Inkflow vs Noteshelf
We give Inkflow a 2.8 GPA and Noteshelf a 3.6, out of 4.0. Noteshelf grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Inkflow
Handwriting notebook for iPad and iPhone with movable vector ink
Noteshelf
Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation for stylus devices
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAInkflowGood | 3.6GPANoteshelfExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AInkflow Plus is $12.99 once on the US App Store, with nothing to renew. Paid plans in this category typically start at $5.99 a month, so that's about two months of somebody else's subscription. | APay once: $7.99 on Windows, $9.99 for Premium on Android, and a $14.99 Lifetime purchase on the US App Store. Any of those is under three months of the $5.99 this category typically charges. Just steer clear of Apple's Weekly option at $7.99. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree with no time limit, and you can make as many books as you like. But each book stops at 20 pages, the ink is black only and you get 5 fonts. The App Store listing also says the free app carries advertising. | BFree gives you 3 notebooks with unlimited pages, hundreds of templates and 30 AI credits a month, going by the Android page. Three notebooks runs out fast, and handwriting recognition and search need Premium. |
| Features | BVector ink that stays sharp when you zoom, a lasso to move and resize anything, text, photos and PDF export. Plus adds Inkport, which turns paper notes into editable ink with the camera. But the guide mentions no sync, only manual backup. | APens and highlighters modelled on real ones, shape tidying, a zoom box, PDF and slide markup, a document scanner and audio recording. Premium reads and searches handwriting in 65 languages. An AI assistant summarises pages, and there are 200+ templates. |
| Ease of use | B4.55 from about 1,900 App Store ratings, just under our line for an A. You write with a finger or a stylus, and with an Apple Pencil it ignores your palm. | B4.56 from about 6,800 App Store ratings, just under our line for an A. Buying it is the fiddly part: the App Store shows several yearly prices from $19.99 to $49.99, so what you're offered in the app may vary. |
| Platforms and integrations | DiPad and iPhone only, which we grade the same as an app that's Android only. The vendor lists no Android, Windows or web version, and Apple Pencil is the one thing it works with. | AiPad, iPhone, Mac, Android and Windows, with backup to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or WebDAV. One gap: sync is iCloud on Apple and Google Drive on Android, and the listings don't describe syncing between the two. |
| Best for | handwritten notes you can rearrange later | handwritten notes on Android or Windows, bought once |
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: Inkflow and Noteshelf. How we grade
Where they differ
- Inkflow starts at $12.99 one-time in-app upgrade. Noteshelf starts at $7.99 one-time on Windows; Premium is $9.99 one-time on Android.
- Only Noteshelf lists macOS, Android and Windows apps.
- Noteshelf also covers templates.
At a glance
| Inkflow | Noteshelf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12.99 one-time in-app upgrade | $7.99 one-time on Windows; Premium is $9.99 one-time on Android |
| Free plan | Basic edition: unlimited books of up to 20 pages each, with the fountain pen in black ink, select and resize, text in 5 fonts, photos, paper backgrounds, and PDF and JPEG export. | Free: 3 notebooks with unlimited pages, hundreds of templates and Noteshelf AI with 30 monthly credits, as listed for Noteshelf 3 on Android. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Qrayon, LLC | Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd. |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | noteshelf.net |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Inkflow
- Brainstorming and planning by hand on an iPad
- Sketching layouts and wireframes that need rearranging
- Classrooms, where the vendor offers volume pricing
Noteshelf
- Students and teachers taking handwritten notes with a stylus
- Marking up PDFs, slides and scanned documents
- Planners and journals built from ready-made templates
Worth knowing
Inkflow
- It is available for iPad and iPhone only; the vendor lists no Android, Windows or web version.
- The free edition has black ink only, 5 fonts and a 20-page limit per book; color, extra tools and unlimited pages need Inkflow Plus.
- The user guide describes manual backup through iTunes File Sharing and does not mention syncing books between devices.
- The App Store listing notes that the free app contains advertising.
Noteshelf
- The Free tier is limited to 3 notebooks, and handwriting recognition and search require Premium.
