# Paintwork vs Notes Writer

Paintwork and Notes Writer both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Paintwork's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's. Paintwork also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paintwork sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Notes Writer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Paintwork against 4.5 for Notes Writer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17K and 7.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Paintwork's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's.

Paintwork ships an update weekly, Notes Writer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paintwork | Notes Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintwork-infinite-notebook/id1052957498/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-ai-note-taking/id1423643723/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 7.3K |
| Positive reviews | **65.4% of reviews** | 45.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 200 MB | 659 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [伟典 苏](https://appshunter.io/developer/1024628394) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### Paintwork

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintwork-infinite-notebook/id1052957498)

Create handwritten notes, diaries, and drawings with a vast array of tools. Features include customizable brushes, vector graphics, a rich color palette, and image import. Export your creations as PDFs or images.

**Highlights:** Customizable brushes and erasers, Extensive vector graphics tools, Rich color palette, Image and material import, Handwriting assistance, PDF and image export, Customizable backgrounds and canvas

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription premium | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription premium | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlock local version | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Vast selection of brushes and tools
- 💻 Works well on various devices
- 🎨 Allows for creative expression
- 💰 Free to use with no paywall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Certain features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches causing crashes or data loss
- 🎨 Limited color palette and blending options
- 🔍 Lack of intuitive UI and tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing or crashing when using certain features
- Artwork getting deleted or not saving properly
- Inability to import or work with external images

**Requested features**

- Add more color options and blending tools
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
- Provide more tutorials and onboarding for new users
- Allow users to save and access their artwork easily


### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-ai-note-taking/id1423643723)

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF editing solution for mobile devices. It allows users to write, format, and organize notes, annotate PDFs, fill forms, and scan documents. The app offers advanced editing tools, powerful search, and seamless sharing and export options.

**Highlights:** Write and format notes, Annotate PDFs and fill forms, Organize with unlimited notebooks, Powerful full-text search, Document scanning, Sync with cloud services, Export to multiple formats

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $3.99 | per month |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $14.99 | per year |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $5.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth writing experience
- 💡 Versatile note-taking features
- 🔒 Good privacy
- 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
- 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
- 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
- Inability to recover deleted documents
- Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
- Syncing issues and broken links between documents

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes and pen customization options
- Improve the clipping/selection tool
- Implement OCR and handwriting search
- Provide a Mac version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paintwork free?

Paintwork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Notes Writer free?

Notes Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Paintwork or Notes Writer?

Paintwork is rated higher. Paintwork averages 4.6 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do Paintwork or Notes Writer have ads?

Neither Paintwork nor Notes Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Paintwork or Notes Writer?

Paintwork ships an update weekly, and Notes Writer every 4 days. Most recently, Paintwork was updated on October 20, 2026 and Notes Writer on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*