The CollaNote Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about CollaNote in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
CollaNote
The Insider’s Guide
Handwriting and PDF markup notes for iPad, iPhone and Mac
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from CollaNote’s own pages.
Made by Zauberberg Lab LLC · checked Oct 6, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from CollaNote’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on CollaNote’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
CollaNote is a handwriting-first note app for Apple devices, built around Apple Pencil input on unlimited paper with a large set of pens, papers and templates. It also marks up imported PDFs, slides and Word documents, records audio in step with what you write, and bundles planners, flashcards, translation and AI tools. The app is free to download, with a one-time Lifetime Premium purchase.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about CollaNote, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You can start writing with no account whatsoever, and only log in when you want to collaborate.
- 1
Best for students handwriting on an iPad on a tight budget
CollaNote is a free handwriting app for iPad, iPhone and Apple silicon Macs, with 50+ pens, PDF and slide markup, audio that jumps to the word you tap, flashcards and live collaboration.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $13.90 one-time (Lifetime Premium).
- 3
There is a free plan
Free to download and use on iPad, iPhone and Mac with no account. Neither the site nor the App Store listing says which features the Lifetime Premium purchase unlocks.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
iOS and macOS.
- 5
Handwriting with Apple Pencil
The site lists 50+ pens and brushes with Apple Pencil support, along with shape and diagram recognition that tidies what you draw.
- 6
PDF, slide and document markup
Imports PDFs, PowerPoint slides and Word documents to write, highlight and sketch on, leaving the original file unchanged.
- 7
Audio recording synced to notes
Records audio while you write. Tapping a word afterwards jumps playback to the moment it was written, and AI turns the recording into a transcript.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 107 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of CollaNote you could make: notes and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
CollaNote at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $13.90 one-time (Lifetime Premium)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS
- Made by
- Zauberberg Lab LLC
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.7 on the App Store, 13,801 ratings
The report card
Best for students handwriting on an iPad on a tight budget
CollaNote is a free handwriting app for iPad, iPhone and Apple silicon Macs, with 50+ pens, PDF and slide markup, audio that jumps to the word you tap, flashcards and live collaboration. Lifetime Premium is $13.90 once, but neither the site nor the App Store says what it unlocks, the store shows four prices without saying who gets which, and there's no Android, Windows or web version.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Lifetime Premium is $13.90 once on the US App Store, against a category middle of $6 every month. What holds it back is that nobody says what Premium unlocks, and the store shows $9.69 and $6.95 versions without saying who qualifies for which. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free to download and use on iPad, iPhone and Mac with no account at all, so one person really could live here. We just can't tell you where it stops, because the limits of the free version aren't written down anywhere we could read. |
| Features | A | 50+ pens and brushes, shape recognition, markup on PDFs, PowerPoint slides and Word documents, audio that jumps to the word you tap, transcription, translation into 90+ languages, handwritten equations solved step by step, planners, flashcards and live collaboration. More than its rivals carry. |
| Ease of use | B | 4.67 from about 14,000 App Store ratings, a whisker under the 4.7 an A needs. You can start writing with no account whatsoever, and only log in when you want to collaborate. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | One family of devices: iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision and Macs with an M1 chip or later. No Android, Windows or web version on the listing, and iCloud is the only integration named. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who CollaNote is for
- Fits if you're a student handwriting on an iPad and don't want a subscription
- Works for marking up lecture slides while recording the lecture
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Android or Windows, as it's Apple devices only
- Not for you if you want to know what Premium adds before buying, because nobody lists it
- Tight if you have an older Intel Mac, since the Mac version needs an M1 chip or later
- Watch out: the App Store shows Premium at $13.90, $9.69 and $6.95 without saying who qualifies for which
- Watch out: collaboration needs a login tied to an email address or phone number, and iCloud is the only integration named
Good to know
Good for
- Students handwriting notes on an iPad with Apple Pencil
- Marking up lecture slides and PDFs while recording audio
- Keeping planners and flashcards in the same app as notes
Worth knowing
- Apple devices only: the listing covers iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision and Macs with an Apple M1 chip or later.
- Neither the site nor the App Store listing itemizes which features need Lifetime Premium.
- The App Store shows four Premium prices from $6.95 to $13.90 without saying who qualifies for each.
- Collaboration requires a login tied to an email address or phone number; other use needs no account.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$13.90 one-time
To start. There is a free plan too
CollaNote has a free plan. Paid plans start at $13.90 one-time (Lifetime Premium).
Free to download and use on iPad, iPhone and Mac with no account at all, so one person really could live here.
CollaNote
$0
Free download for iPad, iPhone and Apple silicon Macs, usable without an account. Its limits are not spelled out.
Lifetime Premium
$13.90
one-time purchase
One-time in-app purchase on the US App Store, which also lists a $9.69 Welcome Offer and $6.95 sale and loyal-user versions.
