# Notes vs Notes Writer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notes at none against Notes Writer's 8. Notes also leads on ratings volume (641K vs 7.3K) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Notes Writer's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 months). On price, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes Writer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes has 641K ratings behind it against 7.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Notes's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's.

Notes ships an update every 9 months, Notes Writer every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes | Notes Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (641K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/id1423643723/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **641K** | 7.3K |
| Positive reviews | **51.2% of reviews** | 45.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 630 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109)

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and important information with a versatile note-taking app. Attach various file types, scan documents, create checklists, and even sketch directly within your notes. Organize with folders, tags, and smart searches, and collaborate with others on shared notes.

**Highlights:** Add attachments (PDFs, images, links), Scan paper documents, Create checklists, Sketch with finger or stylus, Search text in notes and handwriting, Collaborate on shared notes, Quick Note feature

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Versatile note-taking app
- 🔒 Secure with password/biometric lock
- 🌐 Seamless sync across devices
- 🚀 Quick and responsive
- 📂 Organized with folders and tags

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/retrieving notes
- 🔋 High battery drain when using Apple Pencil
- 📝 Limited formatting options (font, color, etc.)
- 🔒 Password reset issues with locked notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or not syncing
- Cursor jumping around when editing text
- Typing lag and performance issues
- Inconsistent behavior when adding images
- Formatting problems when pasting content

**Requested features**

- Add undo/redo functionality
- Improve table formatting and calculations
- Allow custom folder colors and icons
- Implement a page view for longer notes
- Integrate with Reminders app for to-do lists


### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $2.99 | 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 | $9.99 | 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 Notes free?

Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

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

Notes is rated higher. Notes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 641K ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do Notes or Notes Writer have ads?

Neither Notes nor Notes Writer shows ads.

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

Notes ships an update every 9 months, and Notes Writer every 4 days. Most recently, Notes was updated on September 30, 2026 and Notes Writer on September 30, 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.*