Name: CollaNote: Handwritting & PDF
Rating: 4.78256 (12445 reviews)

User Reviews for CollaNote: Handwritting & PDF

4.78 out of 5

12.4K Ratings

2 months ago, FauxPix

Just discovered and I’m in awe!

Update- I’ll be honest, I do love this note taking app but I stopped using for a while because I missed some of the AI features in GoodNotes like scribbling out my handwriting etc.. and I also hated the bugs I came to find that were popping up a lot. Also the fact I use my Apple Pencil for everything and that includes clicking on the tabs(hyperlinks) and if I was using the pen tool then it would make a mark right in the spot where I clicked which I can understand why but I feel like it shouldn’t be an option to click with the pencil if its going to just make abstract marks everywhere but I digress.. the new 3.0 update is like wow all my hopes in one app. One thing I’ve noticed is the scribble to erase takes so long to scribble before it activates and erases if it erases at all. I still love it though and just hope I can figure out a for sure way to scribble out my writing to make sure it works. But super impressed! -Wow I’m blown away by all the features that are able to be used for free, and unlimited pages, cool tools, brushes.. there’s so much and I’m just beginning to play with it. I even purchased the pro bc it’s not a subscription and I wanted to support them bc they offer a great free version and companies who operate like that are a total win, to me at least! I’ll update as I familiarize myself with it but so far it’s been awesome.

1 year ago, Woowoowoowooooo

Best note taking experience

I don’t like to leave reviews. But this app truly provides the best features for both handwritten and typed notes so much so that I want to thank the developer with a monetary donation. Not sure where to do that yet, though. You can really tell that the person who developed this app did so with students in mind—there are so many useful, convenient features that make note-taking and studying very easy, and all of it is FREE, which is one of the biggest factors that makes this app even more underrated. I’m actually surprised it doesn’t have more reviews, but I’m so glad I found it. I usually take non-digital handwritten notes, but as a masters student, it’s easier to erase, re-write, and upload everything as a PDF. There are a ton of little details that make life as a student easier. You have to take a small amount of time to go through the different features and customize certain things, but that’s part of the reason I love it. Once I set everything up, it’s so quick to change the font, size, color, utensil-type, page background and it soon becomes part of your motor memory. I encourage everyone to utilize this note-taking app, especially if you rely on hand-written notes. Please keep up the good work, man! We really appreciate all the hard work you’ve put into continually improving this app.

2 years ago, Cococavy

Saved me from losing school work

This app has a lot more applications and freedom then most paid apps I’ve used in the past. It also saved me from loosing school work. My previous school had me download a different note app. For the most part the prior app was fine, except for the amount of notes I lost to hungry void. Eventually ditching the prior app in search of a new one. CollaNote has a small learning curb but that’s what the beginners tips are there for, despite that it can be a little bit of a struggle sometimes to find things in settings. For example, the dark interfaces are not seen in the settings icon next to all the other options in the all notes area. You have to enter a note and these options can only be accessed while in a note. There isn’t many export file options at the moment but does have your universal pdf file, so it’s much easier for other apps to accept your notes. Would definitely recommend as theirs so many people who are contributing to this app who are helping making the app more accessible for other languages. There are public notes that allow for a unique way of interaction with users. Notes are also ridiculously easy to organize once u get over that learning curb.

4 years ago, timtimtim777

An incredible note taking app, definitely a competitor

TL;DR: this wildly good free app will make you question why anyone would pay for a note taking app. This app offers many of the same incredible features that paid apps such as Notability and GoodNotes use to justify price points. I downloaded it out of curiosity and now I am reconsidering making the jump to primarily use it. I am just flabbergasted that it is completely free with no micro transactions or ads. Some of the features do come out a little less polished than the other big names apps, but I have looked at the developer’s update history on their published forum and it is incredible how responsive, timely and involved the individual is. I have no doubt that in less than a few months, those polishes will be more than completed AND even more new features will be implemented. I would be more than happy to send a few $$ to the developer because they seem to actually care about improving their app and implementing feedback, vs the once very few months minor “update” provided by expensive, big name note taking apps (which sometimes include new micro transactions). Note taking apps everywhere better watch themselves on what they charge for in the future and on how fast they get features out there.

2 years ago, girl_with_brown_eyes

100 stars ⭐️s

I’m not really a journaler or a serious note taker. I scribble on posts-its and index cards so I thought it would be a good idea to get into notetaking on my iPad because I can find it easier than i can a random index card. I tried to look for an inexpensive note taking app to start off this new endeavor of keeping notes and maybe start to journal. I tried the Notes app that comes with the iPad and it lacks some pictures. And I didn’t wanna spend a lot of money on something that I might not use. Somehow I stumbled onto this app and WOW!!! It has all the bells and whistles: I can import PDFs, make my own PDFs, I can draw and adjust pens/pencils, stickers, shapes there are templates, I can collaborate, have different folders 📂! The potential is incredible. And all for the low price of free!!! And even the app privacy seems to be good. How? And it appears this is a one-person show! What? Anyway, I highly recommend this. Go ahead and download and use the template here or look for free bullet journal templates, or planner templates, and imported them to this app and you’ll hit the ground running. I just think this app is incredible and you will think so too. Huge thanks to the developer for your commitment and your generosity! Cheers!

2 years ago, FierceandLittle!

