Handwriting plus PDF markup on iPad: what to check before you commit
Most handwriting apps are fine until the moment you need to mark up a PDF, search your own handwriting, or open the app on a plane — that is where the differences show up. 100 Notes Studio is a handwriting and document workspace: twenty-nine pens and brushes with pressure and tilt on supported strokes, palm rejection, pixel and whole-stroke erasers, lasso, ruler, shape tools and a laser pointer for presenting. Pages can be fixed size or an infinite canvas in A4, A5, Letter, screen or custom dimensions, and typed text sits alongside ink with lists, checklists, tables and links.
What to look for
- Handwriting and PDF markup in one place, not two apps.
- On-device recognition so your own handwriting is searchable.
- Works offline with no account and no third-party tracking.
- A real free tier to test before any purchase.
- A one-time upgrade rather than a monthly fee.
Recommended: 100 Notes Studio
100 Notes Studio fits people who take handwritten notes on iPad and also live in PDFs, and who would rather pay once than subscribe. PDFs are first-class rather than an afterthought: import and mark up with highlights, underline, strike-through, text notes and handwriting, then rotate, crop, insert, extract, merge and export. Handwriting and PDF text recognition run on the device, so search covers titles, body text, handwriting and attachments, and study tools add linked flashcards, cloze cards and spaced repetition. There is no account, no ads, no third-party tracking and no external AI; editing, search and study work offline, and a notebook or the whole workspace can be locked with device authentication.
Get 100 Notes Studio on the App Store →
FAQ
How much can I do without paying?
The free version includes the core editor, all twenty-nine writing tools, PDF markup, page audio attachments, handwriting search and the study tools, with one active notebook, unlimited pages and two of the hundred styles.
What does the paid upgrade add?
One optional one-time upgrade adds unlimited notebooks, all hundred styles, vector-ink PDF export, restorable page history and encrypted backup. There is no subscription.
Does anything leave my device?
No — there is no account, no ads, no third-party tracking or analytics and no external AI. Notes stay on the device unless you export or back them up yourself.
Independent guide. App names are trademarks of their owners, used for identification only.