- Pricing differs by platform: $7.99 on the Microsoft Store, a $9.99 one-time upgrade on Android, and subscriptions or a lifetime purchase on the App Store.
- The App Store shows several yearly Premium prices between $19.99 and $49.99, so the price offered inside the app may vary.
- Sync uses iCloud on Apple devices and Google Drive on Android; the listings do not describe syncing between the two.
Key features
Inkflow
- Fountain-pen vector ink
- Strokes are stored as vector ink modeled on a fountain pen, so writing stays sharp at any zoom level. It works with a finger or a stylus.
- Select, move and resize
- Anything on the page can be lassoed, dragged somewhere else or scaled up and down, so lists and sketches can be rearranged after they are written.
- Text, photos and paper backgrounds
- Text boxes and photos can be placed anywhere and resized along with the ink. Paper options are plain, grid, ruled lines and a music score.
- Inkport
- Part of Inkflow Plus: the device camera converts handwriting and sketches on paper into vector ink that can be moved and edited like anything drawn in the app.
- Apple Pencil mode and palm rejection
- With an Apple Pencil connected, a Pencil-only mode ignores marks from the palm and fingers while fingers still zoom and pan. Settings also offer palm rejection and a wrist guard.
- Export and sharing
- A book exports as a PDF and a page as a high-resolution JPEG, for email, printing or another app. Plus adds PNG export with a transparent background.
Noteshelf
- Handwritten notes
- Write with pens and highlighters modeled on real ones, turn rough strokes into clean shapes, and use a zoom box for precise writing.
- Handwriting recognition
- Converts handwriting to text and searches handwritten notes in 65 languages. Recognition and search are part of Premium.
- PDF and document annotation
- Import PDFs, documents, slides and images, then highlight, underline and write on them. A built-in scanner digitizes paper documents.
- Audio recording
- Record lectures or meetings while taking notes and replay them later. The Apple version can also record from an Apple Watch.
- Noteshelf AI
- Generates handwritten notes on a topic, summarizes pages, translates text and explains terms, drawing on a monthly allowance of AI credits.
- Sync and backup
- iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac, Google Drive sync between Android devices, and automatic backup to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or WebDAV.
Plans
Inkflow
Inkflow$0
The Basic edition: fountain pen in black ink, select, move and resize, full-resolution zoom, text, photos and paper backgrounds. Unlimited books, up to 20 pages each.
Inkflow Plus$12.99
one-time in-app purchase (US App Store)
Adds Inkport, a full color palette, pencil and paint brush tools, cut, copy and paste for ink, page management, unlimited pages, all device fonts and custom paper.
Noteshelf
Free$0
3 notebooks with unlimited pages, hundreds of templates and Noteshelf AI for text with 30 monthly credits.
Noteshelf for Windows$7.99
one-time purchase on the Microsoft Store
The Windows app for stylus devices, with handwritten and typed notes, audio recording, PDF annotation and handwriting search.
Premium (Android)$9.99
one-time purchase; local pricing may apply
Unlimited notebooks, configurable digital diaries, handwriting recognition and search, and 100 monthly AI credits.
Premium (iPhone, iPad and Mac)$7.99 to $49.99
in-app purchase: weekly, monthly, yearly or lifetime
The US App Store lists Weekly at $7.99, Monthly at $9.99, Yearly at prices from $19.99 to $49.99, and a Lifetime purchase at $14.99.
Ways to pay less
Inkflow
- Education
50% off Inkflow Plus in packs of 20 or more
Schools and businesses can buy Inkflow Plus at half price in packs of 20 or more through Apple's volume purchase program, using the standalone $12.99 Inkflow Plus app.
Noteshelf
- Lifetime license
One-time Premium purchase
Premium is a one-time $9.99 fee on Android, and the US App Store lists a Lifetime Premium in-app purchase at $14.99 next to its subscriptions.
- Education
Reduced prices for schools and businesses
Noteshelf 3 is offered to schools and businesses at reduced prices through Apple School Manager and Apple Business Manager.
- Other savings
30% off Premium for Samsung Galaxy users
The Android page advertises 30% off the Premium upgrade as an offer exclusive to Samsung Galaxy users.
