Flexcil vs Notewise

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

Notewise

• Students and professionals who mix handwriting, PDFs and recordings
• People who move between an iPad and an Android phone or tablet
• Handwriting-only users who prefer a one-time purchase

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.

Notewise

• Apps are offered for iPhone, iPad and Android; browser access is for viewing synced or shared notes and needs a Notewise Cloud subscription.
• Classic Unlimited has no AI, sync or collaboration, and its license is tied to the Apple ID or Google Play account it was bought with.
• AI features share a monthly credit allowance and pause when it runs out; Basic gets about a third of Starter's allowance.
• When a subscription ends, cloud notes are kept for a 30-day grace period and then permanently deleted.

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.

Notewise

Mixed-source notes

A single note can hold typed text, audio recordings and transcripts, handwriting, PDFs, documents, slide decks, images and website links, and AI works across all of them.

Handwriting canvas

A freeform canvas with pens, brushes, highlighter, lasso, shapes, tables, sticky notes, rulers and connectors for diagrams. The advanced canvas tools need a paid plan.

PDF and document annotation

PDFs, slides and other documents of up to 1 GB import for highlighting, comments and drawing: up to 50 pages per document on Classic Free and 3,000 on paid plans.

Transcription and AI chat

Subscriptions transcribe recordings in 20+ languages and answer questions about one note, all notes or a meeting still being recorded, pointing to the passage an answer came from.

Interactive Tabs

Captured notes can be turned into flashcards, quizzes, action items, decision logs or a custom format. Guided AI podcasts are limited to Starter and Pro.

Sync and collaboration

Subscriptions sync notes between iOS and Android with 1 GB to 100 GB of cloud storage, and add real-time collaboration on canvas and sharing by link with viewing in a browser.

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.

Notewise

• Classic Free$0

  Up to 10 canvases of 50 pages each, with PDF, slide and document import. No advanced canvas tools, AI, sync or cloud storage.

• Classic Unlimited$16.99

  one-time purchase on the website (Android); $19.99 in the iOS app

  Unlimited offline canvases of up to 3,000 pages, advanced canvas tools and no watermark. No AI, sync or collaboration.

• Basic$2.42

  per month, billed yearly ($28.99); $4.99 billed monthly

  AI notes, chat, transcription and handwriting recognition with 0.3x AI credits, 1 GB of cloud storage, cross-device sync and real-time collaboration.

• Starter$3.08

  per month, billed yearly ($36.99); $6.99 billed monthly

  Everything in Basic with 1x AI credits, 10 GB of cloud storage and guided AI podcasts. Includes the 7-day free trial.

• Pro$10.83

  per month, billed yearly ($129.99); $15.99 billed monthly

  Everything in Starter with 3x AI credits and 100 GB of cloud storage, for heavy AI use and large note libraries.

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.

Notewise

• Annual discount

  Save 32% to 56% with yearly billing

  Basic, Starter and Pro cost $28.99, $36.99 and $129.99 a year against $4.99, $6.99 and $15.99 a month, which works out about 52%, 56% and 32% lower over twelve months.

• Lifetime license

  Classic Unlimited as a one-time purchase

  Classic Unlimited is bought once and does not renew: $16.99 on the Notewise website for Android, with iOS users buying it inside the app, where the US App Store lists $19.99.

• Other savings

  Volume licenses for schools and businesses

  Organizations can buy discounted one-time Notewise Unlimited licenses for a verified email domain, starting with a minimum of 20 licenses. Cloud sync is not included.