Best Notes App EVER

This is truly the best app out there for taking notes and planning. There is so much customization to fit everyone’s needs and to make it feel like your writing in an actual note book. Not only is this app amazing it has a great community around it as well. People are almost always very kind and helpful and on the community notes, people love to share their drawings and express themselves. One thing that truly amazes me is that there are no in-app purchases. Everything offered is completely free. It’s great seeing other students/people wanting to help other students/people succeed without trying to, essentially, steal their money for a mediocre app at best. When you can simply download the app and have everything, if not more, than something you would pay for. And on top of that you are a part of and supporting a great community. If you’re looking for a notes app, this is it. Of course there are still a few flaws but this app is growing and becoming better with every update. You can noticeably see the changes being made to improve the app (which is really cool in my opinion). But seriously there is no notes app out there that is better than this one.

3 years ago, JamesK543

Great app, could have better UI

This is an amazing app. I love that it has so many feature and that it uses PencilKit (the low latency is amazing). Other paid apps have not adopted PencilKit for that amazing latency. My only gripe is that the UI seems less polished than some of the other paid app. For example, the folders look less professional, especially on the edit screen. Also the icons for pens, highlighters, etc. don’t look that good. Also the turquoise color scheme for the icons does not look great. Of course, this is just my opinion, and it is amazing that the dev made this app free and is actively working on it as well. It is extremely-feature rich Once the UI is more polished, it would compete with even paid note-taking apps, and I would choose CollaNote over them. Thanks for your work, Dev! Edit: I wanted to update my review after developer response. I don’t think the UI is ugly. I simply don’t think it looks as great nor polished as apps like Goodnote and Notability. Creating a very good looking UI extremely difficult, something I am not capable of, and for a single dev to do what you have done is nothing short of amazing. This is an amazing app. Hence me giving it five stars. And yes, the UI is a matter of taste.

3 years ago, Natasha KV

Immediately became a must-have tool for my work notes

This is a very nice, well-designed program that makes note taking feel intuitive in a digital setting. I’ve been trying to get off paper for years, downloading different programs to no avail - this finally did the trick. The app is straightforward, intuitive, and has all the functionalities I need (and none of the distractions that I don’t!). I love the different stationary types (they have engineering paper, lined grids of all sizes, dot matrix, even pretty stationeries and music manuscript). I’ve downloaded calligraphy practice pages, and use them as stationary for tracing practice. It’s easy to store and sort notes neatly (though I’d love to have the option of seeing files as a list with date/timestamp, but that’s really minor). Simple cut/paste/scroll/pen options (with the option of a weighted pencil) are exactly what I need, and I’ve never found myself desiring anything that isn’t there! It makes for a sleek, simple, highly effective program that has become a central element of my day-to-day notetaking. I don’t often write reviews, but this program has made an enormous difference in my professional notetaking needs. I use it constantly.

2 years ago, valeria_35

LOVE LOVE LOVE! REALLY RECOMMEND IT!

So if you are looking for free apps that you can put quick notes I really recommend it then. This app is free and gives u accessibility to create folders for each class or folders for different stuff to take quick notes, you just write the name of the folder and u press it and it directly takes you to a new note. You can also make the paper like a whiteboard as equal as you can set the paper to have lines or squares, you also have templates. This app also gives you the option to make your note a PDF and you can also add images to your notes. You can save to photos your notes. When you open your folder you will find the different notes that you have written, you can also rename them by pressing the edit button on the right edge, it will show ‘delete’ ‘rename’ etc. You can also put links and online pictures. This app is easy to manage, I really recommend it for people that are having trouble understanding cause’ while you write you can also turn on the microphone so the note has audio and if your teacher is explaining you can copy while you hear and play that audio again. I hope this app gets you a great result!

3 years ago, trose0409

This app is AMAZING!

I can’t believe one student made this app by himself, you can tell by the rating compared to other apps that this one is pretty freaking close to perfect. I also love that there is a way in the app itself to contact the creator to suggest the addition of any features you would like to request! I have looked and looked at so many apps since I got my new iPad Pro to find the perfect app that would work well with the Apple Pencil and would help me to not only create but also to organize my notes, doodles, drawings, journal entries or whatever! Then I stumbled upon this app after downloading so many others, and it’s near perfect with almost all the features I have found and wanted from all the other apps but wrapped into one…..with a beautifully designed and thought out UI that is easy to navigate and looks premium. Surprised this app is available for free for what it’s worth, other apps that don’t even come close to comparing usually either don’t have all the features you want or if they do, they have a poorly designed and cheap looking user interface. »» Truly thankful for this guy, keep on with the amazing work - your future is looking mighty bright! ✨

2 years ago, Wolfbladex11

So Happy!!!

This isn’t first note app. At first, I used notability but now it has a usage limit to actually force people to pay for their app. You don’t know how shocked I was because I already had quite a bit of my notes in it for this semester which made me panicked and wonder what to do. I was even more flabbergasted about how so many other note apps also had a usage limit. I was thinking I might have to pay for GoodNotes because at least it was a one time payment or change my note taking methods for a more troublesome way. I was just going to try a bunch of these types of app to see which is better and may hopefully have no usage limit. I was so happy and grateful to see how all your functions were opened. It’s so open it makes people worry because it’s too good. I really want to persuade the developers that can put some ads in and make some premium paid items so make some money. It’s really worrying seeing how it’s all so free. This app makes me feel like it’s an alien in all the apps since there is just soooo many advertisements nowadays on free apps. Thank you developers for all your hard work and willingness to give and continue to develop this app.

3 years ago, boogy1776

Great free app!

