The Drafts Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Drafts 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.
Drafts
The Insider’s Guide
Quick-capture notes app for Apple devices with text actions
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Drafts’s own pages.
Made by Agile Tortoise, Inc. · checked Oct 9, 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 Drafts’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Drafts’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.4
GPA, above 138 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Drafts is a notes app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch that opens to a blank page so text can be typed or dictated straight away. New entries land in an inbox and can be tagged, flagged or archived later. Actions then send the text on to other apps and services, such as a file in Dropbox, a task in Todoist or a page in Notion.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Drafts, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The free version has unlimited drafts and iCloud sync.
- 1
Best for catching text fast and sending it somewhere else
Drafts opens on a blank page with the keyboard up, and actions then send the text to Dropbox, Todoist, Notion and other apps.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1.67 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year.
- 3
There is a free plan
Free to use with unlimited creating, editing and syncing of drafts, and running actions installed with the app or from the Drafts Directory.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
iOS and macOS.
- 5
Capture first, file later
The app opens to a new page with the keyboard ready. Entries go to an inbox and can be tagged, flagged or archived afterwards.
- 6
Actions
Actions copy, share or send text to other apps and services. Running installed actions is free; creating and editing them needs Drafts Pro.
- 7
Dictation and transcription
A custom dictation interface built on Apple's speech recognition, plus transcription of existing audio and video files into text.
- 8
A 3.4 GPA, above 138 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
To replace Drafts you would be making dictation that types into any app on your computer. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Drafts at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial on the annual Drafts Pro subscription
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS
- Made by
- Agile Tortoise, Inc.
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 3.4 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 10,800 ratings
The report card
Best for catching text fast and sending it somewhere else
Drafts opens on a blank page with the keyboard up, and actions then send the text to Dropbox, Todoist, Notion and other apps. The free version has unlimited drafts and iCloud sync. It's Apple only and text only, building your own actions or workspaces needs Pro at $19.99 a year, the web page can only add drafts, and a subscription bought on iOS can't be restored on the Mac App Store.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Drafts Pro is $19.99 a year, about $1.67 a month, against a category middle of $6. One subscription covers all your Apple devices, and both the monthly and the yearly option work with Family Sharing. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Unlimited drafts, unlimited editing and iCloud sync, free, with no cap on any of it, and you can run any action that ships with the app or comes from the Drafts Directory. Pro is for building your own actions, workspaces, themes and Mail Drop. |
| Features | B | An inbox, tags, flags, dictation, transcription of audio and video, text arriving by Siri, widgets or the share sheet, then actions that pass it to Dropbox, Todoist, Notion or Gmail, with Shortcuts, AppleScript and JavaScript underneath. It's text only, mind. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.8 from about 10,800 App Store ratings, above the 4.7 from 1,000 ratings an A needs. Open it and type, because a new page is already waiting with the keyboard up. The scripting side can be ignored completely. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | One family of devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, with nothing for Windows or Android. A Web Capture page adds a draft from any browser but can't show or edit what you've got. Its actions do reach Dropbox, Notion, Todoist, Gmail and more. |
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 Drafts is for
- Fits if ideas hit you on the go and you want them typed before they're gone
- Works for people whose notes end up in other apps anyway, like a task manager or Notion
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as the apps are for Apple devices only and the web page can't show or edit drafts
- Tight if you're staying free and want your own actions, workspaces, themes or Mail Drop, because all are Pro
- Watch out: a subscription bought on iOS can't be restored on the Mac App Store or the reverse, only carried by a shared iCloud account
- Watch out: sync needs the same iCloud account with iCloud Drive on every device, and the Pro trial is 7 days on the annual plan
- Too light for pictures, files or tables, since Drafts holds text only
Good to know
Good for
- Jotting text down quickly on iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch
- People who route notes into other apps such as task managers
- Automation fans who script their own text workflows
Worth knowing
- Apps exist only for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. The Web Capture page can create drafts in any browser but cannot review or edit them.
- Creating and editing actions, workspaces, themes, Mail Drop and the AI chat console all require the Drafts Pro subscription.
- Sync runs through iCloud and needs the same iCloud account, with iCloud Drive active, on every device.
