# Notes Writer vs Stepwise Guide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stepwise Guide at none against Notes Writer's 4. Stepwise Guide also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes Writer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Stepwise Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, Stepwise Guide weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Writer | Stepwise Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-quiz-docs/id1423643723/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 688 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [LLC VIZIRION](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785857483) |

## 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


### Stepwise Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepwise-guide/id6810307527)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Is Stepwise Guide free?

Stepwise Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Notes Writer or Stepwise Guide have ads?

Neither Notes Writer nor Stepwise Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Writer or Stepwise Guide?

Notes Writer ships an update every 4 days, and Stepwise Guide weekly. Most recently, Notes Writer was updated on November 11, 2026 and Stepwise Guide on October 31, 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.*