# Color Notepad vs a Notepad

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a Notepad at none against Color Notepad's 1. a Notepad also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). Color Notepad's advantage is ratings volume (603 vs 38). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Color Notepad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a Notepad asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Color Notepad against 4.4 for a Notepad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Color Notepad has 603 ratings behind it against 38, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of Color Notepad's written reviews are positive against 49% of a Notepad's.

Color Notepad ships an update every 5 months, a Notepad every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Color Notepad | a Notepad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (603 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-notepad/id1112663477/reviews)** | [4.4 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-notepad-take-and-share-notes/id1494609935/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **603** | 38 |
| Positive reviews | 46.5% of reviews | **48.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 4 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dmytro Vynokurov](https://appshunter.io/developer/350017076) | [Jia Qing Song](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494609934) |

## What reviewers say

### Color Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-notepad/id1112663477)

A clean and simple note-taking app that lets you personalize your experience with over 20 colorful themes. It offers a minimalist design for distraction-free writing, iCloud sync, and robust backup options.

**Highlights:** Minimalist design, 20+ colorful themes, Light & Dark Mode, iCloud sync, Sort notes, Export notes, Automatic local backups

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Storage | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Colorful customization options
- 💾 One-time purchase pricing model
- 📝 Simple and easy-to-use interface
- 🔤 Adjustable font size options
- ✅ Cross-device synchronization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notes frequently disappear or fail to save
- 🐛 App crashes and won't open
- 🐛 Text scrolls out of view when keyboard appears
- 💰 Expensive pricing for unlimited storage
- ❌ Limited to 3 notes in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Notes deleted unexpectedly after saving
- App crashes and fails to reopen
- Text disappears or becomes invisible
- Keyboard covers note content during editing
- Inconsistent save functionality (8 out of 10 times fails)

**Requested features**

- Password protection for notes
- Different colors for individual notes
- Checklist functionality with reset capability
- Note sharing capabilities
- Multiple font options


### a Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-notepad-take-and-share-notes/id1494609935)

Capture your thoughts and ideas effortlessly on the go. This app offers both offline and cloud-synced note-taking, allowing you to access your notes from any device. Share your notes as plain text or as a web page with customizable privacy settings.

**Highlights:** Standalone mode (no login), Cloud synchronization, Cross-device access, Note sharing as text or web page, Private, public, and password-protected notes, Guest editing options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Color Notepad free?

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

### Is a Notepad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Color Notepad or a Notepad?

Color Notepad is rated higher. Color Notepad averages 4.5 out of 5 from 603 ratings, while a Notepad averages 4.4 from 38 ratings.

### Do Color Notepad or a Notepad have ads?

Neither Color Notepad nor a Notepad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Color Notepad or a Notepad?

Color Notepad ships an update every 5 months, and a Notepad every 3 months. Most recently, Color Notepad was updated on September 23, 2026 and a Notepad on September 22, 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.*