- A subscription bought on iOS cannot be restored on the Mac App Store or the reverse; it carries over only through a shared iCloud account.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1.67
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Drafts has a free plan. Paid plans start at $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year.
One subscription covers all your Apple devices, and both the monthly and the yearly option work with Family Sharing.
Free
$0
Unlimited drafts, editing and iCloud sync, plus the actions that ship with the app or come from the Drafts Directory.
Drafts Pro
$19.99
per year; $1.99 billed monthly
Create and edit actions, themes and custom icons, workspaces, the AI chat console, Mail Drop and enhanced widgets on all Apple devices.
Drafts Pro Patron
$29.99
billing period not shown on the App Store listing
A supporter tier with the same features as Drafts Pro, for people who want to pay more toward development.
The free plan
Free to use with unlimited creating, editing and syncing of drafts, and running actions installed with the app or from the Drafts Directory.
Trying it first
7-day free trial on the annual Drafts Pro subscription
Read from docs.getdrafts.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Annual billing costs about 16% less
Drafts Pro is $19.99 a year or $1.99 a month, so twelve monthly payments come to $23.88 against $19.99 for the annual option.
Stated on docs.getdrafts.comOther savings
Family Sharing on both subscriptions
The monthly and annual Drafts Pro subscriptions support Apple Family Sharing, so one subscription can unlock Pro features for the family group.
Stated on docs.getdrafts.com
How its prices have moved
- Jan 25, 2022Drafts Pro: $2.99 per month → $1.99 per monthThe archived Drafts Pro page of 25 January 2022 puts the monthly price back at $1.99; the copy before it, of 19 September 2021, still shows $2.99. The monthly price came down between the two.
- Sep 19, 2021Drafts Pro: $29.99 per year → $19.99 per yearThe archived Drafts Pro page of 19 September 2021 shows $19.99 a year again, while the copy before it, of 6 June 2021, shows $29.99. The yearly price came down between the two; the monthly price was still $2.99.
- Feb 28, 2021Drafts Pro: $19.99 per year, or $1.99 per month → $29.99 per year, or $2.99 per monthThe archived Drafts Pro page of 28 February 2021 shows $29.99 a year and $2.99 a month; the copy before it, of 29 November 2020, shows $19.99 and $1.99. The rise fell between the two, and was later undone.
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
Quick-capture notes app for Apple devices with text actions. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, transcription, dictation, notes, Markdown, workflow automation.
One family of devices: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, with nothing for Windows or Android.
- Capture first, file later
- The app opens to a new page with the keyboard ready. Entries go to an inbox and can be tagged, flagged or archived afterwards.
- Actions
- Actions copy, share or send text to other apps and services. Running installed actions is free; creating and editing them needs Drafts Pro.
- Dictation and transcription
- A custom dictation interface built on Apple's speech recognition, plus transcription of existing audio and video files into text.
- Workspaces
- Saved views of the drafts list that restore a preferred tag filter, query and sort order. Workspaces are a Drafts Pro feature.
- Capture from outside the app
- Text can arrive through Siri, widgets, the share extension, a personal Mail Drop email address (Pro) and a Web Capture page for any browser.
- Automation hooks
- Supports Shortcuts, URL schemes, AppleScript and JavaScript scripting in actions, and Pro adds an AI chat console that can query and edit drafts.
Where it runs
- macOS
- iOS
What it works with
- Dropbox
- Notion
- Todoist
- Evernote
- Google Drive
- Gmail
- OneNote
- Microsoft To Do
Who makes Drafts
Agile Tortoise, Inc. is a small software company in Texas that makes Drafts along with a handful of other Apple apps. Drafts is a free download and the money comes from the optional Drafts Pro subscription, alongside the consulting work the company says it also does.
- Founded
- 2006macstories.net
- Based
- Texas, USAagiletortoise.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Its support page calls Agile Tortoise an independent software development and consulting company based in Texas, and names no parent company or investors.agiletortoise.com
- Founders and leaders
- Greg Pierce, Founder and Presidentmacstories.net
- Lately
- Drafts 54.1 - iPhone Duo Support · Oct 16, 2026
- Drafts 54 released - OS 27 ready, Chat Console, Improved Dictation · Sep 11, 2026
- Drafts 53 released - Flag Types · Jun 3, 2026
- Drafts 52 is out! Advanced Data Protection Support and more · May 14, 2026
Read on Oct 18, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
138/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Drafts's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 138 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 133 of 147) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 31).
