an honest comparison
Notability is a polished handwriting and audio-recording app, long an iPad favourite, and now on Android, Windows and the web with a free tier, a yearly Plus plan and, since mid-2026, a one-time Classic option again. Tansy covers the same handwriting ground, then adds writing, drawing, music, flashcards and planning in one library, with no account.
Notability facts checked October 2026 on their own site; plans and prices change, so check before you buy. Tansy launches August 12, 2027.
| What | Tansy | Notability |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 once ($19.99 for the first 30 days after launch). 14-day free trial. | Free Starter tier limited to a few notes. Plus is a yearly subscription. A one-time Classic option returned in July 2026. Check their site for current prices. |
| Platforms | iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows and Android. One Apple purchase covers iPad, iPhone and Mac; Windows and Android are bought in their own stores. | iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android and the web. |
| Sync | Your own folder: iCloud Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive. No account. Edits from two devices merge. | Notability account and cloud. |
| Your files | Regular files in a folder you can see, back up and keep. Nothing uploaded to us. | Notes live in Notability's format; export to PDF and other formats. |
| Handwriting | Pressure and tilt, imported brushes, layers, shape snapping, lasso to text, handwriting search. | Pressure-sensitive ink, shapes, handwriting search and conversion. |
| Audio | Recordings with searchable transcripts, kept next to your notes. Writing read aloud with the screen locked. | Recordings synced to your handwriting, so tapping a word plays what was said as you wrote it. |
| Beyond notes | Notebooks, planners, documents, manuscripts, scripts, canvases, storyboards, sheet music, flashcards, tasks, tables and boards in one library. | Notes, PDF markup, templates and study tools. |
| Import from the other | Imports PDF exports. | Imports PDFs. |
Export your Notability notes as PDFs and import them into Tansy, where you can keep writing on them with any pen.
Nothing is locked away afterwards either: every Tansy file stays a file in your own folder, and exports to common formats whether or not you buy. How your files work →
Yes, and only a one-time purchase: $29.99 ($19.99 in the first 30 days after launch), with a 14-day trial.
Tansy records audio and gives each recording a searchable transcript. It does not sync playback to individual pen strokes.
Export them as PDFs from Notability and import them into Tansy.
Try Tansy before anyone else and help shape it before it launches on August 12, 2027. The beta is small, so we'll email you if you get a spot. Everyone on the list hears when Tansy launches.