--- title: "I Tried Many Canvas Apps For Paper Reading" slug: i-tried-many-canvas-apps-for-paper-reading canonical_url: https://nerdymomocat.github.io/posts/i-tried-many-canvas-apps-for-paper-reading/ collection: Stream published_at: 2024-01-24T00:00:00.000Z updated_at: 2024-01-24T00:00:00.000Z tags: - Note-Taking - "Spatial Canvas" - Apps author: "Nerdy Momo Cat" --- ## Navigation Context - Canonical URL: https://nerdymomocat.github.io/posts/i-tried-many-canvas-apps-for-paper-reading/ - You are here: Home > Posts > Stream > I Tried Many Canvas Apps For Paper Reading ### Useful Next Links - [Home](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/) - [Bundles](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/bundles/) - [Logbook](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/logbook/) - [Notes](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/notes/) - [Stream](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/collections/stream/) ### Related Content #### Pages That Mention This Page - [Apps by Apple Ecosystem](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/posts/apps-by-apple-ecosystem/) - [A Quick Guide to Apple’s Freeform App](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/posts/a-quick-guide-to-apples-freeform-app/) I have been wanting to explore paper reading apps that work on a spatial canvas like structure. I do want them to work with Apple Pencil because I feel the most comfortable writing with papers, so [heptabase](https://heptabase.com/) is not on the list. I am not looking for paper annotation apps like [Highlights](https://highlightsapp.net/), more for [excerpting regions of paper into a canvas](https://museapp.com/email-updates/011/#:~:text=the%20selection%20quasimode.-,Source%20Peek,-Excerpts%20from%20PDFs) I can drag those “components” around in. The main thing I am looking for that isn’t a usual part of most canvas apps like [tldraw](https://www.tldraw.com/) or [concepts](https://concepts.app/en/), is the ability to locate the “snippet” or excerpt back in the pdf. The main app that does this is [Muse](https://museapp.com/), but (a) it is an expensive (fairly priced subscription) for just paper reading, and (b) I would pay that much if you could share the boards on web, but you need the Muse app, unfortunately. So, I tried other apps, and I am going to try [BoardNotes](https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/boardnotes-whiteboard-note/id6448847544?l=en) for a bit, because that kinda checks the boxes of snippets, canvas, Apple Pencil, and pdf locator. [GUGA](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guga-hyperboard/id1619055819) on the other hand is collaborative, has snippets, has a great canvas, works well with Apple Pencil, but does not have pdf locator unless the specific pdf is already open. Neither of them have a macOS app like [Muse](https://museapp.com/) does, or have publicly shareable boards, but they both are pretty cheap, a one-time purchase. [Kosmik 2.0](https://www.kosmik.app/) seems to have public universes as a thing even for free plans, and there is an extract option, that doesn’t remember pdf location, but remembers the pdf the extraction came from. Or maybe I should stop trying to find something and just use Muse or [Liquid Text](https://www.liquidtext.net/) (though I am unsure how it compares with [MarginNote](https://www.marginnote.com/)). **Some apps that I tested** [![You can open multiple “pages” in XNote](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0209.DQAfjS9f_Z17uMbm.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0209.DQAfjS9f_Z17uMbm.webp) You can open multiple “pages” in [XNote](https://apps.apple.com/lt/app/xnote-infinite-boards-notes/id1644300153) [![And you can create excerpts for ONE pdf in XNote, but not multiple ones that can be combined onto a board](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0208.-ElLY7h-_Z15CSch.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0208.-ElLY7h-_Z15CSch.webp) And you can create excerpts for ONE pdf in [XNote](https://apps.apple.com/lt/app/xnote-infinite-boards-notes/id1644300153), but not multiple ones that can be combined onto a board [![Board Notes on the other hand works with multiple pdfs on the page and has pdf locator option even when pdf is not specifically opened.](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0206.DHCcCV2T_1t0S3S.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0206.DHCcCV2T_1t0S3S.webp) [Board Notes](https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/boardnotes-whiteboard-note/id6448847544?l=en) on the other hand works with multiple pdfs on the page and has pdf locator option even when pdf is not specifically opened. [![Interface of liquid text is a bit dated, but it works across multiple devices (especially, it works on mac), you can create connections, ink stuff, but it is a paid app, and I am unsure if it is any better than Muse then.](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0212.CSM-RdGN_1d9nbP.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0212.CSM-RdGN_1d9nbP.webp) Interface of [liquid text](https://www.liquidtext.net/) is a bit dated, but it works across multiple devices (especially, it works on mac), you can create connections, ink stuff, but it is a paid app, and I am unsure if it is any better than Muse then. [![BigPaper on the other hand imports pdf as a series of images that you can draw on etc, but it is not the snippets structure that I was looking for](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0207.DZF7dBYY_ZqX4DK.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0207.DZF7dBYY_ZqX4DK.webp) [BigPaper](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bigpaper-mind-note-pdf/id1633929939) on the other hand imports pdf as a series of images that you can draw on etc, but it is not the snippets structure that I was looking for [![Highlights might be good for pdf data labeling, because it has an option to extract just the “annotated” content but it is not what I am looking for](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0204.D6xCl-oa_Z1mQVso.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0204.D6xCl-oa_Z1mQVso.webp) [Highlights](https://highlightsapp.net/) might be good for pdf data labeling, because it has an option to extract just the “annotated” content but it is not what I am looking for [![For GUGA though, you need to have the pdf open in side view before the locator option works](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0210.Bp4UL0Ch_1p162s.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/IMG_0210.Bp4UL0Ch_1p162s.webp) For [GUGA](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guga-hyperboard/id1619055819) though, you need to have the pdf open in side view before the locator option works [![Kosmik has a web app and a mac app, it doesn’t work really well on the ipad but that is fine, I think? It does have public universes though releasing in Feb 24, so maybe it is worth a shot?](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/Untitled.C8GjGZQZ_2P5RA.webp)](https://nerdymomocat.github.io/_astro/Untitled.C8GjGZQZ_2P5RA.webp) [Kosmik](https://www.kosmik.app/) has a web app and a mac app, it doesn’t work really well on the ipad but that is fine, I think? It does have public universes though releasing in Feb 24, so maybe it is worth a shot?