# PaintNotes vs Reader's Bench

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reader's Bench at 100% against PaintNotes's 67%. Reader's Bench also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). PaintNotes's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (29 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PaintNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Reader's Bench sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PaintNotes holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PaintNotes has 29 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of PaintNotes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reader's Bench's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PaintNotes ships an update fortnightly, Reader's Bench weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PaintNotes | Reader's Bench |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintnotes/id1106747531/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **29** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 43 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [心悦 吕](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689365127) | [Rohmiapps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/982578674) |

## What reviewers say

### PaintNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintnotes/id1106747531)

This app offers a minimalist digital notebook with an infinite canvas for freeform writing and drawing. Easily import files and organize your thoughts without delay.

**Highlights:** Infinite canvas, Freeform writing and drawing, File import, Minimalist interface, Unlimited drafts

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlocking features | $3.99 | one-time |


### Reader's Bench

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175)

This app is a PDF reader and markup tool designed for serious study and research. It allows users to read, annotate, take notes, and review highlighted content from PDF documents with efficient performance and a distraction-free interface.

**Highlights:** PDF reading and markup, Handwriting and typed notes, Annotation extraction for review, Highlight, underline, strikethrough, Image capture and insertion, Export notes and annotated PDFs, Word definition and sentence translation

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader's Bench Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PaintNotes free?

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

### Is Reader's Bench free?

Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PaintNotes or Reader's Bench?

PaintNotes is rated higher. PaintNotes averages 3.8 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Reader's Bench averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do PaintNotes or Reader's Bench have ads?

Neither PaintNotes nor Reader's Bench shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PaintNotes or Reader's Bench?

PaintNotes ships an update fortnightly, and Reader's Bench weekly. Most recently, PaintNotes was updated on October 11, 2026 and Reader's Bench on October 7, 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.*