Notability icon
Notability icon

Notability

 52 likes

Truly integrated iOS app combining handwriting, PDF annotation, and text for seamless note-taking. Auto Sync backs up notes. Customize themes, library, and toolbars for a personalized experience with robust features.

Notability screenshot 1
Notability screenshot 2
+1
Notability screenshot 3

License model

  • FreemiumProprietary

Country of Origin

  • US flagUnited States

Platforms

  • Mac
  • iPhone
  • iPad
2.8 / 5 Avg rating (5)
52likes
6comments

Features

Suggest and vote on features
  1.  Handwritten Notes
  2.  Audio Recording
  3.  Apple Pencil support
  4.  Sketching
  5.  Sync with iCloud
  6.  Edit PDF
  7.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
  8.  Integrated Search
  9.  Notebook
  10.  Handwriting recognition
  11.  Multiple languages
  12.  Pen Support
  13.  Drag and Drop
  14.  Optimized for Touch screen

 Tags

  • airdrop
  • pdf
  • handwriting-to-text

Notability News & Activities

Highlights All activities

Recent News

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Recent activities

  • App icon
    POX added Notability as alternative to Quick Scrap Note
    about 2 months ago
  • braky updated Notability
    2 months ago
  • App icon
    UniqueGo added Notability as alternative to Minimo Notes
    3 months ago
  • App icon
    Sylwek added Notability as alternative to Obsidian
    4 months ago
  • App icon
    Sylwek added Notability as alternative to Notestudio
    4 months ago
  • Maoholguin updated Notability
    5 months ago
  • App icon
    Danilo_Venom added Notability as alternative to UPDF
    8 months ago
  • vitaprimo reviewed Notability  
    9 months ago

    This was literally the only app I'd purchase an iPad for, it was really good. iPad-justifyingly good.

    But that's in the past. Since then it changed its pricing model without making it a new app, meaning existing users were converted to some sort of grandfathered tier which has less features than before and who know have to deal with so much noise from integrated sales and cloud nonsense in the app. Reading through reviews, nobody seems to be asking for this, quite the opposite. It has become...

  • y2kay liked Notability
    11 months ago
  • App icon
    RemovedUser added Notability as alternative to Samsung Notes
    12 months ago
Show all activities

Comments and Reviews

   
 Post comment/review
Top Positive Comment
David
Sep 22, 2020
0

Whole screen just for note taking increases my productivity

Top Negative Comment
Gustavo D
Oct 16, 2024
0

This was literally the only app I'd purchase an iPad for, it was really good. iPad-justifyingly good.

But that's in the past. Since then it changed its pricing model without making it a new app, meaning existing users were converted to some sort of grandfathered tier which has less features than before and who know have to deal with so much noise from integrated sales and cloud nonsense in the app. Reading through reviews, nobody seems to be asking for this, quite the opposite. It has become one of those apps you can never fully own because there always will be something else to purchase which itself is so shallow they can use its optionality as a scapegoat for it inclusion.

It's very annoying, distracting, busy and just y'know…tacky; I'm pretty sure they know it because they have those long marketing/tips/helpful/it's-really-an-ad/"non-sponsored" blog posts about distractions and zen and all bs-itty problems caused by apps that in astoundingly lack of self-awareness they "fix".

In my experience so far, when a dev/company pulls that move on you, there's no reason to trust they won't do it again.

They backstabbed they customers which they had already been treating like test users in previous versions of the app that were like a long crashy beta, and in my experience, if it (the company) did it once, there's nothing keeping it from doing it again.

BTW, the selling point of subscriptions is that you get a consistent stream of new features, right? Why would you keep paying for the same dev work already done again and again otherwise. Well, since I've had access to pre-, and post-subscription model, I can tell you there's not been a single feature worth paying any upgrade for. It's just bloat— And the built-in Notes app has pretty much closed the gap it had plus it can sync among other backends with Exchange too. BUILT-IN. With this one you can back up to WebDAV and that's it, you need to purchase the desktop version and a public cloud service to sync.

erikkk
Dec 10, 2020
0

Missing notes in data sync-up.

Guest
Oct 22, 2019
-1

because you can right anything you want its just freedom

davidhumphries
Dec 27, 2014
4

By far the closest, this is MetaMoJi Note icon MetaMoJi Note . You can edit PDFs, make notes and edit existing documents.

[Edited by Venom88, December 27]

giuliadallora
Jul 24, 2017

Exactly! MetaMoJi Note is the real alternative to Notability in Android.

JustAStudent
Jan 10, 2014
0

If you are a student and own and iPad you need this app. Unfortunately there is no Android alternative available. I swear on my life if you are a student GET THIS APP. It automatically converts documents to PDFs syncs to your Google Drive (or other cloud account). Allows you to draw/take notes on Powerpoints/Word Docx/PDFs spend the 4$ or whatever it is the last notebook you will ever buy. You'll never spend money on paper again with this app.

What is Notability?

Notability is the first truly integrated note-taking app for iOS. Standing on a framework that automatically links notes with audio recordings, Notability supports all of your note-taking needs -- handwriting, PDF annotation, word processing, and more work together seamlessly allowing you to create comprehensive, beautiful notes, quickly and simply. Auto Sync ensures your notes are backed up safely. And now you can personalize the look and feel of Notability’s library and toolbars with Themes, from colorful, to clean, to classic.

Notability Videos

Official Links

Notability information

  • Developed by

    US flagGinger Labs
  • Licensing

    Proprietary and Freemium product.
  • Pricing

    Subscription that costs up to $1 per month + free version with limited functionality.
  • Rating

    Average rating of 2.8
  • Alternatives

    51 alternatives listed
  • Supported Languages

    • English
    • Danish
    • Dutch
    • French
    • German
    • Indonesian
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • Korean
    • Malay
    • Norwegian Bokmål
    • Portuguese
    • Russian
    • Chinese
    • Spanish
    • Swedish
    • Thai
    • Turkish
    • Ukrainian
    • Vietnamese

AlternativeTo Categories

Office & ProductivityPhotos & GraphicsAudio & Music

Apple AppStore

  •   Updated Jun 23, 2025
  •   4.76 avg rating

Our users have written 6 comments and reviews about Notability, and it has gotten 52 likes

Notability was added to AlternativeTo by drezha on Jan 4, 2012 and this page was last updated May 14, 2025.