Thinkblot vs Nebo
Pick Nebo, now called MyScript Notes on Apple devices, if you want handwriting turned into clean typed text, diagrams and maths you can copy as LaTeX, and exports to Word. It recognises 66 languages and runs on Android and Windows as well as iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Pick Thinkblot if you'd rather your writing stay as ink, and want a tapped line to become a reminder, a message or time on your calendar. Thinkblot needs no account at all, while MyScript asks for a free account for cloud sync.
Last checked: 27 October 2026
Thinkblot and Nebo, row by row.
| Thinkblot | Nebo | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone (including iPhone Duo), iPad with Apple Pencil, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro (the iPad app). iOS and iPadOS 27.1 or later. | iPhone, iPad and Mac with Apple silicon, as MyScript Notes. Android, and Windows (still called Nebo). |
| Handwriting recognition | Read on your device. Fixing a misread word changes the text, never your ink. | Converts handwriting to typed text, in 66 languages. |
| What happens to a line you write | It stays ink. When Thinkblot can help, a small blot appears at the end of the line. Tap it, and the line becomes a reminder, a drafted message, a payment or time on your calendar. | You can convert it to typed text, with diagrams turned into clean shapes. |
| Tasks and reminders | A box in front of a line makes it a task. Tick the box on paper and it's done in Reminders too. Unticked tasks carry forward. | — |
| Maths | Write a sum and an equals sign, and the answer is written for you. Write “total” under a column and it adds itself. | A math solver for calculations and equations, across several lines. Copy maths as LaTeX or an image. |
| Privacy, account and where data lives | No account and no Thinkblot server. Notebooks live on your devices and in your own iCloud. Private Cloud Compute is optional and asks first. | MyScript says it never stores content on its servers without your explicit consent. Cloud sync needs a free MyScript account. |
| Sync | Your own iCloud, through Apple's private CloudKit database, on the same Apple Account. | iCloud (iOS), Google Drive or Dropbox. |
| Export | PDF or Markdown. | PDF, PNG, SVG, Word and Nebo files. |
| Pricing model | Not out yet. Join the waitlist. | Free limited version and a 7-day trial. Single licences on the App Store and Google Play, including a one-time purchase option. |
On a phone, scroll the table sideways.
What Nebo users write about.
We read 110 App Store reviews of Nebo rated 1 to 3 stars, posted since January 2025, and sorted each by what it complained about. These were the most common. Quotes are paraphrased, and no reviewer is named.
- 30Crashes and new bugs after updates
Crashes when converting handwriting to text; zooming turns the screen black.
- 17Paid once, then moved to a subscription
Bought Nebo years ago; after the MyScript rebrand, scribble-to-erase and conversion need a subscription.
- 14Pen feel, lag and tools
Auto straight lines jump around; auto-crossing and auto-underlining cannot be disabled.
- 13Handwriting misread
Double-tap-to-convert was replaced by a multi-menu flow; Arabic spacing breaks.
- 13Basics behind the paywall
Recognition cannot be tried before buying.
Where Thinkblot is built differently.
Your ink is never replaced. Fixing a misread word changes the text Thinkblot keeps beside it, never your strokes.
There's no Thinkblot account to sign in to, so there's nothing to be logged out of.
Sync runs through your own iCloud, in Apple's private CloudKit database, the same system Apple's own apps use.
Notebooks live on your device and in your own iCloud. There's no Thinkblot server for them to be lost on, and a new device brings them back from iCloud.
Low-star reviews are a slice of any app's users, not a verdict. Nebo also has many happy ones.
Where each one is better.
- Turning handwriting into typed text you can edit.
- Diagrams that stay editable in PowerPoint, and maths as LaTeX.
- Exports to Word, SVG and PNG.
- Android and Windows, and 66 recognition languages.
- Your writing stays as ink. Corrections change the text, never the strokes.
- A tapped line becomes a reminder, a drafted message, a payment or calendar time.
- No account of any kind.
- Notebooks of turning pages, with tasks that carry forward.
Thinkblot vs Nebo, asked.
- Is Nebo the same as MyScript Notes?
- Yes. On Apple devices, Nebo is now called MyScript Notes. On Windows it keeps the name Nebo.
- Which is better for turning handwriting into typed text?
- Nebo. Converting handwriting to text is the centre of what it does. Thinkblot reads your handwriting so it can help with a line, but your page stays ink.
- Does Thinkblot need an account like MyScript?
- No. Thinkblot has no account. MyScript asks for a free account for cloud sync and web link sharing.
- Can Thinkblot solve maths?
- Yes. Write a sum and an equals sign, and the answer is written for you. Write “total” under a column and it adds itself.
How do
you think?
Thinkblot is coming soon to iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. One email the day it's out. That's all.
Join the waitlistClaims about Nebo come only from its own pages, as they read on 27 October 2026. Prices are in US dollars and may change.
Thinkblot facts come from the Thinkblot support page. Last checked: 27 October 2026.