The Pro tier adds Smart Notes , providing real-time AI-powered summaries, flashcards, and the ability to "chat" with your notes to ask questions about your lectures.
Subscription users get the full "Gallery" of planners, stickers, and specialized paper templates (like sheet music or advanced Cornell notes). You also get the and digital planners that would otherwise cost extra. Comparison at a Glance Notability Plus (Paid) Price ~$14.99/year (varies by region) Editing Limited (Variable allowance) iCloud Sync Yes (All devices) Auto-Backup Yes (GDrive, Dropbox, OneDrive) Search/OCR Yes (Handwriting & PDFs) Audio Basic Recording Recording + Live Transcripts Which One Should You Choose? Choose the Free Version if: notability free vs paid
You only take occasional notes (shopping lists, quick reminders). You don't mind manual backups. The Pro tier adds Smart Notes , providing
The audio transcript and search features are essential for exam prep. Comparison at a Glance Notability Plus (Paid) Price ~$14
You can download Notability for free right now. It is surprisingly functional, but it comes with intentional limitations designed to encourage an upgrade.
The free version is a "tester" experience. It gives you the core tools but places a ceiling on how much you can actually do each month.
Do you want to rent your notes app forever? If yes, Notability Plus is excellent. If you hate subscriptions, look at Goodnotes 6 (one-time purchase option) or Apple Notes (completely free and increasingly powerful).