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AI Note-Taking App Review

Aug 7, 2025

Overview

This review covers Coconut, an AI note-taking app aimed at students and meeting users, evaluating its features, pricing, and overall value compared to alternatives.

App Availability and Setup

  • Coconut is available on iOS, Android, and has a web app version.
  • Users are required to provide personal details upon initial setup.

Features and Functionality

  • Transcribes recordings and generates summaries and breakdowns similar to competitor apps.
  • Allows flagging bookmarks, adding personal notes, editing, translating, and downloading the recording.
  • Features interactive note chat for further breakdown and explanation of lecture content.
  • Includes student-focused tools like flashcards, quizzes, active recall, and study games.
  • Offers the ability to create a video (with basic visuals) or podcast from notes.
  • Supports sharing and exporting flashcards to Anki.
  • Web app allows uploading and summarizing YouTube videos, PDFs, text, and audio.

User Experience

  • Receives many notifications, which may enhance engagement but could be overwhelming.
  • Design is considered unattractive and some features feel poorly integrated or unnecessary.
  • Heavy reliance on transcript quality for overall app effectiveness.

Pricing and Value

  • The cheapest plan is approximately £12–13 per month or £129 per year, which is considered expensive for the category.
  • There is a free plan, but the exact limitations are unclear.
  • App store rating is high (4.9), but sustained usage as a paid product is questionable.

Comparative Analysis

  • Alternatives like Recall AI offer similar features at a lower price ($7–8/month) and include a free plan.
  • RemNote also provides strong flashcard capabilities, with reasonable pricing for advanced features.

Pros and Cons

  • Pros: Unique student features (flashcards/quizzes), cross-platform availability, and multiple export options.
  • Cons: High price point, some poorly implemented or unnecessary features, and unappealing design.

Recommendations / Advice

  • Consider alternative apps like Recall AI or RemNote for better value and a similar or superior feature set.
  • Coconut may be worth trying if interested in its unique student-oriented features, but the price is not justified for most users.