I honestly am surprised this is not a paid app! It has many great features and is just what I need! I use this app to create cute recipe cards, journal, plan my garden, and take notes! I have not even used the app to its full extent! The only thing that is difficult is some features were difficult to figure out at the beginning, and then when I am using my Apple Pencil to write text in the text box portion (so not using the lasso tool to convert handwriting to text directly on the note page) it will pop up blue dots underneath some words, though they are correct. The only way I have really found to get the blue correction lines to disappear is to tap the suggested word(s), highlight and type it with the keyboard, or to scribble it out and erase it. This is really annoying when this happens to multiple words that are correct in the text box as it takes a lot of time to redo them! This could be something I am doing wrong - but Google and the questions note have been no help! If this did not happen, the app would be perfect for me but I give it a 10/10 nonetheless! Great job, developer!

3 months ago, Fix the width!

Long time user but width is an issue

I have been a long time user of colla note but since I’ve been using it I’ve been running into the same issue- the pen thickness constantly changes. I always choose the width of the pen before writing and will be writing for ten whole minutes and during that time the width of the pen will oscillate between the width that I have set and a random width! For years I have been putting up with it but it’s getting to the point where I become frustrated and want to stop writing. I constantly adjust the pen/ pencil width and it constantly readjusts itself. And when it does so. I’ll click to see that the Edith has actually gone down. Is there a way to turn off this function? I want uniform width throughout my writing. I years worth of notes in collanote and a paid for version but if this isn’t addressed I’m going to move over to a different writing platform. It seems small but it’s something that hinders the user experience. I simply want to write uniform notes! Every app update I hope that this error will be fixed but it never is. Please, is there a way to stop this from happening. I would literally have no other complaints if it wasn’t for this. It’s been intolerable and my patience is running thin honestly.

3 years ago, Sublime.Sass

Amazing

I am constantly searching for the perfect journaling and note taking app. Usually, they leave me wanting/needing features, or the UI is not what I'm looking for, or it's overly complicated, or, more often than not, the subscription price is ridiculously steep for what you get. Until now. This is a nearly perfectly designed, feature rich and powerful note taking and journaling app that works smoothly and superbly with apple pencil. All of this and it is FREE! No tricks, no gimmicks, nothing!! From what I have observed, the developer is responsive and wants to put out a great app. I suspect that in time this will be a paid or subscription based app and I'm ok with that! I'm still learning and exploring, but right now the only things I have missed are a larger selection of sticker packs (which could be offered for purchase) and text formatting within text boxes - centering within text box, assigning a specific size to font for consistency between boxes, etc). I could be missing something, or maybe there is not a way to do that. I can work around it. I have downloaded the beta so I will be exploring more.

1 year ago, jchowzer

Became buggy and has a premium version now

I used to love this app, I used it all of last year for my college note taking. I was deterred from using notability or GoodNotes because of the price and I absolutely loved how this app offered so many features and for free! While it wasn’t as advanced or have nearly as many features as notability and I couldn’t have my notes across multiple devices, I understood that this was because it was free. Unfortunately, with the recent update, so many of the features I loved are now only accessible if you pay. Not only that, but when I open 2 or more notes at the same time, the app will often crash and I’ll have to reopen all the notes I had open. All my saved pen colors from before the update were lost and I had to refavorite them, and the eraser tool is weird now. While I get that apps have to make money somehow, the feature that was a dealbreaker for me was the audio recording, and even with a one time purchase, I feel with the quality of tools and the inability to share notes across multiple devices, I will likely be investing in a subscription of notability. I still think this app is great, minus the crashes, it just doesn’t suit my needs anymore.

2 years ago, Pyonnie34

Amazing and best note taking app!!

I cannot say enough good things about this app but also the creator for always being there to help and continuing to update this app! It might sound weird but whenever I had an issue or problem I was always given a quick and kind response. Literally faster and more helpful than my teachers lol Making an app like this isn’t easy and I heard he was in college while working on this so kudos to you and thank you so much for all your hard work! As an art student instead of Procreate I find myself opening this app first, especially when wanting to get ideas down. If you’re a note doodler this app is definitely for you! And if you have a teacher that never slows down, are a visual learner, or terrible at math this app will save your life with being able to import your lessons, Powerpoints, and add context etc. with such ease. I also love that you can scrap book, make a digital planner, mood/ trigger trackers and more for free or choose to directly support other creator’s templates. It really feels like a community when checking out other’s work and tutorials

1 year ago, Beks 4

Get the app!!

I recently got an iPad for college and was trying out different note taking apps. This app is the only app that I’ve tried that has a fully free version and access to all relevant/important tools. This free version app has no restrictions to the amount of notes, pdfs, or folders. I also love how they have different colored pens and highlighters organized into different pallets. You can favorite whichever colors you like and make your own pallet which is very useful. After trying good notes and notability I would say that they are all similar to Collanote but free of charge with no restrictions. As a college student, I don’t want to pay monthly subscriptions to be able to do my school work. Collanote is absolutely amazing and is very accommodating. I had made a recommendation for there to be a way for you to import multiple pdf documents into one note and I got a reply within two days. Collanote cares for its users and wants to be able to accommodate all of its users. I encourage you to save money on simple things like note taking apps and use collanote because it truly is amazing.

1 year ago, Meehru

Literally the best

Hands down, best note taking app I’ve used. The fact that you can do virtually everything FOR FREE is awesome. I’m very happy with the user experience; it’s easy to understand and the interface is so clean looking. I love the organization features, the different colors, different pens, different papers, you can seamlessly import and use pdfs…it’s simply the best! I tell you, this app single-handedly made me more excited to read and take notes for my classes. I was never good at studying and I hated taking notes, but it feels so doable now with this app. I’m a very scatter-brained person so my notes tend to be all over the place, but now I can easily move stuff around, change colors without having to rewrite things, add in pictures later, resize…you name it. I sound like a paid ad lol. But seriously. I’m a person on a very tight budget so I used to look at those fancy note taking apps with a deep-seated longing, always and forever out of reach. This app feels like a godsend to me. Do yourself a favor, and download it. I’m so thankful to the developers for looking out for us students!

