LiquidText Reviews

“fantastic for PDF notes”

Pros

Being able to annotate PDFs, take notes, pull out excerpts and create highlight summaries makes this really useful.

Cons

Right-to-left language support still feels behind and I am not able to extract excerpts from Hebrew PDFs.

“Excellent tool overall”

Pros

Reading books, reports and similar documents with this has been really enjoyable especially because I can highlight text and mark the important points as I go.

Cons

Writing with the Apple Pencil is where it gets frustrating since it's pretty hard to write neatly and quickly.

“versatile workspace for PDFs”

Pros

Having the PDF open next to the workspace is really useful and the linking between them works well. I also like the project setup, where you can keep multiple files together in the same workspace. There are quite a few features here that make the app enjoyable to use.

Cons

Scrolling could definitely be quicker and more fluid. The top-tier version also feels a bit overpriced. It would be much better to have simple real-time backup integration with any cloud storage service instead of being pushed to use only their own cloud option. Accessing backed-up files online and downloading them selectively on other devices should also be possible. Overall, the app is good but there is still room to improve.

“Linked notes across sources”

Pros

Being able to create notes that connect to multiple source documents is really useful. I can drag and drop content straight from the source into a note and it automatically keeps a link back to where it came from. The navigation is also very powerful, whether I am moving through highlights, annotations or searched text in the original document.

Cons

One thing that still feels limiting is that handwritten notes cannot be converted or searched. Adding handwriting recognition through something like MyScript would make a big difference. Search could also be faster overall.

“Few features are outstanding”

Pros

Two features I keep coming back to are the excerpts and ink links. They make it much easier to collect and condense the key ideas and topics from a book so I don't lose track of an important chapter by the time I move on to the next one. That used to frustrate me a lot before I started using this app.

Cons

The area that still seems to need the most work is stability. Every now and then, when I am dragging an excerpt, the app crashes and closes unexpectedly. I'd also really like the option to change the default font size for excerpts because having to adjust it manually for every new one gets tedious.

“Organized research from multiple sources”

Pros

Reviewing an idea across several sources feels much more structured with LiquidText. Before using it, it was pretty common to get lost when going through a large stack of journal articles.

Cons

I feel like the design could use some improvement and finding older documents isn't always easy as it should.

“has helpful text shortening features”

Pros

Being able to read by condensing the text was the most useful part for me. It also does a good job of highlighting important sections so I can pull them out and review them separately.

Cons

I can tell it has some really good features but I am not always sure how to use them. The explanations feel a bit lacking.

“innovative linking features”

Pros

For me the page linking and note linking features are the highlight of this product. They feel genuinely innovative and add a lot of value to the overall experience.

Cons

Usability could still be better and syncing across devices needs improvement. Better mouse support for using it on a laptop also feels really necessary.

“perfect fit for research work”

Pros

The tools cover the essentials I need in my work as a professor and researcher, without adding unnecessary complexity.

Cons

At times, files I have open will close unexpectedly.

“flexible and dependable workflow”

Pros

Simple to use and very flexible, while still being dependable. It really feels like an app that is changing the way legal work gets done.

Cons

The user interface could use a bit more polish and would benefit from some improvement.

“handy notes but confusing exports”

Pros

Using this is a lot like having digital notecards without dealing with actual index cards. I can pull excerpts, add notes and organize everything in a way that helps a lot when I am putting together reports.

Cons

Exporting notes is still pretty hard. Sections and workspaces come out in the wrong order so I have to spend extra time rearranging everything afterward. I'd also really like options to rename projects, duplicate them and reorder them more freely. On iPad, the interface and controls can sometimes feel like a Unix/Linux system awkwardly trying to imitate a graphical interface.

“Pretty decent software”

Pros

Pulling together arguments and ideas from different file types feels really natural in LiquidText. It lets me visualize connections clearly and keep references handy which makes reviewing and comparing material much more effective.

Cons

Since I bought it before the subscription model was introduced, it's frustrating to see some features now locked behind a paywall. I'd also like to see the OCR support expanded beyond the US market to include more languages.

“Has a lot of great features”

Pros

Packed with features and options, LiquidText is a really smart idea that's been executed well. It helps me review and analyze material efficiently and I can highlight and annotate things in a way that makes future reference much more useful.

Cons

The biggest downside is the support documentation which is almost entirely video-based. For a product built around working with text, it's surprising that there's so little written help. I'd also like better storage management, including clearer control over where data and files are kept, plus more ways to reduce storage usage.

“So far so good”

Pros

It is a really useful way to organize the ideas from the papers I am reading especially when it comes to visually linking different concepts and themes together.

Cons

It crashes almost every time on startup, both on my M1 iMac and on my 15-inch MacBook.

“handy workspace for document review”

Pros

Getting to any document or specific page is very convenient and the workspace setup along with the pencil tool makes reviewing and working through material really practical.

Cons

It's missing bookmarking and indexing which would make moving back and forth between documents and annexures much more convenient and efficient.

“Ideal for PDF linking”

Pros

Annotating PDFs works very well here because there's plenty of white space to write on and that space can be split into multiple work areas. I can also link pages within a PDF or connect sections from one PDF to another which is really useful for studying and organizing ideas. Writing with the Apple Pencil feels much smoother than it does in OneNote. Another plus is that PDFs are imported as actual PDFs instead of being turned into images and it can even import webpages. It's also much easier on memory than OneNote.

Cons

A few things still get in the way. While scrolling around the workspace, if I accidentally touch an image, it gets moved to another spot which is really frustrating. It would be much better if image selection required a double tap like in OneNote. You also cannot create standalone notes without attaching a document first. There's no option to add shapes such as rectangles, circles or axes either. I also have to keep changing my pencil size when switching between writing on the workspace and writing on the PDF. The built-in browser is very basic and there's still no dark mode for text-heavy PDFs which strains my eyes. A gray background with white text would help a lot. Selected text in the workspace cannot be resized or recolored and when dragging part of a PDF into the workspace, the sizing doesn't always match properly. The highlighter in the workspace is pretty poor compared with Notability. The connecting lines between points look interesting at first but once you annotate a large portion of a textbook, they become distracting so having an option to hide them would be nice. And since it's not available on Android, I cannot quickly check important things on my phone when I am away which is something OneNote does allow.

“Simple tool to use”

Pros

Reading and taking notes with it is pretty simple and easy.

Cons

There are times when it cannot access files from OneDrive.

“Top tool for connected annotation”

Pros

Bringing PDFs and web pages into LiquidText is really easy and turning web content into PDFs for import is a big plus. The workspace makes annotating feel fun and user friendly especially with how it lets me link ideas together. The search feature is also useful because it pulls related thoughts into one place. It's practical and capable enough for what I need as a product creator, writer and teacher.

Cons

Parts of the interface can look a bit off especially once a workspace starts filling up with lots of text boxes. That said they've reduced some of the mess by adding nested workspaces.

“helpful for students”

Pros

As a student, I'd really love to have AI features like ChatGPT included in the subscription since I cannot afford to buy the LiquidText Pro edition separately. That kind of integration would make the app even more valuable for studying.

Cons

Nothing at all.

“handy annotation workspace”

Pros

Annotating in LiquidText is really easy and the unlimited workspace is especially useful when working with a lot of material.

Cons

One thing that's missing is an undo option and sometimes the fonts change when I import documents.