Comparison

Make List vs Paper

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

Head to head
About

Make List

Organize daily tasks, shopping lists, or any to-do with this fast checklist app. Create nested folders for deep organization and easily back up or share lists via text. A green line indicator confirms when all items are checked.

Highlights
  • Nested folder organization
  • Uncheck All function
  • Delete Selected items
  • Offline backup via copy/paste
  • Move items between folders
  • Green line completion indicator
Features
Read full description

Make List App is a great tool ranging from organizing every day 'take to work' list, using the 'Uncheck All' to clear the list for another use, to food shopping or todo list, and finally using the 'Delete Selected' to delete checked items. Since every item in every list in Make List App can be a folder, Make List let's you organize your lists without limiting the number of folders and subfolders you can use. The 'Options' menu can be customize to hide/show some of the options in the Settings screen. Other power features include: • Simple offline backup via copy paste. - Using the 'Copy Selected to Pasteboard' from the Options menu, you can copy all selected items of a list to the device's pasteboard. You can paste it anywhere from an email to any other text App on the device. The Paste List from pasteboard completes the cycle by letting you import from the device's pasteboard. This means you can either backup or share by any text app (such as Messages or Mail). • Move items between folders - Similar to 'Copy/Paste from pasteboard' but done internally without the device's pasteboard. Simple function to move items between folders. • Green line indicator when all items are checked. - Very handy on longer lists. You can make sure all items are selected without inspecting them all visually. When the last selectable items is selected, a green line will light up, indicating that all items are selected.

About

Paper

This app offers a clean and configurable writing environment for various creative projects. It supports Markdown and plain text, syncs with iCloud, and integrates with other tools. Users can publish drafts to popular blogging platforms and export documents in multiple formats.

Highlights
  • Gorgeous writing space
  • Silky-smooth typing
  • Deep personalization (Pro)
  • Markdown or Plain Text support
  • iCloud sync
  • Publish to Medium, WordPress, Ghost
  • Export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, ePub
Features
Read full description

“This is a super-clean writing space with a lot of configurability that stays out of sight when you don’t need it.” App Store Review 2020 # STORY Read it here → paper.pro/story # HIGHLIGHTS · Gorgeous writing space · Silky-smooth typing · Deep personalization (Pro) · Markdown or Plain Text · Syncs with iCloud · Integrates with TextExpander · Publishes drafts to Medium, WordPress, Ghost, or Micro.blog · Exports to PDF, HTML, RTF, DOCX, ePub, image, or clipboard · Works seamlessly across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac # PRO FEATURES Basic adjustments like text size are free in Paper. More advanced personalization can be purchased with Pro Features. You will not be buying anything blindly, though. The trial period for Pro Features is untimed, so you can take your time to decide if they are a worthy investment. While trialing Pro Features, you might occasionally see a popup. Simply press Reset in the popup to get rid of it completely. Pro Features are either a subscription or a one-time purchase. Both the subscription and the one-time purchase unlock Pro Features on all your iPhones and iPads that share the same Apple ID. This subscription (or one-time purchase) applies only to iPhones and iPads. Macs require a separate subscription (or one-time purchase). The one-time purchase is hidden by default. To enable it, go to the Settings app → Apps → Paper → Purchases → toggle "Show Lifetime Option". If you want to upgrade from a Monthly subscription to a Yearly one (or to a Lifetime license), go to Paper’s page in the App Store and press the rounded button with the price next to the Yearly subscription option (or next to the Lifetime in-app purchase). # BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS & ORGANIZATIONS Businesses, schools, and organizations can use one of the following methods to purchase the Pro version of the app: · Apple Business Manager · Apple School Manager · Volume Purchasing The Pro version of the app can be accessed from this link → paper.pro/get # MARKDOWN FORMATTING SYNTAX # Heading 1 ## Heading 2 ### Heading 3 #### Heading 4 ##### Heading 5 ###### Heading 6 **Bold** __Bold__ *Italic* _Italic_ ~Underline~ ~~Strikethrough~~ ==Highlight== ::Highlight:: `Inline Code` ``` Code Block ``` [Link Text](http://paper.pro) ![Alt Text](http://image.jpeg) - Bulleted List - Bulleted List - Nested Bulleted List * Bulleted List * Bulleted List * Nested Bulleted List 1. Numbered List 2. Numbered List 3. Numbered List 1. Nested Numbered List - [ ] Task List - [x] Task List > Blockquote >> Nested Blockquote >>> 2x Nested Blockquote Text that needs a footnote[^Footnote description] ++ Inline comment ++ /* Inline comment */ %% Comment block | Col 1 | Col 2 | | ------ | ------ | | Cell 1 | Cell 2 | | Cell 3 | Cell 4 | --- ← Horizontal Rule \_ ← Markdown Escape ° ← HTML Escape # FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ## How do I share my document? · On the main screen with documents: Tap and hold the document. Select "Share" from the menu. · In the document editor: Tap the title of the document in the top bar, then tap the round "Share" button in the popup. ## How do I print my document? · On the main screen with documents: Tap and hold the document. Select "Print" from the menu. · In the document editor: Tap the title of the document in the top bar. Select "Print" from the menu. ## Can I draw in the app? No. Paper is purely a plain-text editor. ## Can I add pictures? You can only link to public images on the Web. ## Can I password-protect my notes? No. ## Paper changes the font when I switch between alphabetic and non-alphabetic keyboards. How do I prevent it? · Change the keyboard to a non-alphabetic one (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, etc.). · Tap the "Settings" button in the top right corner. · Under the "Font" submenu, toggle "Keep for ABC Keyboards". ## Need more help? You can reach me via the in-app chat → "Settings" button in the corner → "Chat with the Maker" # TERMS OF USE paper.pro/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Make List4 screens
Paper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Paper at 4.7 against Make List's 3.0. Paper also leads on ratings volume (1.7K vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). Make List's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Paper sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Make List asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Paper holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paper has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Make List ships an update every 5 weeks, Paper monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Make List versus Paper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMake ListPaper
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)4.7 (1.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—72.5% of reviews
Number of ratings11.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRod BauerMihhail Lapushkin

Customer experience

Make List

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Paper

All ratings1,703 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral3.3%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews229 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral8.7%
Negative18.8%

Bugs and requests

Make List

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Paper

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Files randomly disappearing
  • Cursor issues causing freezes
  • Syncing and iCloud integration problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add image support
  • Improve file management and recovery
  • Expand font and customization options
  • Implement team/collaborative writing features
  • Add text formatting options like italics and bold

In-app purchases

None

Make List

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Paper

Subscriptions4
  • Pro Features — Discounted$14.991 Month
  • Pro Features$29.991 Month
  • Pro Features — Discounted$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro Features$99.991 Year
One-time2
  • Pro Features — Discounted$99.99
  • Pro Features$199.99

Questions

Is Make List free?
Make List is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paper free?
Paper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Make List or Paper?
Paper is rated higher. Make List averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Paper averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.
Do Make List or Paper have ads?
Neither Make List nor Paper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Make List or Paper?
Make List ships an update every 5 weeks, and Paper monthly. Most recently, Make List was updated on June 25, 2026 and Paper on September 23, 2026.

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