# Color Notepad vs TabPad

The clearest difference is rating: Color Notepad at 4.5 against TabPad's 4.0. Color Notepad also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (603 vs 4). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Color Notepad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TabPad sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Color Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Color Notepad has 603 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of Color Notepad's written reviews are positive against 50% of TabPad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Color Notepad ships an update every 5 months, TabPad every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Color Notepad | TabPad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (603 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-notepad/id1112663477/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabpad/id1642657915/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **603** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 46.5% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dmytro Vynokurov](https://appshunter.io/developer/350017076) | [Shigenori Kumagai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1019096445) |

## 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


### TabPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabpad/id1642657915)

Organize your notes with a colorful tabbed interface, similar to sticky notes. Pin important notes to the top and quickly find what you need with keyword search. Cloud synchronization is available for seamless access across devices.

**Highlights:** Colorful tabbed note organization, Pin important notes, Keyword search functionality, Cloud synchronization, Cross-device support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade(macOS) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade(iOS) | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Color Notepad free?

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

### Is TabPad free?

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

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

Color Notepad is rated higher. Color Notepad averages 4.5 out of 5 from 603 ratings, while TabPad averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Color Notepad or TabPad have ads?

TabPad shows ads; Color Notepad does not.

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

Color Notepad ships an update every 5 months, and TabPad every 7 months. Most recently, Color Notepad was updated on October 14, 2026 and TabPad on October 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*