# Notes Writer vs Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app

Notes Writer and Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 66% of Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's. Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Notes Writer's advantage is ratings volume (7.3K vs 1.4K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Notes Writer against 4.6 for Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of Notes Writer's written reviews are positive against 66% of Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app's.

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-ai-markup/id1423643723/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greatnotes5-ai-note-taking-app/id1591954297/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | 45.0% of reviews | **66.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 660 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [Kanza Ahmad](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667956463) |

## 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


### Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greatnotes5-ai-note-taking-app/id1591954297)

Record, transcribe, and organize lectures, meetings, and ideas with AI-powered summaries, instant answers, and quick actions. Export notes as polished PDFs for easy sharing and collaboration.

**Highlights:** Automatic transcription with time-stamps, AI-generated summaries and key takeaways, Ask AI questions about your notes, Quick AI actions: translate, proofread, expand, Export notes as PDF, Record lectures and meetings

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GreatNotes Weekly Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| GreatNotes 40% Off | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Offer | $39.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $239.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Is Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app free?

Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Notes Writer or Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app?

Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app is rated higher. Notes Writer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app averages 4.6 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Notes Writer or Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app have ads?

Neither Notes Writer nor Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app?

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, and Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app every 5 days. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app on October 30, 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.*