3 years ago, Crescendoe

Wow

All this functionality for free? What has humanity done to deserve this much goodness 😩 I love all the little touches that make it perfect for students. You’ve got all types of different graphed paper, including polar ones. Even the graph ones where you have small grids within a larger grid. You’ve got Cornell notes. Best of all, the lines are not so bold and obnoxious that they distract from the notes (I’ve scorned many American-branded physical notebooks for this, and Notability’s default templates). The pen/rendering makes my chicken scratch hurried handwriting look readable (GoodNotes could never). There’s a wide range of colors for the pen already in the palette (which I spent a lot of time making when I was using GoodNotes). AND I get to switch between light mode and dark mode for my notes! Revolutionary really. Never within the note taking apps I have PAID for have I had this feature. And unexpectedly, most of all, I love the public notes where I get to interact and draw with other people across the world. It’s like a public google docs but I get to draw. Didn’t know I needed that in my life.

3 years ago, dbfjsebkisfhgfiuse

Amazing! Top 1 on my list of note taking apps

This is my previous review: This is honestly the best free handwritten notes app for all. There is so many features, designs, layout, etc for free! And it is compatible with my Apple Pencil and scribble. So glad that I discovered this app. However, I think it is missing one really important feature and I look forward to perfect my experience on this app. It cannot turn already written notes into text which has been my first priority when using note apps and there is no way around it (like copy and paste it on another app to turn to text). I would definitely use this app over all others if it wasn’t missing the “turn to text” function! Developers, please consider this! Updated review: The developer literally took my advice and advanced the app! I noticed the new lasso option of converting handwritten notes to text. This is so amazing and I truly see so much potential in this note taking app. Now the app is definitely worth 5 star and more! Thank you developer, you’re a genius and very kindhearted to make this free!

2 years ago, Baby bee427

Great app for notes and its FREE🤑

I have been looking for a free college note taking app that is Apple pencil friendly and where youCan I have stickers and choose from different templates to use from. What I really love about this app is the fact that you can make various different folders for each of your classes with no limit. You can add notes from the template they have different styles of paper and a lot of various colors to choose from when you’re writing or typing. This is a great app like I said it’s free which makes you appreciate it even more and the only downfall is there is a little bit of glitches here and there. I noticed that when I was trying to copy and paste I had a hard time keeping a text box in one place I kept adding numerous text boxes. But other than that I would highly recommend this app did I mention it’s free!!!!!! A different app I was testing it out I had to pay if I wanted to add more journals currently I am taking five classes and the limit was three definitely not helpful to be PAYING more money for my education just to take notes in the convenience of my iPad. TEST IT OUT YOU WON REGRET IT 🥰😇

10 months ago, Potato:13

This is the Best!

For a free app, this is one of the best writing/journaling apps I’ve ever had. i’ve had this for a few weeks now and it’s been great. I can write stories on here and not lose any of my homework pieces or assignment pieces. it is a great place to do homework or study for homework or right to do lists. this app keeps you very organized and there is no lag to it and it stores everything and you don’t have to keep saving it every time you do something. The only problem I have with this is the stickers you only have limitedAmount stickers for free even then you have to upload them yourself and add them to your Photos which takes up a lot of space. so what I thought is you are like a little place for a pack where there’s already preselected packs like four packs not like one One sticker per pack, kind of thing. This is great for all ages even for a 12-year-old. This is helped me a lot within these past few weeks. It is very organized and not messy at all and I recommend to keep it free unless you really like the premium stuff.

3 years ago, Mewzik chick

Exactly What I Was Looking For

I have been looking for a note-taking app for iPad that allowed me to take handwritten notes (insert plug about how you remember handwritten notes better and it facilitates learning). I had been hearing about Notability for years now, but I was never fully sold on it, especially the price (yes, I think $8 is a lot for a note-taking app that isn’t perfect). All I wanted was an app where I could write handwritten notes for class—or whichever—using lined paper and not be so limited by how many notes I could write (other free apps allowed so few notes it was impossible). I am super happy to have found this app, and I am greatly looking forward to how this app continues to develop in the future. I will note already that it would be nice if you could customize organization of notes within a notebook, getting to choose exactly what goes where according to your own system of organization—so far you can only choose between name, when you added it, and when you last edited it. Other than that, I am very happy with this app so far!

3 months ago, LadeeBugE

Best Note Taking App

I started using Collanote in January for school and within a week, paid for premium. This app has it all. You can easily write on PDFs, paste items like pictures, use it across devices by putting your notes into your iCloud library, and more. While I paid for premium since I use it every day, they offer plenty of free features that gives you more than enough time to get a feel on whether this note taking app is for you. One feature that I especially love that I haven’t seen other note taking apps do is the ability to have your handwriting seamlessly clean up while you are writing. If you write messy, you can turn on this feature and it will automatically make your hand writing more legible and pretty as you’re writing. When you’re up all night studying, this is especially helpful. I loooove this app. I will never stop raving about it. I use it for my crochet patterns, for my daily task planning, for school work. It is versatile and amazing in it’s capabilities. I look forward to the next update :)

3 years ago, sydney1675

An amazing app for students

A friend recommended this app when I was deciding to do more of my notes and homework online. I had tried a few others before this one, but after downloading, I knew this was exactly what I needed! This app has so many simple and easy-to-use features that I couldn’t believe it was free. One of my favorite features is the ability to save all of the colors and specific tools you use on the side. I use colors to learn and this has made taking notes incredibly easy for me! I also love the ability to draw a line and hold down it makes a perfect line (or shape) for you. It’s so nice being able to download and write on pdfs to add notes to teachers’ documents, or to start a note page completely empty. My teacher has even grown curious about the app and has admired all of the features as I walked him through how I take notes. There’s nothing this app cannot do for me and it has truly made taking notes, staying organized, and completing work online so much easier! I would recommend to all students!!

