# Notes Writer vs NoteBuddy

The clearest difference is rating: Notes Writer at 4.5 against NoteBuddy's 3.3. Notes Writer also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 16). NoteBuddy's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 NoteBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notes Writer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 16, 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 22% of NoteBuddy's.

Notes Writer ships an update every 5 days, NoteBuddy every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | NoteBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-ai-note-taking/id1423643723/reviews)** | [3.3 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebuddy-your-notes-buddy/id1453991185/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | **45.1% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 658 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [Oleg Mueller](https://appshunter.io/developer/367875607) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-ai-note-taking/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

**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


### NoteBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebuddy-your-notes-buddy/id1453991185)

This note-taking application offers a comprehensive suite of tools for organizing thoughts and ideas. It supports rich text formatting, image insertion, and freehand drawing. Features like folder organization and iCloud synchronization ensure your notes are accessible and secure.

**Highlights:** Rich text editing, Add images and drawings, Folder and subfolder support, iCloud synchronization, Backup feature, Apple Pencil support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NoteBuddy Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Is NoteBuddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes Writer or NoteBuddy?

Notes Writer is rated higher. Notes Writer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while NoteBuddy averages 3.3 from 16 ratings.

### Do Notes Writer or NoteBuddy have ads?

Neither Notes Writer nor NoteBuddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or NoteBuddy?

Notes Writer ships an update every 5 days, and NoteBuddy every 3 months. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on October 26, 2026 and NoteBuddy on October 24, 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.*