Verdict
Notability has a clean, well-liked interface, but a large share of recent reviews describe lost notes after sync failures, paywalled features that were previously purchased, and iCloud backup silently breaking. That's a heavy risk for an app whose whole job is storing your notes.
Best for
A student or professional who wants a polished handwriting and PDF markup tool for a single device and keeps separate backups of anything important, rather than relying on Notability's sync to hold their only copy.
Dealbreaker
Multiple reviewers report Notability stopped syncing to iCloud without warning and lost their notes, and others say features they'd already paid for were moved behind a new subscription paywall.
The facts.
Pulled from the App Store, not written by hand. unverified
Price
Free
In-app purchases
Unknown
Ads
Unknown
Platforms
iPhone, iPad
Rating
4.8★ (458,336)
Version
16.13.3
Last updated
Oct 26, 2026
Released
Apr 1, 2010
Attributes
Native app
Category
Productivity, Education
What reviews consistently say.
Themes grouped from 200 App Store reviews. Source feed ›
Praised for
Ease of use and design7 reviews
Import and export5 reviews
Subscription pricing and paywalls5 reviews
Sync and multi-device2 reviews
Complained about
Subscription pricing and paywalls22 reviews
Sync and multi-device18 reviews
Import and export17 reviews
Crashes and stability12 reviews
Battery and performance7 reviews
Customer support3 reviews
Bugs after updates3 reviews
Privacy and data handling3 reviews
Where this comes from
22 of 200 recent reviews raised: Subscription pricing and paywallsApp Store reviews ›
18 of 200 recent reviews raised: Sync and multi-deviceApp Store reviews ›
17 of 200 recent reviews raised: Import and exportApp Store reviews ›
12 of 200 recent reviews raised: Crashes and stabilityApp Store reviews ›
7 of 200 recent reviews raised: Ease of use and designApp Store reviews ›
7 of 200 recent reviews raised: Battery and performanceApp Store reviews ›
Listed at Free on the App StoreApp Store listing ›
Where we recommend it
The best note-taking apps ›Note apps that are well rated and still maintained, whatever they cost, each with its catch.
Alternatives with the same rule.
Every app here is rated 4.2 or better, has been updated in the last eighteen months, and has no significant number of reviewers reporting it broken. Price is not the rule on this list — some are free, some are not. Also with a catch.
Free · 4.7★ (1,069,918) · Updated Oct 26, 2026
Verdict. OneNote offers deep organization and import/export flexibility, but a meaningful share of reviewers report syncing failures and crashes across Apple devices.
Best for. Someone already embedded in Microsoft 365 who wants one notebook that spans phone, tablet, and desktop, and can tolerate occasional sync hiccups.
Dealbreaker. Recurring sync and stability complaints — notes not appearing across devices, crashes with no warning, and support that reviewers say doesn't respond.
Free · 4.8★ (661,301) · Updated Oct 26, 2026
Verdict. Notes is a free, no-frills note app that's simple to use and syncs across Apple devices via iCloud, with handy handwriting-to-text conversion. But it has a real crash problem, particularly with drawing and on iPad, and sync between devices isn't always reliable.
Best for. An iPhone or Mac user who wants a free, built-in place for quick text notes, lists, and reminders without installing anything extra.
Dealbreaker. Some users report crashes that wipe out in-progress drawings or notes, and iCloud sync between devices can fail or require manual resyncing.
Free · 4.7★ (465,083) · Updated Oct 25, 2026
Verdict. Goodnotes is a capable handwriting and PDF note app, but a sizable share of recent reviewers describe sync failures, paywall confusion, and unresponsive support alongside the praise for its interface.
Best for. A student who annotates PDFs and handwrites notes with an Apple Pencil on a single device and doesn't rely on cross-device syncing to work flawlessly.
Dealbreaker. Sync between iPad, iPhone, and Mac is repeatedly reported as unreliable, with some users saying notes went missing after a reset, and the subscription/paywall system has locked out people who already paid.