Flexcil vs Notability
We give Flexcil a 3.0 GPA and Notability a 3.8, out of 4.0. Notability grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Flexcil
PDF reader and handwriting notebook built around pen gestures
Notability
Handwritten notes with synced audio, transcripts and AI study tools
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFlexcilVery good | 3.8GPANotabilityExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe US App Store lists Premium at $8.99 and Flexcil Standard at $9.99, with no word on whether that's once or recurring, or what each one unlocks. The sums are small. But we can't call it a bargain when the listing can't say what you get. | ALite is $14.99 a year and Plus is $19.99 a year, in a category where paid plans typically start at $5.99 a month. Don't want a subscription? Classic is $49.99 once. Pay yearly, though: Lite by the month is $4.99, which is $59.88 over a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to download on the App Store and Google Play, with advertising. But neither the site nor the store listings say which features need Standard or Premium, so there's no telling how far free takes you. | BStarter is free with every editing tool, PDF import and 20,000+ templates. But it's 5 notes and that's your lot. The only free trials are 30 days on the Business plans. |
| Features | APen gestures that highlight and capture text or images into a notebook, links from each excerpt back to its source, PDF merging and page editing, audio that replays when you tap a note, and a masking pen that hides answers and counts right and wrong ones. | AHandwriting, typing and PDF markup on one page, with audio recorded and transcribed alongside. Plus turns your notes into up to 400 quiz and flashcard questions a month, and Pro adds live summaries and a chat about your notes. Notes can be shared and edited together live. |
| Ease of use | B4.44 from about 410 App Store ratings. The notebook sits over the PDF, so reading and writing share one screen. The gestures are the thing to learn, and the whole app hangs on them. | A4.8 from about 457,000 App Store ratings. The plan list takes some reading, mind: six of them, with different features on each. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPad, iPhone and Android only. The browser version is a web viewer, not the full app, and there's nothing for Mac or Windows. It does connect to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, iCloud and OneDrive, plus Google Classroom and Zoom. | AiPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android and the web, with iCloud, YouTube and school device managers like Jamf and Mosyle. Not everything travels: handwriting recognition and audio playback sync are marked iOS and Android only, and YouTube conversion is web only. |
| Best for | studying from PDFs with a pen | lecture notes with the audio attached |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Flexcil and Notability. How we grade
Where they differ
- Flexcil starts at $8.99 (Premium) or $9.99 (Flexcil Standard) on the US App Store; basis not shown. Notability starts at $14.99 per year, or $4.99 per month (Lite).
- Only Notability lists a web app.
- Only Notability lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Notability can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Notability also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Flexcil | Notability | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8.99 (Premium) or $9.99 (Flexcil Standard) on the US App Store; basis not shown | $14.99 per year, or $4.99 per month (Lite) |
| Free plan | Free to download on the App Store and Google Play, with advertising. The site and store listings do not say which features need Flexcil Standard or Premium. | Starter plan: 5 notes with all editing tools, PDF and document import, access to 20,000+ templates and 7-day version history. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial on the Business and Business Pro plans. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Flexcil Inc. | Ginger Labs |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | notability.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Flexcil
- Students who study from PDF textbooks and lecture slides
- Readers who collect excerpts from several documents into one notebook
- K-12 schools, which can apply for free licenses
Notability
- Students recording lectures alongside handwritten notes
- Turning class notes into flashcards and quizzes
- Annotating PDFs, slides and forms with a stylus
- Schools that manage devices, where Notability for Education is free
Worth knowing
Flexcil
- No pricing page is published. The US App Store lists Flexcil Standard at $9.99 and Premium at $8.99 without saying whether either is one-time or recurring.
- Native apps are offered for iOS and Android only. The browser version is titled Flexcil Web Viewer, and the terms describe it as a web viewer.
- Google Play's US listing shows only a range of $2.49 to $31.99 per item, so Android prices may differ from the App Store's.
- The free download carries advertising, and its feature limits are not stated on the site or the App Store listing.
Notability
- The free Starter plan is limited to 5 notes.
- Audio transcription and the AI quiz and flashcard tools start at Plus; real-time summaries, note chat and unlimited transcription are listed under Pro.
- Third-party backups are iOS only, and YouTube link-to-note conversion works on the web only.
- The plan comparison marks handwriting recognition, math conversion and audio playback sync as iOS and Android only.
