Verdict
Notability ties a recording to what was written at each moment, and its paid plans add live transcripts, AI summaries and practice quizzes made from a person's own notes. Plus costs $15.99 a year on the official pricing page, but unlimited transcription needs Pro at $79.99 a year, and a July 2026 user thread shows buyers confused about what the Classic plan includes. Notability says it deletes audio after transcribing and does not use notes to train AI.
Best for
Students who record lectures and revise from their own notes
Skip if
Anyone without an iPad, Mac or Android tablet, or wanting typed notes
Key facts
- Made by
- Ginger Labs, Inc.
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2010
- Works on
- iPhone, Mac, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- $1.0 a month
- Free plan
- Free Starter plan with basic notes; no AI features listed
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $11.99 | year |
| Plus | $15.99 | year |
| Pro | $79.99 | year |
| Business (per user) | $60 | year |
| Business Pro (per user) | $180 | year |
What it does
- takes handwritten and typed notes
- imports and annotates PDFs and documents
- records and transcribes audio alongside notes
- searches handwriting
- makes AI quizzes, flashcards and summaries, including from YouTube links
- answers questions about notes in a chat (Pro)
Ratings
What people say
Fans are loyal and still argue it beats Goodnotes, but 2026 user posts show confusion over which plan includes transcription and requests for refunds. The App Store rating (4.7 from 41,671) is higher than the newer Android app's 3.95.
“Notability is the best note taking app…”
Post on X, 21 June 2026 · source
“When I just had the Plus subscription, I lost the audio feature, but when I paid for Classic, the audio came back and now I see the transcription.”
Individual user review, 17 July 2026 · source
“Could you dm me please, I recently posted about this issue and I would like a refund”
Individual user review, 15 July 2026 · source
Press reviews
- Setapp 2026-02-17
Leads for students and professionals who want AI study tools such as transcription, summaries, quizzes and flashcards built from their notes.
- 9to5Google 2026-08-03
News: Notability arrived on Android as a fully native app after a beta, free to download with subscriptions from about $5 a month.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- No. The privacy policy says audio and Notability Learn input are not used for other purposes such as training AI/ML models
- Opt-out
- Not needed; no training on user notes or audio
- Retention
- Audio deleted once transcription finishes; Learn input deleted after generating study material; transcripts kept until the user asks for deletion
- Age limit
- Not directed at under-16s; no age check in individual mode
Official videos
- Introducing: Notability 15.0 2025-08-25
FAQ
Is Notability free?
There is a free Starter plan for basic notes. AI quizzes and transcription start with the paid Plus plan.
Does Notability transcribe lectures?
Yes, on Plus and Pro. Pro gives unlimited live transcription and AI summaries, and the one-off Classic plan does not include transcription.
Does Notability use my notes to train AI?
Its privacy policy says no, and that audio is deleted once the transcript is made.
Is Notability on Android?
Yes, since August 2026, as well as iPad, iPhone, Mac and the web.
Notability or Goodnotes?
Setapp says Notability is better for study tools and lecture audio, and Goodnotes is better for whiteboards and Windows support.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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