Introduction
Overview of the App
Drafts by Agile Tortoise is a flexible note-taking and productivity app designed to capture ideas quickly and streamline text-based workflows. It serves as a fast “inbox” for text, allowing users to jot down ideas, notes, reminders, or tasks as soon as they come to mind. From there, text can be organised, edited, or exported to other apps and services with ease. Known for its speed, simplicity, and versatility, Drafts is perfect for users who want a frictionless way to capture and process notes without being bogged down by extra formatting or complex structures.
Intended Audience and Use Cases
Drafts is ideal for professionals, students, writers, and anyone who relies on written notes or ideas throughout the day. Its open-ended, text-first approach is especially useful for users who prefer quick entry and later refinement, making it excellent for brainstorming sessions, list-making, to-do management, and reminders. The app’s customisable actions and export capabilities also make it highly valuable for users who want to integrate text-based workflows with other apps and services, such as email, messaging, or project management tools.
Unique Selling Points
One of Drafts’ standout features is its instant entry. When the app opens, a new blank draft is ready, making it one of the quickest ways to capture ideas or notes. Drafts also provides extensive flexibility through custom actions, which allow users to process text in various ways, such as exporting it to other apps, formatting it with markdown, or sharing it via email or social media. This flexibility makes Drafts a “Swiss army knife” for text, enabling users to tailor the app to their specific workflows and needs.
Design and User Interface
Visual Design
Drafts has a clean and minimalistic interface that prioritises usability and speed. The main screen is simple, with a large text entry area and a navigation bar for accessing additional features like actions, organisation, and settings. The design’s simplicity allows users to focus on capturing text without distractions, and custom themes let users personalise the look and feel of the app to their preferences. The layout’s functionality aligns well with the app’s purpose, providing a fast, no-nonsense way to create and manage text.
User Experience
The app offers an excellent user experience, with intuitive gestures, responsive controls, and smooth navigation between drafts and actions. A new blank draft automatically appears when the app opens, allowing users to start typing immediately, which is especially valuable for capturing ideas on the go. Drafts also offers extensive organisational options, allowing users to tag, archive, and organise notes within the app. With custom actions, users can send drafts to other apps, email services, or social media, making Drafts a highly versatile tool.
Core Features and Functionality
Instant Text Capture
Drafts is designed to capture text quickly, so users can open the app and start typing without any setup or formatting distractions. This feature is ideal for users who want to jot down quick ideas, reminders, or notes. The app’s “inbox” concept means that every new entry is automatically saved, ready for further action or processing at a later time. This quick capture functionality makes Drafts one of the most efficient ways to start and store notes on iOS.
Custom Actions and Export Options
Drafts is known for its powerful action library, which allows users to create custom actions for processing and exporting text. Users can set up actions to send drafts to other apps (like email, messaging, or productivity tools), format text using markdown, or share it to social media. These actions make Drafts an excellent tool for users who frequently transfer notes across apps or need a customised text processing solution. With a range of built-in actions and the option to create custom ones, users can easily integrate Drafts into their workflows.
Organisational Tools
The app includes organisational features such as tagging, archiving, and flagging, enabling users to manage notes according to their needs. Tags are particularly useful for categorising drafts, making it easy to retrieve notes on specific topics or ideas. The archive function is helpful for users who want to keep completed notes out of their active workspace without deleting them. Together, these tools allow users to keep their notes organised, accessible, and easy to manage.
Markdown Support
For users familiar with markdown, Drafts provides built-in markdown support, making it simple to format text without complicated interfaces. This feature is especially valuable for writers, bloggers, and content creators who want a straightforward way to create formatted text ready for publishing. Drafts also includes a markdown preview mode, allowing users to see their formatted text before exporting or sharing it.
Siri and Apple Watch Integration
Drafts supports Siri and Apple Watch integration, enabling users to dictate notes hands-free or capture ideas from their Apple Watch. This feature is particularly useful for users who are frequently on the move or who want a quick way to capture ideas without reaching for their iPhone. The app’s integration with Siri also makes it easy to incorporate Drafts into voice-activated workflows.
