Comparison

PaintNotes vs Noting Pro

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PaintNotes

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
Read full description

The PaintNote are simple, freely written notebooks. The minimalist interface and simple features make it easier to use. Start to write without any waiting. Unlimited draft paper, free to move, zoom and position. You can import files in a variety of formats.

About

Noting Pro

Create stunning vector notes with gradient ink and pressure-sensitive tools. Features include shape recognition, layers, PDF annotation, and iCloud sync. Unlock all features with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Vector gradient ink strokes
  • Pressure-sensitive pens and erasers
  • Shape recognition and editing
  • Layer system for organization
  • PDF annotation with editable gradients
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Smart laser pointer with lasso selection
Features
Read full description

NotingPro is a professional handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation app designed exclusively for iPad. Say goodbye to pixelated edges. Powered by our proprietary low-latency vector ink engine, NotingPro lets you write stunningly beautiful strokes with natural gradients and realistic brush character right on your iPad. Even when zoomed in 20x, your notes remain sharp, clear, and distortion-free. Say no to expensive long-term subscriptions! NotingPro uses a one-time purchase model, giving you the purest and most efficient paperless writing experience. [Ultra-Smooth Writing Experience]** - Proprietary vector ink engine: Low latency, incredibly fluid, and works with Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity to effortlessly create elegant stroke variations. - Versatile brush library: Offers fountain pen, pencil, art pen, sketch pen, and a variety of markup pens, with adjustable opacity and thickness. - Signature gradient colors: Freely set start and end colors to write gorgeous gradient text; supports saving frequently used color palettes and syncing them across devices. - Smart laser pointer: Not only writes across pages and changes color on the fly, but also fits geometric shapes — a perfect tool for presentations and annotations. [Powerful PDF and Layout Processing] - All-in-one PDF annotation: Supports long-press excerpting, line highlighting, wavy underlines, and translation. Annotation content also supports gradient colors and secondary editing. - Multi-level outlines and bookmarks: Easily handle thick textbooks; supports margin expansion, so note-taking is no longer confined to the original page layout. - Flexible page management: Insert various A4 paper templates (yellow/black/white backgrounds), add unlimited pages, write across pages, rearrange page order, and support both vertical and horizontal scrolling. [Advanced Tools & Pro-Level Play] - Layer management: Just like professional drawing software, support creating, drag-to-reorder, merging, and deleting layers. - Super lasso and fill: Drag to select content across pages, move, scale, and rotate in one step; one-tap intelligent fill for enclosed areas. - Multimedia insertion: Insert multiple images (drag, drop, and scale across pages) as well as text boxes with keyboard input. - For the detail-obsessed: Customizable delete actions, invisible tape for memory aid (tap to show/hide), and unlimited undo/redo. **[Secure Sync & Multi-Screen Collaboration]** - iCloud real-time sync: Notes are securely saved in your cloud, seamlessly connected across all your devices. - Split View and multi-window: Support opening multiple windows on iPad, allowing you to read literature and take notes side by side, doubling your efficiency. - Easy sharing: Import PDFs directly from the system share sheet, and export beautifully formatted PDFs with one tap to share with others. **[About Free Trial & Unlocking] - To ensure a great experience, NotingPro offers a free trial version. - Free tier limits: You can create up to 5 notes in total (each note can have up to 5 pages and layers). - Kind reminder: The limit is lifetime cumulative; deleting created notes does not restore the quota. We recommend using it to deeply explore the core features. [Lifetime Purchase, No Subscriptions] Just one payment permanently unlocks all limitations and powerful future updates! Now available at a launch half-price promotion — only ¥15.0 (original price ¥30.0) to own this all-in-one note-taking powerhouse. [Contact Us] The developer's progress depends on your genuine feedback. If you have any suggestions while using the app, feel free to reach out to us anytime! Bilibili / Xiaohongshu: NotingPro

Screenshots

PaintNotes4 screens
Noting Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Noting Pro at 4.4 against PaintNotes's 3.8. Noting Pro also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (75% vs 67%). PaintNotes's advantage is ratings volume (29 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PaintNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Noting Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Noting Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of PaintNotes's written reviews are positive against 75% of Noting Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PaintNotes ships an update fortnightly, Noting Pro every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on July 18, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PaintNotes versus Noting Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaintNotesNoting Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (29 ratings)4.4 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings29 — better8
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB116 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer心悦 吕裕坤 张

Customer experience

PaintNotes

All ratings29 ratings
Positive65.5%
Neutral10.3%
Negative24.1%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Noting Pro

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PaintNotes

One-time1
  • Unlocking features$3.99
1 purchases

Noting Pro

One-time1
  • Noting Pro专业版 - 永久解锁$1.99

Questions

Is PaintNotes free?
PaintNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Noting Pro free?
Noting Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PaintNotes or Noting Pro?
Noting Pro is rated higher. PaintNotes averages 3.8 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Noting Pro averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.
Do PaintNotes or Noting Pro have ads?
Neither PaintNotes nor Noting Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PaintNotes or Noting Pro?
PaintNotes ships an update fortnightly, and Noting Pro every 3 days. Most recently, PaintNotes was updated on July 18, 2026 and Noting Pro on September 13, 2026.

Other comparisons