Noteshelf vs Samsung Notes
We give Noteshelf a 3.6 GPA and Samsung Notes a 3.4, out of 4.0. Noteshelf grades higher on platforms. Samsung Notes grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Noteshelf
Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation for stylus devices
Samsung Notes
Samsung's free note app for Galaxy phones, tablets and Galaxy Book
How we grade them
| 3.6GPANoteshelfExcellent | 3.4GPASamsung NotesVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AIt's free. The Microsoft Store lists the Windows app as a free download and Google Play shows no price. One small flag: Samsung says basic Galaxy AI features are free, while enhanced ones may carry fees. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AThe full app costs nothing on Galaxy phones, tablets and Galaxy Book PCs, with sync through Samsung Cloud included. You do need a Samsung account for sync and for locking a note. |
| Features | 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. | ATyped text, handwriting you can convert to text, PDFs you can write on, and recordings synced to the note, so playback follows what you wrote in the lecture. Folders, page templates, locked notes and export to PDF, Word or PowerPoint too. Up to 10 people can edit one note, though Samsung still labels that beta. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Sign in with a Samsung account and notes sync between your devices. On select Galaxy devices, Note Assist tidies the formatting and fixes the spelling for you. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CGalaxy phones and tablets, plus a Windows app made for Galaxy Book PCs. Samsung says other Windows computers may have issues running it. No iPhone, Mac or web version is listed, and OneNote sync isn't available on devices running One UI 9. |
| Best for | handwritten notes on Android or Windows, bought once | free notes and S Pen handwriting on a Galaxy |
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: Noteshelf and Samsung Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Noteshelf starts at $7.99 one-time on Windows; Premium is $9.99 one-time on Android. Samsung Notes is free.
- Only Noteshelf lists iOS and macOS apps.
- Noteshelf can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| Noteshelf | Samsung Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $7.99 one-time on Windows; Premium is $9.99 one-time on Android | Free |
| Free plan | Free: 3 notebooks with unlimited pages, hundreds of templates and Noteshelf AI with 30 monthly credits, as listed for Noteshelf 3 on Android. | The Microsoft Store lists the Windows app as a free download and the Google Play listing shows no price. Samsung says basic Galaxy AI features are free, while enhanced AI features may carry fees. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd. | Samsung Electronics |
| Price read from | noteshelf.net | apps.microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Samsung Notes
- Galaxy phone and tablet owners, especially those with an S Pen
- Recording a lecture or meeting while taking notes
- Marking up PDFs by hand on a Galaxy tablet
Worth knowing
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.
Samsung Notes
- Samsung documents the app for Galaxy phones, tablets and Galaxy Book PCs; no iPhone, Mac or web version is listed.
- The Windows app is optimized for Galaxy Book models, and Samsung says other Windows computers may have issues running it.
- Syncing with Microsoft OneNote is not available on devices running One UI 9; notes sync through Samsung Cloud instead.
- Note Assist needs a supported Galaxy device, a Samsung account and an internet connection, and shared notes are still labeled beta.
Key features
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.
Samsung Notes
- S Pen handwriting
- Handwriting can be altered, moved and converted to text, using pens, fountain pens, pencils and highlighters in a range of colors and thicknesses.
- Voice recordings synced to notes
- A recording made while you type or write is synced to the note, so playback follows along with what you wrote during a lecture or meeting.
- PDF import and annotation
- PDFs can be imported, written on and annotated. Notes export as PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, image or text files.
- Folders, page templates and locked notes
- Notes are organized into folders and subfolders, with page templates such as grids and lined paper. Individual notes can be locked, which requires a Samsung account.
- Shared notes
- Up to 10 people, including you, can edit the same note at the same time on Galaxy phones and tablets, invited from contacts or by link. Samsung labels the feature beta.
- Note Assist with Galaxy AI
- On select Galaxy phones and tablets running One UI 6.1 or later, Note Assist formats notes automatically, summarizes them, corrects spelling and translates them.
Plans
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.
Samsung Notes
Free$0
The full app on Galaxy phones and tablets and on Galaxy Book PCs, with sync through Samsung Cloud using a Samsung account.
Ways to pay less
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.
Samsung Notes
No public discounts listed.
