; Notebook AI turns it into searchable text with timestamps, so you jump straight to the decision instead of replaying it. Structured minutes with title, participants, decisions and action points sit in the note beside your highlights. Record screen and self at once; longer videos get chapters. 2. STUDY AND RESEARCH Record lectures and search the transcript weeks later. Scan textbooks and business cards, handwrite and sketch with Apple Pencil, use OCR to find text inside photos and handwritten notes, so nothing you captured becomes unfindable. A long note becomes an AI mind map before an exam. 3. DAILY TO-DOS AND JOURNALING Dedicated checklist cards keep tasks beside your notes, and recurring reminders keep them on schedule. Journaling prompts come from your own activity, easier to keep than a blank page. 4. FILES, SCANS, AND SAVED READING Add PDFs, Word docs and spreadsheets with file cards. Articles, videos, recipes and how-tos become Smart Cards, formatted automatically, readable offline and ad-free. Group it all into nested collections. QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK Is it free? Yes, with 2GB of free storage and no ads. Notebook Pro adds more storage, longer notes, larger attachments, Email-In to save emails as notes, premium covers, and custom recurring reminders. Can I move my notes from Evernote, Google Keep, or OneNote? Yes, with dedicated migration tools; it arrives organized. Is my data private? Notes are encrypted in transit and at rest. We never sell your data and never show ads. Lock notes or notebooks with a password, Touch ID or Face ID; previews stay hidden until unlocked. Does it work offline? Yes. Create, edit and read offline, then pick up on another device once it syncs to the cloud. What can Notebook AI do? Transcribe audio and video, build mind maps, summarize and simplify, fix grammar, set tone (casual, professional, friendly, direct, or confident), translate into any language, draft notes, checklists, tables, code or a template from a prompt, and suggest tags. Notebook AI is a separate add-on. Does it use on-device AI and Siri? Yes. An on-device Knowledge Graph links ideas across notebooks and answers questions from your own notes. Siri creates and updates notes by voice with the app closed, and On-Screen Awareness summarizes what's on screen without switching apps. Can I share with non-users? Yes. @mention people to collaborate in real time, or publish a public note or video by link. MORE INSIDE - Search by title, content, tag, collaborator, or notebook; filter by any card type, contact, or link; search within one note; sort by date or relevance, with auto-suggestions and recent searches, offline and across languages - iPhone: text-search audio notes, share via iMessage, dictate with Siri, recent notes from the Notification Bar, SharePlay in calls - iPad: drag and drop, split view, slide over, multiple windows, Stage Manager - Apple Watch: record audio, scribble notes, check off lists, add photo notes, record in one tap from a watch face complication - VoiceOver and a dark interface - Roll back to any of a note's last 10 versions Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled and are charged to your Apple Account. Prices vary by location. Manage in your account settings. Privacy - https://www.zoho.com/privacy.html Terms - https://www.zoho.com/terms.html

About

NoteEase

This app digitizes handwritten notes and photos, allowing for easy annotation and organization. Capture, edit, and share your visual and text-based ideas across devices for a streamlined workflow.

Highlights
  • Convert photos to digital notes
  • Annotate existing photos
  • Type and format text notes
  • Stylus support for drawing
  • Organize and archive notes
  • Sync and share across devices
Features
Read full description

Say goodbye to the hassle of handwritten notes and photos cluttering your life. Welcome to NoteEase+, the ultimate note-taking app that simplifies your life. With NoteEase+, you can effortlessly document your notes, scribble, and annotate on photos or handwritten documents. Whether you're using a smartphone or tablet, NoteEase+ is your digital companion for efficient note-taking and organization. Key Features: Photo to Note: Instantly convert handwritten documents into digital notes by snapping a photo with your device. Photo Annotation: Easily add notes to existing photos from your gallery, creating a visual diary of your memories. Text Input: Type and format your notes with ease, making your text-based notes as beautiful as your handwriting. Stylus Support: Take full advantage of your iPad or tablet with Stylus Pen support. Scribble and draw directly on graphics. Organize and Archive: Efficiently manage your notes, grouping them with related images for a clutter-free experience. Accessibility: Access your notes and photos from any device, be it your smartphone or tablet. Sync and Share: Seamlessly sync and share your notes and images across your devices or with friends and colleagues. Say hello to a decluttered and organized life with NoteEase+. Capture and treasure your handwritten notes and photos digitally while enhancing your note-taking experience. Download NoteEase+ today and embark on a journey of efficient, digital note-taking. --「Paid subscription」-- ● Yearly member $29.99 ● Permanent member $49.99 ● Upon confirmation of purchase, you will be charged from your iTunes account. You can cancel the subscription for the next cycle at least 24 hours before the end of each cycle. The subscription will be automatically renewed within 24 hours after the end of each cycle. The subscribed cycle cannot be cancelled. ● Privacy Policy: http://static.rhinoxlab.com/html/privacy/10162157567636510032_en.html?appName=NoteEase ● Payment agreement: http://static.rhinoxlab.com/html/paymentagreement/general_en.html

Screenshots

Notebook4 screens
NoteEase4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Notebook at free with in-app purchases against NoteEase's subscription. Notebook also leads on ratings volume (24K vs 66) and review sentiment (65% vs 42%). NoteEase's advantage is iOS requirement (14.1 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Notebook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and NoteEase sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Notebook holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 24K ratings behind it against 66, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 42% of NoteEase's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notebook ships an update every 6 days, NoteEase monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Notebook versus NoteEase: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotebookNoteEase
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (24K ratings) — better4.4 (66 ratings)
Positive reviews64.7% of reviews — better41.7% of reviews
Number of ratings24K — better66
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.014.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size220 MB113 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZoho CorporationHangzhou Jiadi Bozhong

Customer experience

Notebook

All ratings23,853 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews603 reviews
Positive64.7%
Neutral10.4%
Negative24.9%

NoteEase

All ratings66 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative13.6%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral12.5%
Negative45.8%

Bugs and requests

Notebook

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Notes disappearing or getting corrupted
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Inconsistent behavior when editing notes
  • Syncing problems across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved sorting and reordering options for notes
  • Enhanced search capabilities
  • Ability to export notes in various formats
  • More customization options for notebook covers
  • Integration with other productivity apps

NoteEase

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Notebook

Subscriptions7
  • Notebook Pro$2.491 Month
  • Notebook Pro Plus$3.991 Month
  • Notebook AI$4.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Notebook Personal$14.991 Year
  • Notebook Pro2 variants$24.991 Year
  • Notebook Pro Plus$39.991 Year
  • Notebook AI$49.991 Year
5 purchases

NoteEase

Subscriptions2
  • Yearly member3 Days trial$4.491 Year
  • Yearly member3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time3
  • Xnotes永久会员优惠价$3.99
  • Permanent member$6.99
  • Permanent member$49.99

Questions

Is Notebook free?
Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NoteEase free?
NoteEase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notebook or NoteEase?
Notebook is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while NoteEase averages 4.4 from 66 ratings.
Do Notebook or NoteEase have ads?
Neither Notebook nor NoteEase shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notebook or NoteEase?
Notebook ships an update every 6 days, and NoteEase monthly. Most recently, Notebook was updated on September 24, 2026 and NoteEase on September 22, 2026.

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