CollaNote: Notes & PDF Markup

45 of 100 · reviews
4.7of 5 · store
13,465ratings on the App Store
500reviews read

An editorial reading of the saved reviews

CollaNote with a generous handwriting toolkit and PDF annotation. A series of updates introduced a page limit without warning and added bugs to basic features. Students who had used the app for years found themselves with restricted access in the middle of an academic semester.

Screenshots

What people use it for

Students willing to keep an eye on changing terms and pay for premium if the app stabilizes. Currently a risk for those who depend on it daily.

What reviews praise

Smooth writing with Apple Pencil and a wide toolset in the free version.
The developer historically responded quickly to user requests.
PDF annotation with import worked reliably before recent updates.

What reviews complain about

A 10-page limit was introduced without warning: users discovered it mid-semester.
Annotations on PDFs shift position when the file is reopened.
Voice translation switches on by itself even after being disabled in settings.

What users experience

1 excerpt from the breakdown. These are individual cases, not a verdict on all users.

I've been using CollaNote for over three years now, and I initially chose it because of its great free features compared to paid apps like GoodNotes and Notability. It offered excellent functionality without forcing users to subscribe, which was a breath of fresh air.