| Core Identity |
| Developer | MobileFirst India | Maple Media Apps, LLC | Adobe Inc. | INTSIG Information Co., Ltd | Readdle Technologies Limited | Notion Labs, Incorporated | Microsoft Corporation | Google | Dynalist Inc. |
| Category | Productivity | Utilities | Business | Productivity | Productivity | Productivity | Productivity | Productivity | Productivity |
| Platform | iOS | iOS | iOS | iOS | Android, iOS | Android, iOS | Android, iOS | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Store Metrics |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Ratings Count | 4 | 18,957 | 1,540,221 | 1,790,119 | 614,518 | 82,804 | 1,035,361 | 28,828 | 2,454 |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Release Date | Feb 19, 2021 | Apr 3, 2014 | May 31, 2017 | Aug 28, 2010 | Apr 1, 2010 | Sep 14, 2017 | Jan 18, 2011 | Sep 24, 2015 | Jul 10, 2021 |
| Last Updated | Nov 3, 2021 | Apr 15, 2026 | Mar 25, 2026 | Apr 10, 2026 | Apr 14, 2026 | May 5, 2026 | May 4, 2026 | May 4, 2026 | Mar 23, 2026 |
| Sentiment & Reviews |
| Sentiment | excellent | - | positive | mixed | positive | negative | terrible | mixed | mixed |
| Score | 90/100 | - | 76/100 | 45/100 | 78/100 | 35/100 | 15/100 | 55/100 | 55/100 |
| Praises | - Screenshot text search functionality provides immediate utility for organizing and retrieving information
| - | - Ease of Use
- Image Enhancement
| | - Ease of Use and Interface
- Cross-Platform/Device Utility
| - Relational database structure provides powerful organization for personal and professional knowledge management
| - Cross-device synchronization allows users to access notes across multiple platforms for daily productivity
| - Cross-device synchronization allows users to maintain a consistent note-taking habit across multiple hardware platforms
- Simple and clean interface design facilitates quick capture of daily thoughts and important life events
| - High Customizability and Flexibility
- Powerful Knowledge Management
|
| Complaints | - | - | - Subscription Cost
- Technical Reliability
| - Aggressive Monetization
- Data Loss & Support
| - Aggressive Monetization
- Performance and Stability Issues
| - Frequent app crashes and UI freezing during text editing sessions on mobile devices
| - Critical synchronization failures and data loss incidents render the application unreliable for daily use
| - Systematic application crashes and performance instability following the latest update disrupt the core note-taking workflow
- Forced integration with external task management applications creates unnecessary friction and bloat for existing users
| - Poor Mobile UI/UX and Navigation
- Syncing and Cloud Issues
|
| Requests | - | - | - | - | - | - Toggle switch to disable or hide AI features from the primary interface
| - Improved stylus and pen tool support for handwriting recognition and better brush customization
| - Granular text formatting options including bold, italics, and font customization are requested for better organization
- In-note search functionality is required to locate specific keywords within long documents without manual scrolling
| - |
| Strategic Intel |
| Strengths | - Local-only processing model ensures total data privacy for sensitive documents.
| - | - Deep integration with Adobe Document Cloud and Acrobat
- Advanced AI-driven cleanup tools (Magic Eraser, Straighten)
- High brand trust and enterprise-grade security
| - Massive 300M+ user base
- 41-language OCR support
- Advanced multi-format conversion (Excel, Word, PPT)
| - Modern and intuitive UI/UX compared to legacy competitors
- Advanced AI integration (transcription, smart eraser)
- Massive social proof with 2.2M+ ratings
| - Relational database engine enables complex knowledge management systems
- Template library lowers barrier to entry for new users
| - System-level Microsoft 365 integration drives enterprise adoption
- Free unlimited sync lowers switching costs
- Infinite canvas supports complex project workflows
| - System-level Google Workspace integration increases switching costs
- Cross-device sync reliability sustains daily habit
- Voice-to-text transcription reduces mobile capture friction
| - Unmatched extensibility through community plugins and themes.
- Robust local-first architecture ensuring data sovereignty.
- Strong 'second brain' brand identity among power users.
|
| Weaknesses | - No cloud-syncing capability limits utility for multi-device users.
- No monetization model identified in current build.
| - | - High subscription cost ($10/mo) causing user friction
- Technical bugs including login loops and data loss in multi-page scans
- Lack of specialized ID/Passport scanning modes
| - Aggressive paywalling of legacy free features
- Mandatory watermarks on free tier
- Reports of data loss and poor support responsiveness
| - User friction from aggressive subscription paywalls
- Performance regressions (crashing, overheating) in recent updates
- Lack of granular network protocol depth compared to GoodReader
| - Mobile app crashes during long editing sessions
- Forced AI elements disrupt core UI
| - Critical sync failures post-update
- 0.7-star rating gap between iOS and Android
- Frequent read-only mode locks
| - 0.7★ Android-iOS rating gap indicates platform-specific instability
- Lack of in-note search forces manual scrolling
- No native biometric security for sensitive notes
| - Declining mobile UI/UX quality causing user frustration.
- Performance bottlenecks (load times) on mobile devices.
- High learning curve for non-technical users.
|
| Pricing | free | freemium | freemium | subscription | freemium | freemium | freemium | free | freemium |
| Momentum | - | Steady | Maintenance | Active | Active | Active | Active | Intense | - |
| Update Cadence | - | 5 versions | 1 versions | 5 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~6d avg | 5 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~7d avg | 5 versions, ~5d avg | 5 versions, ~9d avg | 5 versions, ~10d avg | - |
