Comparison
Penlog vs Notability
Notability is a strong choice for recorded lectures, meetings, and studying, and it runs almost everywhere. Penlog is narrower on purpose: a daily journal that reads your notation, carries your tasks forward, and lets Notion and your AI agents read the page. Here is where each one fits.
Side by side
| Penlog | Notability | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A handwritten daily journal. Every page is a day. | Notes and documents in a library, built around recording and study. |
| Handwriting recognition | Reads your notation: a bullet is a task, a dash is a note, an X is done. Also transcribes the page. | Searchable handwriting and conversion to text. Search is on the Plus and Classic plans. |
| Tasks | Handwritten tasks carry forward to the next day until you cross them off. | No built-in task tracking. |
| Notion | Two-way sync with Pro. Crossing a task off on paper completes it in Notion. | No integration. Notes export as files. |
| AI | MCP server with Pro, so Claude, ChatGPT, or any MCP agent can read and search your pages and add tasks. | Built-in chat with your notes on Pro. No public API or MCP server. |
| Audio recording | No. | Yes. Audio linked to your notes, with live transcription and summaries. |
| Calendar | Apple Calendar events on the day's page, free. | Reads your calendar to offer to record meetings. |
| PDFs and study tools | No. | PDF annotation, 20,000+ templates, quizzes, and flashcards. |
| Sharing | No. One person, one journal. | Live collaboration and shared libraries. |
| Platforms | iPad only, iPadOS 18 or later. | iPad, iPhone, Mac, Vision Pro, Android, Windows, and web. |
| Price | Free to write in. Pro is $8.99/month or $89.99/year, with a 14-day free trial. | Free Starter plan with 5 notes. Paid plans from $14.99/year, and a one-time Classic purchase. |
When to choose Notability
- You record lectures or meetings and want the audio tied to what you wrote.
- You study from PDFs and want quizzes, flashcards, and templates.
- You need your notes on Android, Windows, or the web.
- You share notes or libraries with other people.
When to choose Penlog
- You write your day by hand and want the tasks on it to carry forward until they are done.
- Your plans live in Notion and you want handwritten tasks to land there without retyping.
- You want your own AI assistant, not only a built-in chat, to read your pages and work from them.
- You want one page per day and nothing to file.
Can you use both?
Yes. Penlog doesn't replace your class notes or recorded meetings. Keep those in Notability, and keep your daily page, with its tasks and follow-ups, in Penlog.
Free to write in. See what Pro adds, or read the FAQ.
Notability details checked September 2026 against: notability.com/pricing , Notability handwriting conversion , Notability sharing , Notability for Windows and Mac , App Store listing . Prices and features change, so check their site for current plans. Notability is a trademark of its owner. Penlog is not affiliated with it.
More comparisons: Penlog vs Goodnotes · Penlog vs Penjo