SketchNote is a visual note-taking app for iPhone and iPad that uses pre-designed shapes and templates to assist users without art skills.
Product velocity
Dormant
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
Productivity
Sentiment
3.0
3 reviews
Nemesis
Sticky Notes !
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire SketchNote to create structured, visual notes on digital paper, serving the need for aesthetic organization without the manual effort of freehand drawing.
For iPhone and iPad users seeking to create visual notes without manual drawing skills.
What does it look like?
Key features
Pre-designed shapes, letters, numbers, and clipart for note composition
Handwriting support for Apple Pencil and finger input on iPad and iPhone
Cross-device synchronization of digital notebooks
Import and markup of PDF documents, images, and videos
Automated drawing of perfect lines and geometric shapes
How much does it cost?
Subscription model uses auto-renewal via Apple ID, requiring cancellation 24 hours before period end.
Velocity
Dormant developmentopaqueShow more...
The app has not received a release in over three years, indicating a complete cessation of development activity. The single available version history entry consists only of generic bug fixes, providing no evidence of active feature development or live operations. Given the lack of updates since early 2023, the project is classified as a zombie.
Who built it?
B TO J PTY
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PDF PhotoUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
Not enough recent reviews to extract reliable themes yet.
Read the full review analysisCompetition
Competitive landscape for SketchNote, Visual Note Taking
How's the Productivity market?
SketchNote operates in the crowded Productivity category with only 3 ratings, signaling a lack of market penetration compared to established rivals. The absence of review volume relative to category leaders indicates a failure to gain traction in the current discovery funnel.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By DroidVeda LLP
This app dominates the casual note-taking space by prioritizing quick, accessible capture, directly competing with SketchNote’s goal of simplifying digital note-taking for non-artists.
- Massive user base and long-term market presence create a significant barrier to entry for new users.
- Integrated reminder system provides utility that SketchNote lacks, keeping users engaged within the app ecosystem.
- Home screen widgets offer immediate access to notes, whereas SketchNote requires opening the app to view.
Notes for iPad - Pencil NotesContender
Memo Pad @ ANIMAL LIFE +WidgetContender
HintApp - Cue Cards & NotesContender
AI Note Taker: Voice & VideoContenderUnlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for SketchNote, Visual Note Taking
Where is it heading?
The productivity market is consolidating around AI-assisted automation, leaving manual-only tools like SketchNote increasingly isolated. Without a pivot to automated workflows, the app will continue to struggle for visibility against competitors that offer higher utility per session.
- The lack of user ratings and reviews indicates a stalled acquisition funnel, which prevents the app from gaining necessary market visibility.
- The rapid rise of AI-driven note-taking competitors threatens to make manual drawing tools irrelevant, accelerating the churn of the target audience.
The SWOT
- Visual template library enables non-artists to create structured notes
- Native Apple Pencil support provides a natural writing experience
- Integration of AI-driven handwriting-to-text conversion
- Development of a presentation mode for professional users
Next best moves
Pivot to AI-assisted handwriting recognition because manual drawing is being commoditized by AI-first competitors → increase user retention
The counter-intuitive read
The app's lack of social proof is not the primary failure…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Presentation mode (available in HintApp but absent here) +2
Since the last report: The competitive assessment has shifted to a declining outlook, acknowledging that the lack of AI-driven features and cloud connectivity leaves the app vulnerable to modern, automated productivity tools.
Bottom line
SketchNote provides a niche visual template set but lacks the automation and social proof to compete with category leaders, so the PM should pivot toward AI-assisted handwriting features to differentiate from manual-only note apps.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 2 market threats and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeReport last updated