3 years ago, hdhhndjjcndn

DOWNLOAD THIS APP DONT LOOK FOR ANYTHING ELSE! The only app u wud need !I AM SPEECHLESS

I am a student as well. And i am new to this whole iPad note taking thing. I was so clueless when i downloaded many other apps like i couldn't figure out as to how to use them. Then on TikTok i came across this account that was talking about this app and i was like why not- best decision ever!!its user friendly and was exactly what i was looking for and the public platform notes where we can try and see how to use it is soo much better !!and it has zoom ins and writing everything ( not gonna lie this app is the best thats there )it has literally all the features all the apps have combined almost as if the creator read my mind!!! i wish though i didn't always have to like choose the hand icon for zooming/magnifying and then switch to write. I wish like it could just simultaneously zoom/ magnify when i do so instaed of having to use the hand icon ( solely because when i am writing i forget sometimes as i am in a rush ) but DOWNLOAD THIS APP DONT LOOKK FOR ANYTHUNG ELSE! The only app u wud need !

2 years ago, Jogging owl

Better than any other note application

I have used many kinds of note applications, but it is the first time to write a review only to express my gratitude for the developer and to recommend this app to other people who are looking for a very decent note app. Among the features, I particularly love a pencil tool, the function to put a highlighter behind of pencil/pen lines, two advanced eraser functions (auto switch back to last tool after one touch of eraser, scribble out to erase). THESE TOOLS AND FUNCTIONS WERE WHAT I WANTED. Also, compared to the basic note app in iPad and GoodNotes, this app shows my handwriting in a neat way, without a hook-like shape in the end of the lines. Except for them, the UI design is neat and user-friendly, and there are many more customizing functions for convenience. I feel fortunate to find this application and absolutely recommend this to everyone. This application is undoubtedly satisfying and I cannot believe that this is for free. I would just like to say thank you for the developer.

2 years ago, Hargggg

One big feature I would like to see

Get this app for taking notes. That’s it’s get it it works perfectly fine, most negative reviews for this app are specifically because the users didn’t know about 80% of the amazing features. That being said I think one thing could help a lot. I know the developer reads these reviews and if this is already a feature I will happily change to 5 stars. We need an easier way to export. Currently to export you need to go into a file then go into its settings and export it as a pdf. There should be an easier way to do this. For example for one class I have 40 individual note files and annotated pdf’s. I wish I could just click on their folder and export them as PDFs to my files app, or if there was a back up button, or even if I could share the entire folder. Currently exporting is clunky and since nothing on the app is saved if you delete the app I think an easier way to back up to files, one drive, or even google drive would be super appreciated. 5 start app with one feature that pulls it down.

3 years ago, bryreviews

A Golden Find!

This is such an awesome app! I am incredibly impressed by how much it has for FREE! I so appreciate that it is all for free, with no ads, and still has so many wonderful features. The only thing that for me has been a little bothersome is the fact that to write text, you go to a different window and cannot see the rest of your notes at the same times. I would love if the developer could add an option of typing on the page and still see your notes :) The app is overall fantastic and totally recommend it! I also really appreciate how the developer is constantly accepting feedback and improving the app! Quick Edit: I have used for some of my classes and studies, and I loving it so much! Haha it is awesome. I am also really grateful for the developer’s response. I wanted to just quickly ask if the developer is planning to include multi-window functionality, in the sense of you can open two instances of this app at the same time. It would be incredibly helpful!! Thank you!!

2 years ago, Sabiacutes

I love it, it’s a really good note-taking app !

I agree this is too good to be free, and I’m glad it is since tons of people need to take notes and you are a lifesaver, the tools are very smooth with incredible features. Adding diagrams have been really easy, the amount you update with University on your hands are too rr to be true, I believe you’ll become very successful and you already are. The fact that there are collaborators option and public servers are amazing. The folders option keeps everything clean especially subjects in my case, there are tons of templates & paper options. It’s good with and without apple pencils. I usually use this for notes but you can also use this for art etc..this app also helped me make my notes much more effective and pretty. Even though I’ll start taking notes also on paper, i will continue using this app. It’s very easy and fast to take notes in and i definitely recommend getting this. I wish you and your family the best! ❤️

3 years ago, velvetsiren

♫Simply the best, better than all the rest♫

I COULDN’T believe this was free the 1st time I ever played with it - the plethora of ‘premium’ (on every other app at least)’s features, the seemingly endless customization options, the intuitive UI & super intuitive navigation - when learning a new app I have to press all the ‘buttons’ & instead of this app changing your page it opens up a smaller page over your existing one so it makes learning a lot easier & not overwhelming. Has templates & all types of paper options. Also has more options with pen/pencil/highlighting/writing than all other (PAID) note apps. Infinite library of colors already ready & FREE. Drag & drop content into app from anywhere. Shape tool. Unlimited number of notes & folders. Even share/collaborate on notes & create groups... it goes on. All by a single student with no ADS or in-app purchases or subscriptions or even any one-time fees. Made for literally everyone, including the broke yet ambitious! (Like me! (☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞)

3 years ago, raini18

My favorite app!!

