MyScript Notes vs Noteshelf

MyScript Notes

• Stylus users who want handwriting turned into typed text
• Students revising with AI summaries and quizzes
• Handwritten math, diagrams and PDF annotation

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

MyScript Notes

• The free version limits notebooks to five pages each and leaves out cloud sync and AI features.
• It is sold only through the App Store and Google Play, and the vendor's own pricing page lists plan types without prices.
• On Windows the app is still Nebo: a separate Microsoft Store purchase that syncs with MyScript Notes but gets no new features.
• Family Sharing is not supported, because each user needs their own MyScript account.

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.

MyScript Notes

Handwriting recognition

Recognizes handwriting in 66 languages and converts it to typed text. Search covers handwritten content, text in diagrams and PDF annotations.

Pen gestures

Edit with the pen instead of menus: scratch out to erase, underline to emphasize, and add or remove space between lines.

Four note formats

Notebooks with fixed-size pages, documents that reflow with the screen, boards on an expandable canvas, and imported PDFs for annotation.

Math and diagrams

Solves simple handwritten calculations, copies math as LaTeX or an image, and turns hand-drawn diagrams into shapes that stay editable in PowerPoint.

Generative AI study tools

Summarize notes, explain a selected term, turn a note into a quiz or chat with an assistant. AI study sets are on iOS, with Android to follow.

Cloud sync and export

Paid plans sync through iCloud (iOS only), Google Drive or Dropbox with a free MyScript account. Notes export as PDF, PNG, SVG or Word.

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.

MyScript Notes

• Free$0

  A limited version with notebooks of up to five pages each and no cloud sync or AI features.

• Full Access$1.99 to $29.99

  monthly, yearly or lifetime; the listing does not say which is which

  The US App Store lists three Full Access purchases at $1.99, $7.99 and $29.99. Paid plans add AI features and cloud sync, on up to 10 devices.

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.

MyScript Notes

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime purchase instead of a subscription

  Next to the monthly and yearly subscriptions there is a one-time lifetime purchase with all future updates. One purchase covers up to 10 iOS and Android devices.

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.