Notability vs Evernote

by Gralio Mar 07, 2025

Notability and Evernote are both popular note-taking apps, but they cater to different needs. Notability excels in handwriting and PDF annotation within the Apple ecosystem. Evernote offers broader device compatibility and a stronger search, making it suitable for users who prioritize access and organization across various platforms.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 2097 reviews and 60 websites, saving 12 hours, 9 minutes of reading.

Logo of Notability
Logo of Evernote

About

Notability is a note-taking app designed for Apple devices. It allows you to combine handwritten notes, typed text, drawings, audio recordings, and images in one place. You can annotate PDFs, making it useful for reviewing documents or collaborating. Notability is popular with students and professionals for its versatility and ease of use.
Evernote is a note-taking software designed to help you capture and organize information. You can use it to write notes, save documents, scan images, record audio, and clip web content. Evernote allows you to access your information from various devices, even offline. Its powerful search function helps you quickly locate specific notes, including handwritten text within images. Evernote aims to provide a centralized platform for managing your thoughts, projects, and tasks.

Summary

Main difference
Notability is a note-taking app best suited for Apple users who value handwriting and PDF annotation. Evernote is a cross-platform note-taking app with a powerful search function, ideal for users who need to access their notes across different devices.

Relative strengths of Notability (compared to Evernote)

  • Superior handwriting and drawing experience, especially with Apple Pencil.

  • Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem, including iCloud sync.

  • Excellent PDF annotation and markup capabilities.

Relative weaknesses of Notability (compared to Evernote)

  • Limited cross-platform compatibility (iOS and macOS only).

  • Lacks advanced search functionality compared to Evernote.

  • Free version is limited in features and devices.

Who is using Notability and Evernote?

No data
Michael Janda
Creative director and YouTuber - 42K subs

Who should use Notability VS. Evernote

Notability is a popular note-taking app for Apple users, loved for its handwriting, audio recording, and PDF annotation features. Users praise its intuitive interface and seamless syncing across devices. However, some users mention limited device compatibility and occasional syncing issues. Best for students and professionals needing versatile note-taking.

Evernote is a versatile note-taking app for individuals, teams, and businesses. Capture ideas, save documents, and clip web content. Users praise Evernote's web clipper and organization features. However, some find the free plan limiting. Best for those needing cross-platform note access and robust organization tools.

  • Best for small businesses (1-100 employees), good fit for medium businesses (101-1000), moderate fit for large enterprises (1000+).

  • Ideal for Education and Professional Services.

  • Best for small businesses (1-100 employees), suitable for medium and large businesses.

  • Suitable for most industries, including healthcare, finance, education, and more.

Notability and Evernote features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

  • Cross-device access
    Supported

    Notes can be accessed on multiple Apple devices via iCloud and OneDrive.

    Supported

    Evernote supports cross-device access, but the free plan has a two-device limit.

  • Content organization
    Partially supported

    Notability organizes content using notebooks and nested dividers, but not tags or stacks.

    Supported

    Evernote supports organizing notes with notebooks, tags, and stacks.

  • Web clipping
    Partially supported

    Web clipping is not directly supported, but web content can be saved as PDF and imported.

    Supported

    Evernote supports web clipping via its Web Clipper browser extension.

  • Note organization
    Supported

    Notability supports organizing notes into subjects and dividers, similar to notebooks and sections.

    Partially supported

    Evernote supports organizing notes into notebooks and stacks but does not natively support sections and pages within those notebooks.

  • Cross-platform support
    Not supported

    Notability supports iOS and macOS only.

    Supported

    Evernote supports note access across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.

  • Evernote import
    Not supported

    Notability does not support importing notes from Evernote.

