# Note Board vs Card Buddy

The clearest difference is ads: Card Buddy at none against Note Board's shown. Card Buddy also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.8) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Note Board's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 84%). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Card Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Card Buddy has 44 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Note Board's written reviews are positive against 84% of Card Buddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Note Board | Card Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-board-instant-notes/id1261512580/reviews) | **[4.3 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-buddy-index-cards/id6447646532/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **44** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 83.9% 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** |
| Size | 16 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Footmark Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1062685418) | [Allen Ussher](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044100564) |

## 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, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

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


### Card Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-buddy-index-cards/id6447646532)

This app provides a digital corkboard for organizing ideas with index cards. Effortlessly arrange cards, add images, and utilize different text styles to outline stories, plot novels, or manage research. Its intuitive interface makes idea management feel natural and flexible.

**Highlights:** Drag-and-drop index cards on a free-form canvas, Two-sided cards with front summary and back details, Add images to cards for storyboards, Multiple text styles including Markdown, Kanban layout for column organization, Syncs across Mac and iPhone

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Non-expiring License | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Perfect for writing and plotting
- ✨ Localized files, not cloud-based
- 🖼️ Ability to add images to cards
- 🚀 Efficient and well-thought-out design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Needs Apple Pencil support
- 🐛 Trial mode doesn't allow saving
- 🐛 Limited text formatting options
- 🐛 Images don't display adequately
- 🐛 Cards are too small

**Reported bugs**

- Trial mode does not allow saving
- Images not displaying adequately
- Double-tap zoom out feature interrupts text selection

**Requested features**

- Tagging individual cards
- Apple Pencil support
- More keyboard shortcuts
- Support for multiple canvases within a single document
- More customized options for text formatting, fonts, and colors


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Note Board free?

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

### Is Card Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Note Board or Card Buddy?

Card Buddy is rated higher. Note Board averages 3.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Card Buddy averages 4.3 from 44 ratings.

### Do Note Board or Card Buddy have ads?

Note Board shows ads; Card Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Note Board or Card Buddy?

Note Board ships an update every 2 months, and Card Buddy every 2 months. Most recently, Note Board was updated on November 2, 2026 and Card Buddy on November 7, 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.*