The free plan
Free to download and use on iPad, iPhone and Mac with no account. Neither the site nor the App Store listing says which features the Lifetime Premium purchase unlocks.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Lifetime license
Lifetime Premium as a one-time purchase
Premium is sold as a one-time in-app purchase, listed at $13.90 on the US App Store alongside a $9.69 Lifetime Premium Welcome Offer.
Stated on apps.apple.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “Lifetime Premium Welcome Offer”, against $9.69 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $12.99 | $9.13 | 6% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 599.00 | $9.54 | about the same |
| Turkey | ₺499,99 | $10.17 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 999 | $10.33 | 7% more |
| Germany | 9,99 € | $11.19 | 16% more |
| Brazil | R$ 59,90 | $11.97 | 24% more |
| South Africa | R199.99 | $12.10 | 25% more |
| United Kingdom | £9.99 | $13.21 | 36% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: macOS and iOS
Handwriting and PDF markup notes for iPad, iPhone and Mac. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, AI features, real-time collaboration, transcription, notes, templates.
No Android, Windows or web version on the listing, and iCloud is the only integration named.
- Handwriting with Apple Pencil
- The site lists 50+ pens and brushes with Apple Pencil support, along with shape and diagram recognition that tidies what you draw.
- PDF, slide and document markup
- Imports PDFs, PowerPoint slides and Word documents to write, highlight and sketch on, leaving the original file unchanged.
- Audio recording synced to notes
- Records audio while you write. Tapping a word afterwards jumps playback to the moment it was written, and AI turns the recording into a transcript.
- Translation and calculator
- Translates a selected phrase into 90+ languages with audio pronunciation, and turns handwritten equations into step-by-step solutions.
- Planners and flashcards
- Hyperlinked digital planners, habit trackers and to-do lists sit in the same document as notes, and flashcard decks can be made, pinned and shared.
- Collaboration and community
- Real-time collaboration works after logging in, and Public Rooms and a community library let users share notes and flashcards with others.
Where it runs
- macOS
- iOS
What it works with
- iCloud
CollaNote is made by Zauberberg Lab LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
107/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
CollaNote's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on features (A, above 135 of 147) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 31).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. CollaNote’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 48 of 147
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 147
- AFeaturesAbove 135 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 147
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of CollaNote you could make: notes and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade. It costs $13.90, paid once.
What you could make
- Notes and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Hooks into the device itself: Apple Pencil and handwriting.
- The depth: we grade its features A, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. CollaNote’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Goodnotes, Notability, Noteful, Noteshelf and Freenotes
The 5 tools CollaNote is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.6GPA
Goodnotes
Free plan · from $11.99/yr
Handwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant.
- Only Goodnotes lists a web app.
- Only Goodnotes lists Android and Windows apps.
- CollaNote also covers templates.
- 3.4GPA
Notability
Free plan · from $14.99/yr
Handwritten notes with synced audio, transcripts and AI study tools.
- Only Notability lists a web app.
- Only Notability lists Windows and Android apps.
- 2.8GPA
Noteful
Free plan · from $6.99 one-time
Handwritten notes and PDF markup for iPad, with tags and layers.
- Only CollaNote lists a macOS app.
- CollaNote also covers transcription and templates.
- 2.8GPA
Noteshelf
Free plan · from $7.99 one-time
Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation for stylus devices.
- Only Noteshelf lists Android and Windows apps.
- CollaNote also covers transcription.
- 2.8GPA
Freenotes
Free plan · from $1.99
Handwriting and PDF annotation app with AI study tools.
- Only CollaNote lists a macOS app.
- Only Freenotes lists an Android app.
- CollaNote can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is CollaNote free?
CollaNote has a free plan. Free to download and use on iPad, iPhone and Mac with no account.
How much does CollaNote cost?
CollaNote lists 2 plans. CollaNote: $0.
What platforms does CollaNote work on?
CollaNote is available on iOS and macOS.
Does CollaNote offer any discounts?
CollaNote publicly lists the following: Lifetime Premium as a one-time purchase.
How is CollaNote rated?
CollaNote's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13,801 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does CollaNote have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. CollaNote is listed for iOS and macOS.
Does CollaNote have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. CollaNote is listed for iOS and macOS.
Is CollaNote open source?
CollaNote is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does CollaNote integrate with?
CollaNote's listing names iCloud. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes CollaNote?
CollaNote is made by Zauberberg Lab LLC.
What are the alternatives to CollaNote?
The closest alternatives to CollaNote in our directory are Goodnotes, Notability, Noteful, Noteshelf and Freenotes.
How does CollaNote compare with other note-taking apps?
CollaNote's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 107 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
Could I make my own version of CollaNote?
The plain part of CollaNote you could make: notes and templates. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from CollaNote’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CollaNote's own pages on 6 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-20.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Zauberberg Lab LLC. Prices change, so check collanote.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- CollaNote, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/collanote
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "CollaNote: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/collanote
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/collanote/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after CollaNote, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what CollaNote’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. CollaNote is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Zauberberg Lab LLC. Prices and plans change: check collanote.com before you buy.