Practical Usage Scenarios
Scenario 1: Brainstorming and Idea Capture for Writers
For writers, Drafts is a powerful tool for capturing and developing ideas. The app’s instant entry and markdown support make it easy to brainstorm and draft content quickly, while the organisational tools allow users to tag and archive ideas for future reference. Custom actions can then be set up to send completed drafts directly to publishing platforms or other writing apps, creating a seamless workflow from idea to finished product.
Scenario 2: Quick Note-Taking for Busy Professionals
Drafts is an excellent solution for professionals who need a fast and flexible note-taking app. Users can quickly jot down meeting notes, to-dos, or project ideas and later process the text by sending it to other apps, such as email, task managers, or calendar applications. This flexibility makes it easy to capture information during meetings or while on the go, then seamlessly transfer it to the appropriate platform for further action.
Scenario 3: Task Management and Reminders
Drafts works well as a basic task manager, allowing users to create to-do lists or reminders and send them to task management apps when needed. By setting up custom actions to forward notes to apps like Reminders, Trello, or Todoist, users can turn ideas into actionable tasks without needing to navigate multiple apps. This workflow is perfect for users who want to capture tasks quickly and manage them more formally later on.
Comparison with Similar Apps
Competitor 1: Bear
Bear is a popular note-taking app known for its beautiful design and markdown support. While Bear offers a more refined interface with strong organisational features, Drafts focuses on speed and action-based workflows, making it a better choice for users needing quick text capture and multi-app integration. Bear is ideal for users who want a more visually-oriented note-taking experience, while Drafts is better suited to users who prioritise flexibility and workflow customisation.
Competitor 2: Apple Notes
Apple Notes provides a robust note-taking experience with built-in iOS integration, making it accessible and convenient. However, it lacks the advanced action-based processing and export capabilities of Drafts. Apple Notes is more limited in terms of quick entry and cross-app functionality, while Drafts offers a more powerful solution for users who need a versatile “inbox” for ideas, tasks, and text-based workflows.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Instant Text Capture: The app opens to a blank screen, allowing users to capture ideas quickly and efficiently without setup.
- Flexible Actions for Text Processing: Drafts provides a range of customisable actions, enabling users to process and export text to a variety of apps, making it highly versatile.
- Organisational Features: Tagging, archiving, and flagging help users manage notes, ensuring that everything stays organised and accessible.
- Markdown Support: Built-in markdown formatting is ideal for users who want to draft and format content for publishing.
- Siri and Apple Watch Integration: Allows hands-free note-taking and quick capture from the Apple Watch, catering to users who are always on the move.
Cons
- Limited Rich Text Formatting: While it excels at markdown, Drafts lacks advanced rich text formatting, which may be a drawback for users who need more visual control over their notes.
- No Built-In Collaboration Tools: The app does not support collaboration, which may be limiting for users who require shared note-taking capabilities.
- Basic Visual Interface: Drafts prioritises functionality over aesthetic design, which may not appeal to users seeking a visually rich note-taking experience.
Overall Rating and Value
- Design: 4/5
- Functionality: 4.5/5
- Value for Money: 4.5/5
- Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Drafts is a powerful and versatile note-taking app, providing a fast and reliable solution for capturing and managing text on iOS. Its combination of instant text capture, customisable actions, and seamless integrations with other apps makes it a valuable tool for users looking to streamline their text-based workflows. While it lacks some advanced formatting and collaboration features, its speed, simplicity, and flexibility make Drafts a top choice for users who want a flexible, high-quality note-taking experience.
Conclusion
Drafts by Agile Tortoise is an exceptional choice for iOS users seeking a fast and efficient way to capture text. With its open-ended design and powerful actions, Drafts enables users to process, organise, and export notes with ease. The app’s markdown support, Siri integration, and multi-device functionality make it a versatile tool that can adapt to various needs, from brainstorming to task management. Although it may lack some aesthetic polish, Drafts excels as a text-first note-taking solution that is both flexible and powerful.