# Notepad vs Notebook

Notepad and Notebook both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 33% of Notepad's. Notebook also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (523 vs 64). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notepad sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Notebook sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 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 — 4.3 for Notepad against 4.3 for Notebook. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 523 ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Notepad's written reviews are positive against 71% of Notebook's.

Notepad ships an update every 3 months, Notebook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notepad | Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-an-organised-notes/id1099400916/reviews) | [4.3 (523 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-notes-and-journal/id1670365742/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **523** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **70.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 64 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Parth Pandya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1063945331) | [Solitude Colors](https://appshunter.io/developer/1614422096) |

## What reviewers say

### Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-an-organised-notes/id1099400916)

Securely store and organize your thoughts with advanced features like PIN/biometric locking and an anti-theft system. Convert images to text, sync across devices, and customize your notes with rich formatting and tags. Share, backup, and easily retrieve your important information.

**Highlights:** PIN/Biometric note locking, Anti-theft system with photo capture, OCR for image to text conversion, Cloud sync across devices, Rich text formatting and styling, Tagging and color-coding for organization, Text, photo, and drawing note types

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month License For Notes App | $1.49 | per month |
| 1 Year License For Notes App | $11.99 | per year |
| Ad Free Notes | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 Month License | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 Year License | $9.99 | one-time |


### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-notes-and-journal/id1670365742)

Organize your thoughts, plans, and ideas with a versatile notebook and list-making application. Create unlimited notes, manage tasks with checklists, and customize your workspace. Sync across devices for seamless access to your organized information.

**Highlights:** Unlimited notes and lists, Folders and organization tools, Rich text editing, Checklists and to-do lists, Cloud sync and backup, Quick search and tags

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Great organization system
- 🚀 Simple and quick
- 🤩 Excellent AI-powered features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 💸 Excessive ads disrupting usage
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 🤯 Confusing navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and lost user data
- Compatibility problems with older devices
- Copying and pasting not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Improve delete/edit options
- Provide subscription-free version
- Enhance calendar integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notepad free?

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

### Is Notebook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notepad or Notebook?

Notepad and Notebook are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 64 and 523 ratings respectively.

### Do Notepad or Notebook have ads?

Both Notepad and Notebook show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notepad or Notebook?

Notepad ships an update every 3 months, and Notebook every 3 weeks. Most recently, Notepad was updated on September 17, 2026 and Notebook on September 21, 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.*