# Notes Writer vs Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures

Notes Writer and Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 66% of Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's. Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures also leads on iOS requirement (18 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 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 Notes, Lectures. 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 Notes, Lectures's.

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greatnotes5-ai-notes-lectures/id1591954297/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | 44.7% 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 | Freemium |
| Size | 688 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18** |
| 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-quiz-docs/id1423643723)

This app combines handwriting, PDFs, voice recordings, and AI for note-taking, document annotation, and idea organization. It offers a paper-like writing experience with various tools and supports students, professionals, and writers with specialized features.

**Highlights:** Handwriting with Apple Pencil, PDF annotation and form filling, Voice recording and transcription, AI-powered writing assistance, Flashcard creation and spaced repetition, Quiz generation from notes, Document import and export

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| 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 |
| 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 Notes, Lectures

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

This app automatically records lectures, meetings, and conversations, transforming them into transcripts, summaries, and action items. It also allows users to chat with their recordings and use an AI writing assistant to improve their notes. Upload documents for AI-powered summaries and export notes for easy sharing.

**Highlights:** Automatic lecture and meeting recording, AI-generated transcripts and summaries, Action item and key takeaway extraction, Chat with your recordings for quick answers, AI writing assistant for note improvement, PDF and document summarization, Export and share notes

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GreatNotes Weekly Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| GreatNotes 40% Off | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $34.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Offer | $39.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $44.99 | 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 Notes, Lectures free?

Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Notes Writer or Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures?

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

### Do Notes Writer or Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures have ads?

Neither Notes Writer nor Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures?

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, and Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures every 5 days. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on November 12, 2026 and Greatnotes5 AI Notes, Lectures on November 11, 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.*