I’m just blown away by the quality of this app, not to mention how fun it is to use! And I can’t believe it’s free! I feel incredibly lucky to have found this gem among all these other paid note apps. CollaNote has just as many, if not more features than the other note apps I’ve seen lately. Thank you developer for making such an amazing app! I should mention though that when I go to the text feature and try to add text by writing with the Apple Pencil, the color and font menus keep popping up and sometimes when this happens, the words I write disappear and don’t turn into text. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, and it wasn’t worth taking a star off of my rating, but I thought I should mention it just in case. I really hope I described it well enough though haha. All in all, this is a truly amazing app. If I could rate more than five stars, I totally would! I especially love all the stickers you can use, they add such a nice flair to the notes 😊

2 years ago, cumberbich

the bestest

when i graduate from university having had CollaNote as my right hand all the way through i’ll make sure to give back to the developer because it has genuinely blown my mind. this app has been my best friend for almost a year now and i STILL keep on finding new tools and features and cool ways to use it (very cool that it has recommended videos on how to use the app IN the app lol love it). CollaNote is honestly amazing and more than i could have asked for. so thank you. a couple thangs (nothing mayor simply feedback) : - it’d be cool if the notes synced to the devices you’re signed in to with your account (without having to use icloud). but also idk what that would take so it is still cool if that can’t be :) - when i try to “exit collaboration and keep a copy myself” it SOMETIMES doesn’t work. it just doesn’t do anything and i end up having to manually select and copy the entire note and paste it in a new note. idk if anyone else has that problem but yeah

3 years ago, ashfia fire

A very good app for note takers and visual learners

CollaNote is nice. It has features mixed in from good notes and notability. It’s affordable for the people that recently just got devices to take notes on. I like how the creator makes his cute little stickers for each day, and also it has a microphone/recording button where you can turn it on if you are too lazy to write or type. It also has “join rooms” where you can ask people questions and stuff, basically socializing. In my opinion, it’s also a good app for like drawing, cause the pens are fine. On top of that, it has a lot of templates, for example for the students that do chem or physics and need those hexagons or whatever, there’s a whole template for it. There’s also an option for sharing your files with people and you can also import photos like maybe diagrams for whatever thing you are doing. The organization system is very nice, and I think overall it’s a very good app to take notes in.

1 year ago, I'm,I,op

Good

Hm, one should not conclude from the outside to the inside. That does hurt me when you say that the UI doesn't look that good - I worked on it for a long time - it's my baby - no one wants to hear that they have an ugly baby😭 In the end, however, it's a matter of taste - why not bring some colour into the UI - many users also make very colourful notes. And you can have a minimalist UI anywhere. When I stop crying, I will think about it 😢 Greetings Quốc Huy Don't worry ... of course I've also seen the many good things you've written and was very happy about them. Also, it's important for me to hear not only what features people want, but also how they otherwise like the app. As for taste, I'm sure that varies from continent to continent. I know that because I had to get used to the food in Germany 😂 I'll ask a few users from different countries and age groups. I have an opinion now - and I am grateful to you for that. Many greetings, Quốc Huy

10 months ago, eureka o.o

SPECTACULAR

I’ve used CollaNote for about a year and a half now. I’m a college student and this app is actual perfection. It has rlly cool templates for notes and agendas, and within notes they also have a bunch of cute stickers and sticky note type additions. This app has actually helped me survive my first year of college and it will be with me for all 4 years. Maybe slightly buggy sometimes with kicking me out of notes but it rarely happens and it’s not that bad just slightly inconvenient sometimes. It honestly mind boggles me that this app is free. I hope the creators’ pillows are cold on both sides bc they just saved me from paying a bunch of money for an app that does literally the same exact things. I’ve put a couple of my friends on CollaNote already and I hope more ppl use this app bc it’s amazing. If ur thinking abt getting this app just get it and try it out for a little. It’s literally free so u have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

3 years ago, EM 328

Awesome Note Taking App - for FREE

I am new to using electronics for school work. I am older, where we had notebooks for each subject; and pens, pencils, and highlighters rolling around in our backpacks. I decided to start taking college courses and was always the one that had about 10 different things on my desk, while all the young kids just had 2. I befriended a younger student and saw her writing on her iPad and stumbled upon this note taking feature. She used a different version, which she paid for. But I’m a married, mom of 3, with lots of bills so I looked for a good Free version. I tried one other, before stumbling upon this app. This app is AMAZING! No Ads, just a great note taking app with all the features she had in her paid version. Now, I have only started to use electronics for these types of things, so I can’t tell you if it is missing anything, but so far, it has hit all of my check marks. Thank you so much, developers, for such a great app!

3 years ago, Brookie49

Works for my adhd brain!!!

I really like this app I was SEARCHING for something that worked with my ADHD brain. I struggle with actual planners because sometimes I skip days and it feels like a waste of money. Plus their structuring never works for me. Here I’m putting in a picture of my classes for the day and then I can write next to it. I can easily delete the page if I skip a day so there’s no pressure. It’s easy to sort through my pages and they have cute little cat patterns. It also works super well with my iPad and I love how I can directly write onto it or use the text function. I am patiently waiting for the crop function for pictures since that’s the only extra step I have to take individually screenshotting the same picture like 7 times ( my schedule is a week but I like to crop to days) rather than just inputting the same picture 7 times and cropping each in the app and not the photos app. Really like this!!

