Concepts review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Infinite-canvas sketching app with editable vector strokes
Black Friday: is there a Concepts sale?
Concepts report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for stylus sketching on an endless canvas
Concepts is a sketching and markup app on an endless canvas, built for stylus users, with PDF markup and vector strokes. The free version has 5 layers and JPG export, selection tools and other export formats are paid, and several features are iOS only, with no Mac or web version.
Who Concepts is for
- Fits if you sketch or mark up PDFs with a stylus
- Works for designers and architects who need real-world scale and DXF export
Who Concepts is not for
- Skip it if you work on a Mac or in a browser, as neither is listed
- Tight if you stay free: 5 layers, JPG export only and no selection tool
- Watch out: one-time purchases only apply to the platform where you bought them
- Not for you if you want typed notes, because it is a drawing app first
Why Concepts gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for moneyPro is $29.99 a year or $4.99 a month, which works out under the $5.99 category middle. One-time Essentials unlocks start at $1.99, but each one covers a single platform.
- CFree plan and trialBasic is free with unlimited drawings, 5 layers and JPG export. Selection tools, more layers and PNG, PSD or SVG export are paid, and Pro has a 7-day trial.
- CFeaturesInfinite canvas, editable vectors, grids and snap, and PDF markup. But custom brushes, objects and presentation mode are marked iOS only.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. You install it and start drawing, with nothing to set up.
- BPlatforms and integrationsiOS, Android, ChromeOS and Windows, so phones and a computer are covered. No Mac or web app is listed, and a cross-platform release is marked as coming soon.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Concepts's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Concepts? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/concepts#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/concepts.svg" alt="Concepts: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Concepts stands among note-taking apps
Concepts's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 51 of the 152 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 87 of 152) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $5 for the category: 15 of the 68 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 8 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 153 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Concepts’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 50 of 152, level with 15
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 152, level with 65
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 152, level with 102
- BEase of useAbove 50 of 152, level with 87
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 87 of 152, level with 43
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 note-taking apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Concepts, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Concepts you could make: notes. What surrounds it you could not. The 3 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $29.99 a year.
What you could make
- Notes: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- A diagram editor.
- Apps for Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Concepts’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.
What is Concepts?
Concepts is a sketching and whiteboarding app where each stroke on an infinite canvas stays an editable vector. It is used for handwritten notes, design sketches and marking up PDFs, and exports to formats such as PDF, PNG, PSD, SVG and DXF. It is sold through the app stores of each platform.
Worth knowing
- Several features, including custom brushes, objects and presentation mode, are marked iOS only; the vendor says other platforms are catching up.
- The pages list iOS, Android, ChromeOS and Windows; no Mac or web app is listed, and a cross-platform release is marked as coming soon.
- One-time purchases apply only to the platform where they were bought.
- The site says prices vary by region and points to each app store for the exact figure.
Key features
- Infinite canvas
- Sketch with zoom and movable artboards, and share just the part you choose.
- Editable vectors
- Strokes stay adjustable after drawing, with infinite layers on the paid tiers.
- Precision tools
- Grids, line smoothing, live snap and shape guides, with real-world scale and measurement.
- PDF and image markup
- Drag in images and PDFs, sign documents and mark up files before sending them back.
- Export formats
- PDF, PNG, PSD, SVG and DXF (AutoCAD); the page ties several formats to paid unlocks.
- Presentation mode
- Sketch live for a team or client. The page marks this as iOS only.
Concepts pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Concepts has a free plan, and paid plans start at $29.99 per year, or $4.99 per month (Pro).
- Starts at
- $29.99 per year, or $4.99 per month (Pro)
- Free plan
- Basic: handcrafted brushes, color wheels, five layers, the infinite canvas, unlimited drawings and basic JPG export.
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of Pro through the App Store, Play Store or Microsoft Store.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | Infinite Sketchbook: five layers, unlimited drawings, paper and grid types, JPG export. |
| Pro | $29.99per year, or $4.99 per month | Over 200 libraries, services and features across iOS, Android, ChromeOS and Windows. |
| Essentials (one-time) | $1.99one-time, per platform; the page lists $1.99 to $39.99 each | Unlocks selection and editing tools, infinite layers, shape guides, custom grids and PNG, PSD, SVG and DXF export. Brush packs, objects and PDF are sold separately. |
| Teams | $100per license / year ($10 per license billed monthly) | Concepts Pro for a team with self-service billing, re-assignable licenses and multiple admins. |
Read from concepts.app on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Concepts before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- EducationFree licenses for qualifying schools
The pricing section lists free Concepts licenses for the entire school at qualifying institutions.
Stated on concepts.app
How people rate the Concepts app
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
26,641 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Concepts alternatives
- Concepts vs Goodnotes
Free plan · from $11.99/yr
- Concepts vs Notability
Free plan · from $14.99/yr
- Concepts vs Noteful
Free plan · from $6.99 one-time
- Concepts vs Squid
Free plan · from $1.00
- Concepts vs CollaNote
Free plan · from $13.90 one-time
Common questions
Does Concepts have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Concepts is listed for iOS, Android and Windows.
Does Concepts have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Concepts is listed for iOS, Android and Windows.
Is Concepts open source?
Concepts is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.