    Supported

    Yes, Evernote allows importing notes from Evernote itself via ENEX files.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    No data
    -1
    Strongly negative sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    No data
    +0.43
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    No data
    +0.25
    Neutral sentiment
  • Scalability
    No data
    +0.33
    Rather positive sentiment

Notability and Evernote Pricing

No data
We couldn't find a pricing page for Notability.
No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative
-1

See full Pricing page

Notability and Evernote review insights

2097 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • Excellent note-taking features with handwriting, typing, and drawing capabilities
  • Seamless syncing across Apple devices
  • Audio recording and playback synced with notes
  • PDF annotation and highlighting
  • User-friendly interface
  • Web Clipper is very useful for saving web pages.
  • Excellent organization features with notebooks and tags.
  • Handwriting recognition is a helpful feature.
  • Cross-platform compatibility ensures access to notes from any device.

Users dislike

  • Limited device compatibility (iOS and macOS only)
  • Lack of real-time collaboration features
  • Occasional syncing issues or glitches
  • Limited free version functionality
  • Subscription model for full access
  • The free plan is very limited, only allowing 2 devices.
  • Limited import/export functionality for notes.
  • Occasional syncing issues leading to data loss.
  • Desktop app can be slow and resource intensive.

Notability and Evernote Ratings

  • G2
    4.6/5
    (41)
  • Capterra
    4.7/5
    (42)
  • G2
    4.4/5
    (2014)
  • Glassdoor
    4.3/5
    (311)

Company health

Employee growth

26% increase in the last year
6% decrease in the last year

Web traffic

37% decrease in the last quarter
10% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data
August 2014 - $290M

How important is handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation?

Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation are key features for both Notability and Evernote. Notability is praised for its excellent handwriting and PDF annotation capabilities, making it popular with students and professionals. While Evernote also supports handwriting and allows PDF annotation, its strength lies in its cross-platform compatibility and organizational features. Therefore, if handwritten notes and PDF markup are primary needs, particularly on Apple devices, Notability appears to be the stronger choice. If cross-platform access and broader information management are more important, Evernote might be preferred.

Which app offers better cross-platform availability and device syncing?

Evernote offers superior cross-platform availability, supporting Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. While Notability focuses on Apple devices (iOS and macOS), limiting its accessibility. Both apps offer device syncing, but Evernote's broader platform support makes it more versatile for users working across different operating systems.

What are the advantages of Notability?

Notability offers a superior note-taking experience on Apple devices, seamlessly integrating handwriting, typing, drawing, audio recording, and PDF annotation. Its user-friendly interface and focus on syncing across Apple devices make it particularly appealing to students and professionals within the Apple ecosystem. While Evernote boasts broader cross-platform compatibility, Notability excels in its specialized features for Apple users.

What are the disadvantages of Notability?

Notability's disadvantages include limited device compatibility (primarily Apple devices), lack of real-time collaboration features, occasional syncing issues, a limited free version, and a subscription model for full access.

Alternatives to Notability and Evernote

Logo of Notion
notability vs Notion
Your connected workspace for notes, tasks, wikis, and databases.
Read more
Logo of Microsoft OneNote
notability vs Microsoft OneNote
Your digital notebook: capture, organize, and share anything.
Read more
Logo of Zoho Notebook
notability vs Zoho Notebook
Visually stunning notes. Organized. Synced. Free. Private.
Read more
Logo of GoodNotes
notability vs GoodNotes
Digital note-taking, smooth handwriting, searchable, organized notebooks.
Read more
Logo of Bear
notability vs Bear
Elegant, focused writing and note-taking. Syncs and exports.
Read more
Logo of Simplenote
Simplenote
Clear, clean note-taking. Syncs everywhere. Free.
Read more
Page co-authored by
MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?
Did this help you select your product?
Other issues? Vote & Let us know
NEW: Introducing Gralio Screen Buddy

An AI tool that observes your work, finds inefficiencies, and suggests smarter ways to do things. Maybe you can use your tools better, automate tasks, or switch software.

For Individuals
Streamline your daily tasks, get helpful AI tips, and find the right tools for your workflow.
For Businesses
See how your team really works, uncover automation opportunities, and get software recommendations tailored to your processes.