# FSNotes vs PaperTrail

The clearest difference is price: FSNotes at $4.99 against PaperTrail's $19.99. FSNotes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and chart position (#176 vs unranked). PaperTrail's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 66%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

FSNotes costs $4.99 and PaperTrail $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

FSNotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FSNotes has 86 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of FSNotes's written reviews are positive against 75% of PaperTrail's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FSNotes ships an update fortnightly, PaperTrail every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FSNotes | PaperTrail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $19.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fsnotes/id1346501102/reviews)** | [4.2 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papertrail-taskpaper-client/id6751271083/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **86** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 65.5% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#176** | — |
| Size | 27 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oleksandr Hlushchenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1277179283) | [gingerbeardman](https://appshunter.io/developer/294611470) |

## What reviewers say

### FSNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fsnotes/id1346501102)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

A fast, modern notes manager for macOS and iOS that uses plain text Markdown files. It's designed for speed and keyboard shortcuts, allowing for seamless iCloud syncing and support for images, code blocks, and math.

**Highlights:** Plain text Markdown notes, Fast launch and operation, Keyboard shortcuts, iCloud syncing, Markdown preview, Image and code block support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PaperTrail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papertrail-taskpaper-client/id6751271083)

This app provides a full TaskPaper editing experience on iOS and iPadOS, allowing you to manage projects, tasks, and notes using simple, flexible plain text files. Sync your work with iCloud and edit across devices, with powerful search and filtering capabilities.

**Highlights:** Full TaskPaper format support, OPML import, Distraction-free editing, Full query language search, Tag system with progress tracking, iOS Reminders integration, Shortcuts and Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FSNotes free?

FSNotes costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PaperTrail free?

PaperTrail costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FSNotes or PaperTrail?

FSNotes is rated higher. FSNotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while PaperTrail averages 4.2 from 15 ratings.

### Do FSNotes or PaperTrail have ads?

Neither FSNotes nor PaperTrail shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FSNotes or PaperTrail?

FSNotes ships an update fortnightly, and PaperTrail every 10 days. Most recently, FSNotes was updated on September 22, 2026 and PaperTrail on September 10, 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.*