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We’ve already looked at the top paid handwriting apps for the iPad. Now, let’s explore the best three free handwriting apps available in 2023 for those on a budget.
**Apple Notes** is available on all Apple devices, allowing seamless syncing across platforms. It stands out as the only app on this list that lets you add videos of any length to your notes, and even extract text from them. The app’s data detection feature makes it easy to add information to other apps without leaving your notes. You can quickly save a new contact, add a reminder, or schedule an event in Apple Calendar, saving you the hassle of switching between apps.
Apple Notes also offers smart folders to help organize your notes better. However, there are a few downsides: the raster ink, limited export options, and lack of auto backup can be frustrating for digital note-takers.
**Samsung Notes** is our top pick from this list, though it’s only available on Samsung tablets. The app supports infinite scrolling for pages and also offers fixed page sizes. However, it would be great if we could define our own page sizes, a feature that’s currently missing.
Samsung Notes allows you to add GIFs and even edit images directly within the app. Its photo-editing capabilities are impressive, almost overkill for a note-taking app. Unfortunately, exporting documents, especially PDFs, is not ideal. Samsung Notes produces some of the worst PDF exports we’ve seen in any note-taking app, with significant pixelation issues—worse than the raster ink in Apple Notes.
**OneNote** is the only app on this list available on most operating systems, including macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Windows, and Android. It syncs across all your devices, as expected. However, you’ll need to get used to the app’s inconsistencies across different platforms. OneNote works best on Windows, which can be frustrating if you’re using it on other systems.
OneNote lets you attach files to your notes, as long as they are under 100 MB—adequate for most digital note-taking needs. The app also integrates well with Outlook, allowing you to extract meeting details directly into your notes, which is a handy feature.
Each of these apps has its strengths and weaknesses, but they all offer solid functionality for free, making them worth considering if you’re looking to save money on digital note-taking tools.
