Defter Notes is built for thinkers who works best when ideas can move. Sketch, write, and connect as freely as you do with papers on your desk.
Defter Notes is loved by academics, students, teachers, researchers, journal keepers, knowledge workers, designers, architects, engineers, writers, and anyone who thinks best with their hands and eyes.
It’s built for people who see ideas as living things: connected, evolving, and worth exploring.
Think without boundaries
Defter Notes gives you an infinite canvas for spatial thinking. Drop ideas anywhere. Draw connections. Expand as far as your thoughts take you. Enjoy pure creative flow.
Capture ideas your way
Whether it starts as a quick sketch, a handwritten note, or a PDF you’re diving into, Defter Notes adapts to your process. Write, draw, or type; then move, link, and layer it all together. Your ideas stay flexible and alive.
Work the way your brain works
Move items freely. Zoom in and out of context. Build hierarchies of Spaces that let you go deeper into your projects. Defter Notes stays out of the way so your focus stays on thinking.
Top features
* Stacks for deep work: Ideal for reading, studying, or comparing multiple resources.
* Deft movement with gestures: Drag pages or extract text directly out of PDFs.
* Cross-reference and multitask: View, resize, and reorder documents side by side.
* Handwriting and text tools: Combine pen, pencil, marker, and text boxes using Apple Pencil or Scribble.
* Fluid editing: Double-tap any item to edit or share.
* Intuitive navigation: Use the mini-map, navigation bar, gestures, and select tool to move effortlessly through infinite spaces.
* Supports links and files: Drop in PDFs, images, URLs, and attachments right onto your canvas.
Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy policy: https://www.defternotes.com/touprivacypolicy
I love this app. I purchased it after viewing the exquisite tutorial videos on the developers’ website and listening to a podcast interview with the user interface designer. I believe that the designer and the developer share a vision of what this sort of app ought to be and are making rapid progress toward their goals. I am not an elegant person but I appreciate quality tools. In this app I haul all my research onto my space and start writing on my screen with my Apple Pencil. If I need anything the app makes it easy to bring it to the workspace. This is a very intimate way to interact with the iPad and releases a lot of inhibitions I feel when using a keyboard and facing a blank screen. I love that I can tilt the “paper” while I write. This feature really helps an old left-handed scrawler like me. The latest update also offers left-handlers the option of moving the drawer and tools to the right side of the screen. Defter Notes helps me to do serious work in a way that I find appealing. I look forward to seeing where the developers take it, and they appear to be moving quickly. I offer an enthusiastic endorsement.
My New Research Stash
Iphon3r
I really like how the interface gets out your way on this app, I feel like I am working on desk with an infinite filing cabinet. This app is like a well thought out hybrid of Sling Notes (sadly no longer available) and Corkulous.The ability to export any asset and/or complete note space to PDF is fantastic. The stacking feature is great for page collections and PDFs imported from my Concepts, GoodNotes and Notability notebooks and the web, allowing specific collection and reorganization in a free-form way. Looking forward to options for “bring your own” external cloud backup and syncing. The fact this doesn’t require use of a forced cloud service like Muse, is what makes this program a gem and makes me feel in control of my data, without a subscription. I hope the developers continue to improve this app as it could easily become the next “Must Have” for iPad.
Seriously UNDERRATED app!
m0niker
Like many others, I've tried so many note-taking and organize-your-ideas apps, but there was always that one (or a few) things that bugged me enough to make me stop using it. One other reviewer mentioned that this app “works the way his brain does” and it’s the same for me and I freakin’ love it. Finally!To anyone trying Defter Notes: Please be patient and stay with it. I’m so glad I did. It does have a bit of a learning curve (watch all their how-to videos!) but once you figure out where everything is and what it is they do, it does feel very natural and elegant.Thank you, Devs! Your hard work shows and shines through this app. I can’t wait to see what new features you will bring in the app and how you will improve Defter Notes and bring it to its greatest potential. More power—incredible work! 👏🏽
Good idea, poor execution. Wasted money and huge disappointment.
Em Reviews Tech
The idea of this app is interesting. I like the idea of having an open canvas and the ability to see notes visually. The stacks are appealing for PDFs. It allows the user to see pages of PDFs side by side. The app also offers various types of paper, including dot grid, lined, and squared grid. It even allows for changing the colors of the paper and dots! With that said, I do not find this app to be useful. The user experience is not good. Zooming in to see the PDF pages is dizzying. PDFs cannot be resized, which makes the zoom function necessary. But zooming in is frustrating. The export function is limited to one object; it’s not for each space. Handwritten text cannot be resized. The canvas can’t be written on, only the documents can. There is currently no support for opening multiple instances of the app. And OCR is not available. If you want a visual canvas, I would pass on this app. HARD pass. Instead, try Concepts or even Muse. Both are more polished apps than this. And, don’t bother trying this app out. The refund policy is unfair. $20 wasted.
Developer Response
Hi Em,Thank you for your detailed feedback on version 1.0.5. We’re sorry the experience didn’t meet your expectations in that early version. Since then, we’ve made many improvements and are working on new features for version 2.0.Regarding refunds, these are handled directly by the App Store.We hope you might consider trying the app again as it evolves. 🙏
Version 2.0 is a complete redesign with iCloud Sync and full support for iPad, iPhone, and M-series Macs. Enjoy a refreshed interface, multiple item selection, multi-window workflow, sharper handwriting, and higher zoom levels.
Version 2.0.1
The developer, Deft Works ApS, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
The developer indicated that this app supports the following accessibility features. Learn More
Supported Features
Larger Text
Dark Interface
Information
Seller
Deft Works ApS
Size
46 MB
Category
Productivity
Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 14.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.