# Concepts review (2026): is the free plan enough?

> Infinite-canvas sketching app with editable vector strokes

Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA.

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.

- **Category:** Note-Taking Apps
- **Made by:** TopHatch, Inc.
- **Website:** https://concepts.app
- **Runs on:** iOS, Android, Windows
- **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you work on a Mac or in a browser, as neither is listed.
- **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026

## 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).

- **Pricing model:** Free plan
- **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 | $29.99 per year, or $4.99 per month | Over 200 libraries, services and features across iOS, Android, ChromeOS and Windows. |
| Essentials (one-time) | $1.99 one-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 | $100 per license / year ($10 per license billed monthly) | Concepts Pro for a team with self-service billing, re-assignable licenses and multiple admins. |

Read from https://concepts.app/en/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Concepts before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Free licenses for qualifying schools** (Education): The pricing section lists free Concepts licenses for the entire school at qualifying institutions. Source: https://concepts.app/en/

## 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.

## Good for

- Stylus users who want handwritten notes and sketches on a canvas that never runs out
- Designers and architects marking up drawings and PDFs
- Whiteboarding in video calls

## 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.

## ToolGPA grades

**GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. 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.

- **Value for money: B.** Pro 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.
- **Free plan and trial: C.** Basic 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.
- **Features: C.** Infinite canvas, editable vectors, grids and snap, and PDF markup. But custom brushes, objects and presentation mode are marked iOS only.
- **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record. You install it and start drawing, with nothing to set up.
- **Platforms and integrations: B.** iOS, 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.

These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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.

## Where it 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.

The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/note-taking

## Keep it, 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.

- You could make: Notes: an app builder makes this well.
- You could not: An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- You could not: A diagram editor.
- You could not: Apps for Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.

A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it.

## What people say

- **App Store rating of the iPhone and iPad app:** 4.7 out of 5 from 26,641 ratings in the United States, read Nov 13, 2026. This is the store's rating of the app, not a score from ToolGPA. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id560586497

**Tags:** Notes, Whiteboard, Diagrams

## Alternatives

- [Goodnotes](https://toolgpa.com/tools/goodnotes): Handwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/concepts-vs-goodnotes)
- [Notability](https://toolgpa.com/tools/notability): Handwritten notes with synced audio, transcripts and AI study tools. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/concepts-vs-notability)
- [Noteful](https://toolgpa.com/tools/noteful): Handwritten notes and PDF markup for iPad, with tags and layers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/concepts-vs-noteful)
- [Squid](https://toolgpa.com/tools/squid): Handwritten notes and PDF markup for Android and Chromebooks. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/concepts-vs-squid)
- [CollaNote](https://toolgpa.com/tools/collanote): Handwriting and PDF markup notes for iPad, iPhone and Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/collanote-vs-concepts)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026:

- https://concepts.app/en/

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/concepts
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).