PRD Characters vs RPG Notebook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PRD Characters
Create, level up, and track characters for the Pathfinder gaming system. Get guidance on ability scores, classes, races, and spells. Includes a die roller and iCloud backup.
- Character creation and leveling
- Ability score guidance
- Class and race selection
- Spell slot tracking and preparation
- In-app die roller
- iCloud backup and sync
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PRD Characters allows you to create, level-up, and track characters for the PRD(Pathfinder Reference Document) gaming system. The App will give you choices and guidance for such aspects as ability scores, class selection, race selection, feature choices, spells, and more. Pop-up menus will display exactly how scores are calculated, allowing you to add your own adjustments if there is something else you want taken into account. Spell tracking tells you how many spell slots you have, lets you prepare spells in those slots, and keep track of which ones have been cast. You can back up and sync your characters between devices using Apple's iCloud. In addition, the App provides a die-roller for performing standard die rolls, as well as custom die rolls for any need. The free version allows you to create and level up characters up to level 4 using all the Core Rulebook races and 4 basic classes, Fighter, Rogue, Cleric, and Wizard. Buying a subscription gives you access to all the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player's Guide classes (except for Loremaster and Pathfinder Chronicler) and allows character levels all the way up to 20. PRD Characters now supports races from the Advanced Race guide. See demonstration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFX52Z751pA There are two Full Functionality Subscriptions, one for 3 months and the other for 1 year. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account after you confirm purchase. These are auto-renewable subscriptions, which means they automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Accounts will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the same charge as the initial purchase. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. The Privacy and Terms of Use can be found at: http://shinybuttonsoftware.com/prd-characters/prd-characters-privacy-policy/
RPG Notebook
This app helps you build worlds, manage your tabletop RPG campaigns, and organize all your notes. It offers customizable entries, linking between ideas, and map management. Keep your game world organized and accessible.
- Campaign management
- Customizable entries with various section types
- Automatic hyperlinking between entries
- Map creation and pin functionality
- Themed templates for different settings
- Extensive icon library
- Backup and export options
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RPG Notebook will help you build worlds, manage campaigns, and keep your notes tightly organized. Here are some of its great features: *CAMPAIGNS: Choose a name, select a theme that matches your setting, and simply start filling it with all your ideas. *ENTRIES: They can be customized any way you like with 8 types of sections (from simple text fields to trackers, checklists, and images) that you can name and place in any order you like. *TEMPLATES: If there's a section arrangement that you like, save it as a template for future use. *HYPERLINKS: When you finish writing something, the app checks if your text contains any phrases that match an existing entry or group name and automatically creates a link for you. *MAPS: Every campaign has a dedicated segment where numerous maps can be added. *MAP PINS: You can add simple note pins or special pins that link to an entry, group, or map. *JOURNAL: Journal notes will help you keep track of important events that happened during your sessions. *THEMES: The fantasy theme is great for the most popular tabletop RPG systems like dnd 5e or pathfinder, but the app also has themes for other settings: cthulhu, sci-fi, cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic, steampunk and wuxia. *ICONS: There are over 4000 built-in icons and 40 colors that you can use in your entries, but you can also add your own. *BACKUP: You can create a backup file and store it locally or export it so it can be shared with other devices. *MODES: Both light and dark modes are supported. *EVERYTHING IN YOUR POCKET: No more forgotten or lost notes. You will always be prepared for the next session or be able to immediately write down ideas that suddenly come to your mind wherever you are! :)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: PRD Characters at none against RPG Notebook's shown. PRD Characters also leads on ratings volume (146 vs 48) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 15.6). RPG Notebook's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (69% vs 56%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. PRD Characters sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per 3 months and RPG Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for PRD Characters against 4.0 for RPG Notebook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 146 and 48 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of PRD Characters's written reviews are positive against 69% of RPG Notebook's.
PRD Characters ships an update every 4 months, RPG Notebook monthly. The most recent releases landed on July 17, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PRD Characters | RPG Notebook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (146 ratings) — better | 4.0 (48 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | 69.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 146 — better | 48 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.3 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 198 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shiny Button Software, LLC | Marta Fecio |
Customer experience
PRD Characters
RPG Notebook
In-app purchases
PRD Characters
- 3 Month Subscription$2.493 Months
- 1 Year Subscription$5.491 Year
RPG Notebook
- Premium$4.99
Questions
Is PRD Characters free?
Is RPG Notebook free?
Which has better reviews, PRD Characters or RPG Notebook?
Do PRD Characters or RPG Notebook have ads?
Which is updated more often, PRD Characters or RPG Notebook?
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