Flexcil vs Notein
We give Flexcil a 3.0 GPA and Notein a 2.8, out of 4.0. Flexcil grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
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
Notein
Handwriting notes, PDF markup and linked notes for Android tablets
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAFlexcilVery good | 2.8GPANoteinGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BThe US Play listing, under the name Orion Notes, shows $5.99 per in-app item and doesn't say if that's a month, a year or for life. The help centre lists all three kinds of VIP with no prices. So it gets the grade we give when a listing can't say. |
| 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. | BFree covers every handwriting tool, the editor, page management and document organising. But it stops at 3 notebooks, and that's tight for a student with more than three subjects. VIP plans come with a free trial of a length the help centre doesn't state. |
| 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. | AAn infinite canvas or A4 pages, markup on PDFs, Word and PowerPoint files, layers, links between notes in both directions, and audio tied to your handwriting with speed control and silence skipping. That's the whole handwriting job. AI features are in select regions only. |
| 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. | BIt's Android only, so there's no App Store rating on record and a B is our ceiling. One bump for Americans: Notein isn't on the US Play Store, so you're sent to Orion Notes and have to export and re-import any notes. |
| 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. | DAndroid only. The site lists no iPad, Windows or web version. Notebooks sync through Google Drive or OneDrive, and that cloud sync is part of VIP. |
| Best for | studying from PDFs with a pen | handwritten notes on an Android tablet with a stylus |
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 Notein. 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. Notein starts at $5.99 per in-app item on the US listing (Orion Notes); billing basis not shown.
- Only Flexcil lists an iOS app.
- Notein also covers linked notes and whiteboard.
At a glance
| Flexcil | Notein | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8.99 (Premium) or $9.99 (Flexcil Standard) on the US App Store; basis not shown | $5.99 per in-app item on the US listing (Orion Notes); billing basis not shown |
| 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. | Core features are free with a limit of up to 3 notebooks, including all handwriting tools, editor features, page management and document organization. |
| Free trial | None listed | The help center says all VIP plans include a free trial period; its length is not stated. |
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Flexcil Inc. | Orion Studio Pte. Ltd. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | play.google.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
Notein
- Android tablet and stylus users who want handwritten notes
- Students annotating PDFs and slides while recording lectures
- Building linked notes into a personal knowledge base
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.
Notein
- The free tier stops at 3 notebooks; unlimited notebooks, AI features and cloud sync need VIP.
- Android only, and not listed on the US Play Store: US users are sent to a separate app, Orion Notes, and must export and re-import their notes.
- No price list is published. Billing runs through Google Play, and the US Orion Notes listing shows $5.99 per item without a billing period.
- The Play listing says the AI features are available in select regions 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.
Notein
- Infinite canvas and A4 notes
- Two paper sizes: an infinite canvas for freeform sketching and A4 pages, with auto-shape, 3D shapes, color sets and a template library.
- PDF and document annotation
- Imports PDFs, images, Word and PowerPoint files to highlight, comment and draw on, with merge and split, an in-app split screen, dictionary lookup and translation.
- Bidirectional links
- Links connect notes and pages in both directions across all Notein documents, for study guides, planners or a personal knowledge base.
- Layers
- Handwriting, shapes and highlights can sit on separate layers, so part of a page can be revised without erasing the rest.
- Audio-synced notes
- Records a lecture or meeting while writing. Tapping handwriting jumps to that moment in the recording, with speed control, silence skipping and looping.
- Sync and backup
- Notebooks sync through Google Drive or OneDrive, with automatic and local backups. Cloud sync is part of the VIP plan.
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.
Notein
Free$0
Up to 3 notebooks with all handwriting tools, editor features, page management and document organization.
VIP$5.99
per in-app item on Google Play (US); billing basis not shown
Unlimited notebooks, AI features and cloud sync, offered monthly, yearly or as a lifetime purchase. The US listing, named Orion Notes, shows a single in-app price.
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.
Notein
- Lifetime license
VIP as a lifetime purchase
Notein's help center lists a Lifetime option beside the monthly and yearly VIP plans: a one-time payment with no recurring charges. It does not state the price.
