# Note Board vs CardBeat

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Note Board at 100% against CardBeat's 46%. Note Board also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). CardBeat's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (33 vs 5). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Note Board sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CardBeat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Note Board holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CardBeat has 33 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Note Board's written reviews are positive against 46% of CardBeat's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Note Board | CardBeat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-board-instant-notes/id1261512580/reviews)** | [3.5 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardbeat-plot-your-story/id1488252091/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **33** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 45.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Footmark Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1062685418) | [Stefan Stuckmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434238274) |

## What reviewers say

### Note Board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-board-instant-notes/id1261512580)

Capture quick thoughts and reminders by drawing sticky notes on a virtual cork board or by taking instant photos. Customize your notes with various colors and pen styles for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Virtual cork board, Sticky note creation, Instant photo memos, Multiple note colors, Various pen styles, Eraser tool

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### CardBeat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardbeat-plot-your-story/id1488252091)

This app provides a digital cork board for writers to plot novels, screenplays, or short stories. It allows users to break down stories into acts, sequences, and scenes, and rearrange them freely. Users can customize cards with colors, lines, or grids, and choose from various drawing tools or keyboard input.

**Highlights:** Digital cork board for story plotting, Structure stories into acts, sequences, and scenes, Rearrange plot elements freely, Customizable cards with colors and backgrounds, Multiple drawing tools and keyboard input, Export boards as PDF, iCloud syncing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Upgrade | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Note Board free?

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

### Is CardBeat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Note Board or CardBeat?

Note Board is rated higher. Note Board averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while CardBeat averages 3.5 from 33 ratings.

### Do Note Board or CardBeat have ads?

Note Board shows ads; CardBeat does not.

### Which is updated more often, Note Board or CardBeat?

Note Board ships an update every 2 months, and CardBeat every 2 months. Most recently, Note Board was updated on October 12, 2026 and CardBeat on October 16, 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.*