The best deal for the digital note-taking community is probably a one-time purchase setup. No matter how we feel about pricing, market forces have the final say on how much products cost. If the demand is high, it’s expensive. But when there’s a huge supply, prices go down. Users will almost always gravitate towards cheaper products, especially when they have the same quality as expensive ones. So, to keep our developers in business, without breaking our banks, one-time purchases make sense, right?
$5
The cheapest app you can buy for your iPad at the moment is Noteful for $5. We have covered the app extensively on the channel, and we even have a free course for it.
$7
For an extra two dollars, you can get Blankbook or Kilonotes. Of the two, Kilonotes seems to be the more intuitive one. It has all the features you’d expect to see in a handwriting note-taking app. Blankbook is an acquired taste. I never thought an app could be simpler than Apple Notes, but wonders never end.
$8
If you have a dollar more to spare, ZoomNotes and Prodrafts are your next options. ZoomNotes is not for the fainthearted. It is the most complicated handwriting note-taking app on the market. That also means that it is the most capable. So, for those of us that take those complicated, intricate notes with plenty of moving parts, $8 for a lifetime is the best deal you can get for your iPad. You will also need to dedicate a bit of time to learning the app. Something our team will probably start working on once we finish our MarginNote challenge. Prodrafts is the parent to many apps apparently. That said, you’ll know what you’re signing up for. Both ZoomNotes and Prodrafts are great apps at this price.
$10
Noteshelf 3, Notes Writer Pro, and Element Note all cost $10 for a one-time purchase. We’re now in the double digits. Strangely, though, that does not mean double value. Element Notes is quite a simple app, and Notes Writer Pro is one of the worst apps I have ever tried. It could be a personal preference. But it is the only app that I have bought and requested a refund for a couple of times. The app probably takes some getting used to, and maybe it has improved over the years. I’ll have to purchase it again to know for sure. Noteshelf 3 is a great app, whose developers have withstood the test of time. Now in its third version, the app continues to deliver a great note-taking experience that makes it a worthwhile investment.
Above $10
For some weird reason, after the $10 mark, things start going south. You’d expect them to take off into the sky. But now, the gravity pull down to earth is simply too strong.
Nebo
Nebo is a niche app that is transitioning to become a traditional handwriting note-taking app. Its latest update is only proof that MyScript is dedicated to making Nebo an amazing app. At the moment, though, for $15 it is perfect if you prefer handwriting Word documents. It also has a great infinite canvas that is perfect for brainstorming. Nebo is so specific and niche-based that even though it’s one of my personal favourites… it’s not for everyone. The app is currently on sale for $8, but we’re not sure how long that’s going to last.
Notes Plus X
Notes Plus X even suffers a stronger gravitational pull than Nebo. Updates are few and scattered, and it feels like the developers are no longer that active. For $15, you’re taking a huge risk with this app because it hasn’t received any updates for a year now.
Collanote
Collanote went from free to $14. It made sense to get the app when it was free because we had no standards for it. Free apps can get away with anything because they are free. As a paid app, though. We have our doubts. Given the many available options, it doesn’t make sense to buy the app if you’re in the market for a new app. There are many apps, both free and cheaper, that give you a better user experience than Collanote.
Goodnotes
$30 is a steep price to pay for an app as simple as a handwriting note-taking app. The only reason Goodnotes gets away with it is because it ranks the highest on App Store of all the apps on this list. It is easy to find, and Apple probably recommends it more than it does other apps. But, like every other app on this list, Goodnotes has its limitations, it is not perfect, and it’s not for everyone. So, paying $30 for it is does not guarantee the best user experience for handwriting on the iPad. Unless it is a perfect match. As we continue with this series to cover the different features in all these apps, you’ll realise that Goodnotes is really just like any other writing app; only overpriced.
Final Thoughts
The key when choosing an app, no matter how much it costs, is understanding if it satisfies your needs. When money is not a problem, you can always buy all of them and try them all to see which one you like. It’s only $139 for all of them. I know this because I have bought most, if not all, of them. In case you’re wondering, my go-to app on this list is Noteful. I don’t use it every day, though, because I primarily use Apple Notes. But for those things that Apple Notes can’t do, I use Noteful.
