Notability Reviews & Ratings

4.8/5

“Neat Note-Taking App”

I can make subjects and dividers with the app, which keeps things organized. The export options are the one drawback. I wish I could save my notes in more formats than simply PDFs and pictures.

Pros : It makes my notes easy to organize. I can organize my notes into subjects and dividers. It also looks neat.

Cons : It has limited file export options. I wish I could export my notes in more formats than PDFs and images.

Switched from : Notion

Reason to switch : Notion felt too complex even though it was great for collaboration and databases.

4.6/5

“Creative Playground for Notes”

I can add images, PDFs, and even doodles to my notes with Notability, which makes it incredibly creative and entertaining. Audio recording management may be improved in my opinion.

Pros : I like how I can add multi-media options where I can add photos, PDFs, and even doodles to my notes. It is like a creative playground.

Cons : The audio file management could be better. The audio recordings are great but it is hard to organize or share them separately.

Switched from : Bear

Reason to switch : Notability lets me do so much more than Bear, especially with visuals and creativity.

4.5/5

“Highly Customizable with Great Paper Options”

The paper templates offered by Notability are fantastic. I like that the app is so versatile for various note types because I can select from lined, dotted, or plain templates. The only drawback is that it can get expensive if you want it on several devices.

Pros : I like the variety of custom paper options. It has a lot of templates such as lined, dotted, and plain to name a few. This makes it extremely customizable.

Cons : If you want to use it for multiple devices, the price can add up. Buying for each device can be expensive for some.

Switched from : NoteLedge

Reason to switch : I moved from NoteLedge to Notability since the customization options felt limited.

4.5/5

“Amazing for Audio Notes but Needs Better Formatting”

It synchronizes everything, allowing me to concentrate on listening while taking brief notes. Having additional font choices and formatting capabilities to improve the appearance of my typed notes is the only thing it lacks.

Pros : One of my favorite features is the audio recording feature. I use this feature in my lectures while I focus on listening, I can also jot down quick notes.

Cons : I would like if there were more font options and formatting tools. I could not find them or learn to get them.

Switched from : Zoho Notebook

Reason to switch : Zoho Notebook did not offer an audio recording feature which I really wanted for my classes.

4.5/5

“Perfect for Studying but Lacks Collaboration”

The highlighting tool in Notability is fantastic. It helps me keep my notes neat and orderly, especially when I am studying for tests. The only drawback is that I am unable to work together or instantly share notes with my friends.

Pros : The highlighting is perfect. It is helpful for revising as it keeps everything clean and organized for college.

Cons : It lacks collaboration. It is annoying that I cannot share or collaborate on notes in real-time with my colleagues and friends.

Switched from : GoodNotes

Reason to switch : Notability is better for organizing and revising my notes. The highlighting tools and interface won me over.

4.5/5

“No Subscriptions but Wish There Was a Free Trial”

The fact that Notability only requires a single purchase and no ongoing subscriptions is convenient. The one drawback is that there is not a trial or free version to try before committing.

Pros : I like how there are no subscriptions required. I just bought it once and that is it. There are no ongoing costs.

Cons : There is no free version. There should have been a trial version at least to know if it was a good fit before committing.

Switched from : Google Workspace

Reason to switch : I moved from Google Workspace since I wanted a more specialized tool for notetaking, especially with handwriting and PDFs.

4.5/5

“Perfect for PDF Markups but Not Ideal for Typing”

My favorite tool for annotating PDFs for work and study is Notability because it is so much more efficient than printing everything out. It is not ideal for typing notes when compared to other applications.

Pros : I also use it to markup PDFs for work and study. This makes it more efficient than printing everything out.

Cons : It is not the best for typing. It is a handwriting application. Typing out notes does feel clunky compared to other apps.

Switched from : Simplenote

Reason to switch : I wanted a tool for marking up PDFs and handling more complex documents. Notability is perfect even though I miss Simplenote's smooth typing experience.

4.5/5

“Great Search Feature but Can Be Glitchy”

Notability's search feature is great. Even if they are handwritten, I can locate notes or subjects with ease. It can be annoying when it's glitches particularly when working with larger files.

Pros : The search function is useful for wanting to find a specific note and topic. It works even if it's handwritten.

Cons : There are the occasional glitches. It crashes and lags when I am dealing with larger files sometimes.

Switched from : Otter Ai

Reason to switch : I wanted a tool that was better for writing and organizing notes. Notability gave me flexibility.

4.3/5

“Perfect for Seamless Syncing Across Devices”

Keeping my notes synchronized across my iPad, iPhone, and Mac is incredibly simple using Notability. But I wish it offered more cloud-based features, such as direct syncing to OneDrive or Google Drive.

Pros : It provides seamless syncing. All my notes across my iPad, iPhone, and Mac sync effortlessly.

Cons : There is no cloud flexibility. I cannot sync to my Google Drive or OneDrive directly.

Switched from : Evernote

Reason to switch : I moved from Evernote since it felt slow for a basic note-taking platform. Notability was simpler and faster.

4.2/5

“Great for Writing but Could Have Better Organization”

Even when my writing becomes sloppy, the handwriting conversion is accurate, and writing with my Apple Pencil seems natural. The only drawback is that sorting a lot of notes feels awkward.

Pros : Handwriting feels amazing. Writing with my Apple Pencil is smooth and the handwriting conversion is good even for messy days.

Cons : The organization is not that great and it feels clunky. If you have tons of notes, it can get cluttered. More advanced options are needed.

Switched from : Microsoft OneNote

Reason to switch : I moved from OneNote since I did not like the handwriting experience as it was not smooth as Notability.