# Notes Writer vs Digital Notebook

Notes Writer and Digital Notebook both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 45% of Notes Writer's written reviews are positive against 10% of Digital Notebook's. Notes Writer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes Writer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Digital Notebook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 4.5 for Digital Notebook. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 248, 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 10% of Digital Notebook's.

Notes Writer ships an update weekly, Digital Notebook every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | Digital Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/id1423643723/reviews) | [4.5 (248 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 248 |
| Positive reviews | **45.2% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 371 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [Appsprings, TOO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689193977) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/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 (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $2.99 | 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 | $9.99 | 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


### Digital Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503)

This app offers a versatile platform for note-taking, drawing, and document annotation. It includes an AI assistant for brainstorming and research, along with tools for creating class notes, diaries, and sketches. Users can also import and organize their documents for easy access.

**Highlights:** AI-assistant for brainstorming and research, Freeform note-taking with pen and pencil tools, Drawing and sketching capabilities with stickers, Document import, annotation, and organization, Diary and abstract creation

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 week subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Note taking & PDF markup tools | $2.99 | per month |
| Note taking & PDF markup tools | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 Week Subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| 3 months subscription | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| 1 Month Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| 12 Months Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| 3 Months | $41.49 | per 3 months |
| 3 Months Subscription | $41.49 | per 3 months |
| 12 Months Subscription | $66.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Is Digital Notebook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes Writer or Digital Notebook?

Notes Writer and Digital Notebook are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7.3K and 248 ratings respectively.

### Do Notes Writer or Digital Notebook have ads?

Digital Notebook shows ads; Notes Writer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or Digital Notebook?

Notes Writer ships an update weekly, and Digital Notebook every 6 weeks. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on September 24, 2026 and Digital Notebook on September 23, 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.*