Its paid plans start at $1.67 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 6 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Drafts’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- AFree plan and trialAbove 100 of 147
- BFeaturesAbove 100 of 147
- AEase of useAbove 133 of 147
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 147
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 note-taking apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Drafts is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
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
To replace Drafts you would be making dictation that types into any app on your computer. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.4 is higher than 138 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade. It costs $19.99 a year.
What you could make
- Notes and Markdown: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Dictation that types into any app on your computer.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Hooks into the device itself: an Apple Watch app, widgets and Siri.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Drafts’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
Apple Notes, Bear, Simplenote, Obsidian and Tot
The 5 tools Drafts is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
Apple Notes
Free
Apple's free notes app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web.
- Only Apple Notes lists a web app.
- Drafts also covers dictation, Markdown and workflow automation.
- Apple Notes also covers linked notes.
- 2.6GPA
Bear
Free plan · from $2.99/mo
Markdown notes app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tags and links.
- Only Bear lists a browser extension.
- Drafts also covers transcription, dictation and workflow automation.
- Bear also covers linked notes and web clipper.
- 3.4GPA
Simplenote
Free
Free plain-text notes that sync across every major platform.
- Only Simplenote lists a web app.
- Only Simplenote lists Android, Windows and Linux apps.
- Simplenote is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.6GPA
Obsidian
Free plan · from $4/mo
Markdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your device.
- Only Obsidian lists Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Only Obsidian lists a browser extension.
- Obsidian is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Tot
Free plan · from $19.99 one-time
Seven-note text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
- Tot can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Drafts also covers transcription, dictation and workflow automation.
- Tot also covers menu bar app.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
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 Drafts free?
Drafts has a free plan. Free to use with unlimited creating, editing and syncing of drafts, and running actions installed with the app or from the Drafts Directory.
How much does Drafts cost?
Drafts lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Drafts work on?
Drafts is available on iOS and macOS.
Does Drafts offer any discounts?
Drafts publicly lists the following: Annual billing costs about 16% less; Family Sharing on both subscriptions.
How is Drafts rated?
Drafts's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 10,800 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Drafts have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Drafts is listed for iOS and macOS.
Does Drafts have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Drafts is listed for iOS and macOS.
Is Drafts open source?
Drafts is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Drafts integrate with?
Drafts's listing names Dropbox, Notion, Todoist, Evernote, Google Drive, Gmail, OneNote and Microsoft To Do.
Does Drafts have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day free trial on the annual Drafts Pro subscription.
Who makes Drafts?
Drafts is made by Agile Tortoise, Inc. Its support page calls Agile Tortoise an independent software development and consulting company based in Texas, and names no parent company or investors.
What are the alternatives to Drafts?
The closest alternatives to Drafts in our directory are Apple Notes, Bear, Simplenote, Obsidian and Tot.
How does Drafts compare with other note-taking apps?
Drafts's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 138 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 5.
Is Drafts good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Drafts A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1.67 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $5.83 for the category: 6 of the 66 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Drafts?
To replace Drafts you would be making dictation that types into any app on your computer.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Drafts’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Drafts' own pages on 5 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-18.
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 Agile Tortoise, Inc. Prices change, so check getdrafts.com before you buy.
- docs.getdrafts.com/draftspro
- getdrafts.com
- docs.getdrafts.com/press-kit
- docs.getdrafts.com/docs/extensions/web-capture.html
- docs.getdrafts.com/docs/actions/steps/services.html
- docs.getdrafts.com/docs/settings/sync.html
- docs.getdrafts.com/docs/editor/dictation.html
- docs.getdrafts.com/docs/editor/transcription.html
- apps.apple.com/us/app/drafts/id1236254471
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
- Drafts, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/drafts
- 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, "Drafts: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/drafts
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/drafts/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Drafts, 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 Drafts’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. Drafts is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Agile Tortoise, Inc. Prices and plans change: check getdrafts.com before you buy.