1 week ago, cccccindyyyyyyy

Worth it

Love this app, I’ve had it since it was free and was around when premium rolled around. It’s easy to create pdfs on my computer and then export them to collanote. I bought premium because it was a very fair one-time fee compared to other apps where you have to buy a subscription model!! Developer deserves to get paid too, so one time fee is okay but subscription model is terrible. I like that it doesn’t automatically pull up keyboard like Noteability does, which is really annoying because I only use my pencil. Also enjoy the customization that comes with premium (even though it was free before), it helps me not be bored with my notes. Good app, very worth the premium price. Anybody grouching over a one time fee for an app … just stop it lol. Other actually decent note taking apps do a subscription model, which is even more expensive. Keep up the good work developer. You are helping me graduate <3

3 years ago, Annarose Nguyen

Amazing app for taking note

This is a great app for quick note taking. I love your favorite tool function, which helps me a lot in switching between tools. My note and handwriting look so nice with your app. I only have a few suggestions for this amazing app to make it even better. First thing is that, I just think maybe you could add a zoom window and auto advance function. This would save a lot of time when coming to quick taking note, because users wouldn’t have to scroll left and right or up and down. Another suggestion is that I found the brightness of the paper is a bit too bright for me when I need to take note for a long time. The dark mode on the other hand, is quite dark when I take note at daytime. Maybe you could add a paper color adjusting function for people like me who prefer ivory white paper. Overall, this app is outstanding, I appreciate your effort. Keep up the good work.

3 years ago, jwal999

Just what I’ve been looking for!

I have been trying to get used to Goodnotes, and I have found it to be limiting and frustrating for what I want to use it for. CollaNote is intuitive, fun to use, and functions even better for me than Goodnotes. AND it’s FREE! I’m a new user, but so far, I love this app. I have been looking for an app that I would use mainly on my iPad as a place to take quick notes (daily lists and to-dos) and take notes for work meetings. Both something that would function as digital sticky notes for quick things and a notebook for more organized notes. I’m so glad I found this app! One thing I would love would be functionality with widgets. Like, for example, I’d love to be able to add a widget to my home screen that would show a thumbnail or preview of a specific quick note — so I could see my to-do list at a glance and then tap on it to open that note directly. Anyway, thanks for a great app!

3 years ago, zbkeith

Good features, good for taking notes

Great note-taking app with a lot of the features of paid apps like notability. - Includes highlighter, pen, pencil, eraser (partial/whole settings), lasso, audio recording, and tools. - Great features: you can change certain settings, like dark/light mode, highlighter, favorite tools, etc. There are a lot of colors to choose from and you can choose to favorite the ones you like. They’ll appear on your screen on the top right corner. - Organization: You can group your notes into folders which can be grouped into more folders. These can also be synced to the files on your device. Couldn’t find a way to sync them to OneDrive or google drive though. I think it would be nice to be able to change the view of the notebooks like in a Files/document app. - Drawing/writing: The lines self-straighten for you (I don’t know the technical term) which is nice for when you want to draw a straight line, but it’s kind of makes for sloppy handwriting. :) I can manage with how it is though. - I’m glad that I can download images and pdfs to draw on while taking notes in class. It would be really cool if I could download PPT slides too! Although there’s a way to convert PPT to PDFs, so it’s not a biggie. It would just be a really cool feature to have. :) Thanks for all your hard work on this! When I’m not a poor college student, I’ll donate to this app!

3 years ago, just_aTiredhighschooler_

✨A whole world of Note taking to discover✨

I messed around with it before school started, looking for some good productivity apps to help myself with my junior year, I didn’t do much else but doodle with it to begin with but with school in session; it not only makes it tolerable but enjoyable to go through my history textbook PDF and and annotate with my Google docs worksheet windowed on my iPad. As I’m using it for these kind of more basic tasks, I’m exploring the functions I found some top-tier ones that so easily came up to me that I think someone formatting More complex notes; say with pictures, the ability to switch between hand writing a text, collaboration, audio Recording (which I feel would be especially exciting in a college setting) would all feel like second nature to create beautifully comprehensive notes in! All in all a feature rich app that I hope Will help me through my junior year🤞inshallah

3 years ago, here to just review

Just as good as GoodNotes and Notability combined

This is such an amazing app! It is able to do everything that GoodNotes, Notability, and OneNote has, such as replaying audio with the notes that were taken at the time, PDF annotating, and even allows for sticky notes, which is very reminiscent of note taking on paper. I was really surprised by how you’re able to collaborate live, on notes with others, which isn’t offered on GoodNotes and Notability. I also love that notes, text, and annotations are maintained and change when you enable dark mode as well. The wide range of customization and templates is something that many other apps would charge for. My only problem is that the app freezes when I try to delete or move an individual note into a folder. I’m sure this is a minor bug, as the developer is very genuine and open to feedback. Thank you for creating such an accessible app!

11 months ago, kenzy howell

THE HYPE IS TRUE

when I tell you I’ve been blown away for a solid hour while I figure the app out, I’m not exaggerating! I’m just so impressed! I downloaded a few different note apps at once to test the waters and now I have no plans to even open the others! 😆 the creator has done her due diligence in creating this, the small minor inconveniences that you’d expect from a note app, including default iOS notes, just aren’t there. I’ve never been so fast to purchase a premium version of anything until this app, th free version is plenty enough to blow competition away, but if you wanna spend less than what two redbulls cost at the store, you can get premium. The creator could easily increase the price and im confident people would still purchase.. my ‘new member’ price was $8 and its not a subscription!! Also, It was a pleasure to leave this review.. I typically never review things, good or bad.

3 years ago, Rating...Games...👻

A great note taking app.