Key features
Flexcil
- Pen gestures for PDF markup
- A pen gesture highlights or underlines text, and the same kind of gesture captures text or images from a PDF into a notebook in two steps.
- Notebook beside the document
- A handwritten notebook sits over the PDF so reading, annotating and note-taking share one screen, and a popup viewer shows a second source while writing.
- Reference links
- Content captured into a notebook is linked back to its place in the original document, which keeps material from several PDFs connected.
- PDF editing and page views
- Merges PDFs and edits pages, outlines and bookmarks, with single-page, 2-page and 4-page views for reading.
- Audio recording and note replay
- Recordings are synced with handwriting, so tapping a note plays back what was being said when it was written.
- Cloud sync and masking pen
- Handwritten notes sync automatically between tablet and phone. A masking pen hides content for memorization and counts correct and incorrect answers.
Notability
- Handwriting, typing and document markup
- Notes combine handwriting, typed text, images and sketches on one page, and PDFs, documents and slides can be imported and written on.
- Audio recording with transcripts
- Lectures and meetings are recorded alongside your notes and transcribed, and playback follows the moment each note was written. Live transcription is unlimited on Pro.
- AI flashcards and quizzes
- Practice questions, quizzes and flashcards are generated from your notes: up to 400 questions a month on Plus and unlimited on Pro.
- Summaries and chat with your notes
- Pro generates real-time summaries of notes, imported documents and recordings and answers questions about a note in a chat. Meeting notes can also yield action-item checklists.
- YouTube link-to-note
- On the web, a YouTube link is converted into a note with a transcript and summary: 100 conversions a month on Plus, unlimited on Pro.
- Collaboration and shared libraries
- Notes can be shared by link and edited together live. Business plans add shared note libraries, centralized user admin and admin-based feature controls.
Plans
Flexcil
Free$0
The free download, which the App Store notes contains advertising. Its limits are not listed on the site or the store listing.
Premium$8.99
billing basis not shown on the US App Store listing
Listed as an in-app purchase without a description. Flexcil's terms name Flexcil Premium as its paid service.
Flexcil Standard$9.99
billing basis not shown on the US App Store listing
Listed as an in-app purchase without a description of what it unlocks.
Bundles and planner content$11.99 - $14.99
per item on the US App Store; basis not shown
Standard or Premium bundled with planner or toolbar skin packs at $12.99 to $14.99, and planner content sold separately at $11.99 to $13.99.
Notability
Starter$0
5 notes with all editing tools, PDF and document import, 20,000+ templates and 7-day version history.
Lite$4.99
per month, or $14.99 per year
Unlimited notes and third-party backups (iOS only), with 7-day version history.
Plus$7.99
per month, or $19.99 per year
Adds audio recording and transcription, handwriting search, up to 400 AI quiz and flashcard questions and 100 YouTube conversions a month.
Pro$19.99
per month, or $99.99 per year
Unlimited live transcription, real-time AI summaries, quizzes, flashcards and YouTube conversions, chat with your notes and 90-day version history.
Classic$49.99
one-time purchase
Unlimited notes with handwriting recognition and search, math conversion to LaTeX, live collaboration and Notability Cloud sync.
Business$6
per user / month, or $60 per user / year
Shared note libraries, central admin and billing, AI summaries and transcription. Business Pro is $18 per user / month or $180 per year.
Ways to pay less
Flexcil
- Education
Free licenses for K-12 schools
K-12 schools can apply for free licenses with an institutional email domain. Flexcil says universities, private education and individual requests may not be granted them.
Notability
- Annual discount
Yearly plans cost far less than paying monthly
Lite is $14.99 per year against $4.99 per month ($59.88 over a year), Plus $19.99 against $7.99 per month and Pro $99.99 against $19.99 per month. Business is $60 per user yearly or $6 monthly.
- Lifetime license
Classic one-time purchase
The Classic plan is a one-time purchase, regularly $49.99, with unlimited notes, handwriting recognition, live collaboration and Notability Cloud sync and no subscription.
- Education
Free for schools that manage devices
Schools managing devices through an MDM such as Jamf or Mosyle can use Notability for Education at no cost. It is similar to the Plus subscription and configurable by administrators.
- Other savings
Back-to-school sale: up to 20% off all plans
At the time of checking, the pricing page showed sale prices of $11.99 (Lite), $15.99 (Plus) and $79.99 (Pro) per year and $39.99 for Classic. No end date is stated.
