# Notes Writer vs Minimal | Notes

The clearest difference is monetization model: Notes Writer at free with in-app purchases against Minimal | Notes's subscription. Notes Writer also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 297). Minimal | Notes's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 45%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes Writer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Minimal | Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Minimal | Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 297, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Notes Writer's written reviews are positive against 81% of Minimal | Notes's.

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, Minimal | Notes monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | Minimal | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-ai-markup/id1423643723/reviews) | **[4.7 (297 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 297 |
| Positive reviews | 45.2% of reviews | **81.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 660 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [Timeless](https://appshunter.io/developer/1183067513) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-ai-markup/id1423643723)

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF editing solution for mobile devices. It allows users to write, format, and organize notes, annotate PDFs, fill forms, and scan documents. The app offers advanced editing tools, powerful search, and seamless sharing and export options.

**Highlights:** Write and format notes, Annotate PDFs and fill forms, Organize with unlimited notebooks, Powerful full-text search, Document scanning, Sync with cloud services, Export to multiple formats

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $3.99 | per month |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $14.99 | per year |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $5.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth writing experience
- 💡 Versatile note-taking features
- 🔒 Good privacy
- 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
- 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
- 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
- Inability to recover deleted documents
- Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
- Syncing issues and broken links between documents

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes and pen customization options
- Improve the clipping/selection tool
- Implement OCR and handwriting search
- Provide a Mac version


### Minimal | Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443)

This app offers a distraction-free writing environment inspired by meditation. It features collaborative writing, note expiration, and the ability to publish notes as websites. Organize tasks with integrated to-do lists and sync across all your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Note Lifetime reminders, Collaborative writing, Publish notes as websites, Todo lists sync with Calendar, Beautiful formatting, Sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimal Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Minimal Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Minimal Family Plan | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent note-taking app
- 👍 Beautiful and simple design
- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 👍 Customizable appearance and formatting
- 🚀 Responsive and helpful developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or locking for notes
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when using certain formatting or pasting content
- Syncing issues between iOS and macOS versions
- Incompatibility with older macOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to insert images or attachments
- Improve iCloud sync reliability
- Implement a folder-based organization system
- Add a word/character count feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Is Minimal | Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes Writer or Minimal | Notes?

Minimal | Notes is rated higher. Notes Writer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Minimal | Notes averages 4.7 from 297 ratings.

### Do Notes Writer or Minimal | Notes have ads?

Neither Notes Writer nor Minimal | Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or Minimal | Notes?

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, and Minimal | Notes monthly. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on October 29, 2026 and Minimal | Notes on October 27, 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.*