# PaintNotes vs A Star Japanese

The clearest difference is rating: A Star Japanese at 5.0 against PaintNotes's 3.8. A Star Japanese also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). PaintNotes's advantage is ratings volume (29 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PaintNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. A Star Japanese asks for nothing beyond the download.

A Star Japanese holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PaintNotes has 29 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of PaintNotes's written reviews are positive against 100% of A Star Japanese's.

PaintNotes ships an update fortnightly, A Star Japanese weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PaintNotes | A Star Japanese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintnotes/id1106747531/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-star-japanese/id6761817855/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **29** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 43 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [心悦 吕](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689365127) | [Dung Ba Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886372549) |

## 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 |


### A Star Japanese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-star-japanese/id6761817855)

Learn Japanese from beginner to advanced levels with a structured, gamified path. Features bite-sized lessons, interactive exercises, flashcards, and listening drills. Progress through JLPT levels with offline access and engaging content.

**Highlights:** Structured learning path through 15 modules, Bite-sized lessons for all JLPT levels, Interactive exercises and flashcards, Listening drills and reading comprehension, Gamified elements like XP and streaks, Offline access to lesson content, Stroke order practice for Kanji

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PaintNotes free?

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

### Is A Star Japanese free?

A Star Japanese is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PaintNotes or A Star Japanese?

A Star Japanese is rated higher. PaintNotes averages 3.8 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while A Star Japanese averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PaintNotes or A Star Japanese have ads?

Neither PaintNotes nor A Star Japanese shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PaintNotes or A Star Japanese?

PaintNotes ships an update fortnightly, and A Star Japanese weekly. Most recently, PaintNotes was updated on October 11, 2026 and A Star Japanese on October 13, 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.*