# Standard Notes vs BookStax

The clearest difference is monetization model: BookStax at free against Standard Notes's free with in-app purchases. BookStax also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks). Standard Notes's advantage is ratings volume (3.8K vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year and BookStax sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BookStax holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Standard Notes has 3.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, BookStax every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standard Notes | BookStax |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookstax/id6761068485/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 92 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) | [Sven Uwe Hanold](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887623795) |

## What reviewers say

### Standard Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450)

Securely capture and sync your thoughts across all devices with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a simple, lasting place for all your notes, from personal thoughts to sensitive information, with robust privacy features.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Cross-device syncing, Offline access, Passcode and biometric lock, Tagging system, Open-source code, Optional productivity editors and themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable sync
- 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 📚 Great for organizing notes
- 💻 Cross-platform availability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔑 Frustrating login/authentication issues
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription
- 📱 Limited features in free version
- 🖍️ Lack of formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting deleted unexpectedly
- Sync issues between devices
- Keyboard and UI bugs on mobile
- Compatibility problems with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for images and attachments
- Implement a more robust search function
- Introduce a dark mode option
- Allow for better note organization (folders, nested tags)
- Add undo/redo functionality


### BookStax

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookstax/id6761068485)

Access and manage your self-hosted BookStack knowledge base natively on iPhone. Edit pages with a Markdown editor, search your content, and access it offline. Prioritizes privacy with secure API token storage.

**Highlights:** BookStack hierarchy navigation, Full-text search with filters, Markdown editor with live preview, Offline read access, Secure API token connection, Light/Dark/System mode, Multi-language support

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Page | $2.99 | one-time |
| Themes & more Servers | $5.99 | one-time |
| Book | $5.99 | one-time |
| Encyclopaedia | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Is BookStax free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Standard Notes or BookStax?

BookStax is rated higher. Standard Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while BookStax averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Standard Notes or BookStax have ads?

Neither Standard Notes nor BookStax shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Standard Notes or BookStax?

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and BookStax every 9 days. Most recently, Standard Notes was updated on October 17, 2026 and BookStax on October 18, 2026.

---

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