This app in general is great. I personally love how many options you have for the designs of the notes. Its perfect! The public and question notes are a great way to communicate to other people for both help, and just for fun :). I definitely recommend considering this app for note-taking. And here are a few suggestions to add to the app (please let me know if these are already added): Different kinds of pens or pencils. I don’t have any ideas for what kind, but I do think there should be a bit more. The ability to twist or turn the screen. This would help me write a bit better instead of having to turn my wrist or my whole iPad. And thats it! Like I said, consider this app if you have a lot of notes to take for school work or work in general. P.S - I am still a bit new to the app, but so far this is what I know about it and my opinion. I must say again, I LOVE this app! :D

5 months ago, 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪❤️❤️❤️

Best note-taking app? I think yes!

This app provides many free features including unlimited pages and folders. You don’t have to pay to use the app after just trying it out for the first time. Which is a good thing for people who don’t want to pay. Also, the extra features you can pay with money is just to make your experience better in my opinion. Because you don’t really need those extra features but you can get them if you want them. I love this app as it provides the free features we need for a good experience and it allows me to let my creativity flow. The only problem with this app is the writing experience for me. I don’t have an Apple Pencil so I use a stylus pen from the brand Meko. I try to write on the page I’m on and I have to do many strokes to get the length I want. So yeah, besides my problem, I think this is one of the best free note-taking app there is.

4 months ago, وحدالله

🤍

Dear CollaNote Development Team, I hope this message finds you well. I would like to share my review of the CollaNote app and express my heartfelt thanks for your outstanding work. The app is truly fantastic and incredibly useful. It has become an essential part of my daily life, thanks to your dedication and creativity. The smooth user interface, advanced features, and excellent performance make CollaNote stand out as a unique and remarkable application. Since I started using it, I have found it to surpass all other apps in the same field. The ability to easily organize notes, the seamless integration with drawing and writing tools, and its user-friendliness make it an indispensable tool for both study and work. It feels like CollaNote has been meticulously designed to meet the diverse needs of users of all interests and ages. Your continuous support and regular updates, which add new features and improve performance, clearly demonstrate your deep commitment to providing the best possible user experience. Your dedication and focus on constant improvement are what make CollaNote truly exceptional and allow it to continue growing and evolving. Thank you once again for your amazing work and for providing such a remarkable application. I look forward to seeing more incredible improvements and new features in the future. Best regards,

12 months ago, Lead951

Disappointed I even switched to this app 😐

I used to really appreciate this app because it was free and gave me so many amazing tools to take notes for class and I was very appreciative of the developer who is actively trying to make the app better for free. I updated the app thinking that the developer would have made some beneficial changes. However, I was unable to access tools and resources that used to be free for users. For example, simply changing the color of my notes is now a premium feature that I have to pay $12 for. I find this preposterous and simply unfair to people who used to use this app before it was paid and everything was made premium. I stopped using the Notes app because I was very happy with this app but I think I’ll have to switch back because simple tools are now charged. I used to tell all my friends with paid notes app that I use this app and it’s better than all of their apps, but now I am disappointed that I use this app because I was using it for all my classes. I expected a lot better from the and I’m really sad that it had to come to this. Goodbye, CollaNote.

2 months ago, stjohns123

Public chat room decent but lag makes interacting difficult

Not blaming the creators for lag since I’m not sure what they can do about that but I’ve been banned by a moderator I’m guessing for drawing over someone else’s work but my screen was blank when i began drawing and i didn’t get a reason for being banned and had to email to get unbanned. I was also a moderator at one point but somehow my title got removed and i haven’t been able to draw like i want to in the public note since. I wish there was a more thorough strike or timeout system for when someone’s work gets drawn over so that people aren’t punished for honest accidents. Also I’d appreciate if the moderators needed to provide a reason for banning someone and the users had a way to contest that. Also, if someone wants to be an artist in the chat room maybe an application or some more direct way of becoming one so they’re not relying on a moderator finding and liking their work

Description

CollaNote : Powerful Note-Taking, PDF Markup, and Digital Planning - All-in-One - Versatile Toolset: Experience an extensive collection of 25 pens and brushes, surpassing other note-taking apps in options for creativity - Enhanced Writing Perfection: Elevate your writing experience with CollaNote's cutting-edge ink engine and stabilizer, surpassing pen and paper in precision and stability - Smart Dark Mode: Write your notes once and enjoy optimal visibility in both dark and light modes, ensuring comfort for your eyes. - Calming Writing ASMR: Immerse yourself in a calming note-taking ambiance with soothing writing sound, creating a serene environment while you write. - Audio Recording and Playback: Record audio while taking notes and watch as your handwritten words animate in sync with the audio playback, akin to karaoke text. - Note Security: Safeguard your notes with password protection, ensuring the utmost security and privacy. - PDF Integration: Seamlessly import PDFs, annotate or sign them, and effortlessly export your notes back to PDF format. - Real-Time Collaboration: Collaborate with unlimited participants in real time, experiencing zero delays for smooth and efficient teamwork. - Extensive Paper Selection: Choose from over 150 stunning paper designs and beautiful templates - Media-Rich Notes: Personalize your notes with images, text, stickers, web widgets, and links, creating dynamic and interactive content. - AI Shape Detection: Utilize CollaNote's AI-powered technology to effortlessly detect and draw perfect shapes with unmatched precision. - Effortless Note Storage: CollaNote securely stores all your notes in the System Files app, providing seamless options for syncing, backing up, and restoring your valuable content - Discover Countless Surprises: Delve into CollaNote and uncover a plethora of delightful surprises that await your exploration. CollaNote's journey began with a student at Hamburg University, who now leads a dedicated team of individuals devoted to delivering the finest digital paper experience. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our users for their unwavering support since the early days of CollaNote.