# Notepad vs Notes Basic

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notepad at 79% against Notes Basic's 0%. Notepad also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (22 vs 1). Notes Basic's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notepad has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Notepad's written reviews are positive against 0% of Notes Basic's.

Notepad ships an update monthly, Notes Basic weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notepad | Notes Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-mynotes/id1444500653/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-basic/id6458543102/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 16 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Makoto Yamabayashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1444500652) | [Yudai Abe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1566818989) |

## What reviewers say

### Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-mynotes/id1444500653)

A straightforward writing application that allows for easy note-taking and sentence composition. It offers robust editing tools like undo/redo and a keyboard toolbar for efficient text manipulation. The app is designed for one-handed operation and includes features for organizing notes with folders and backups.

**Highlights:** Note and folder management, Undo/Redo editing, Keyboard toolbar for text manipulation, One-handed operation design, Startup lock with iOS authentication, Dark mode support, iCloud backup

**In-app purchases:** none


### Notes Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-basic/id6458543102)

This app allows users to create, edit, and organize plain text notes. It features a simple interface for managing your notes, with options to pin important entries to the top of the list and delete unwanted ones. Changes are automatically saved when you confirm.

**Highlights:** Create and edit plain text notes, Organize notes in a list, Pin important notes to the top, Swipe to delete notes, Automatic saving of changes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notepad free?

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

### Is Notes Basic free?

Notes Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Notepad or Notes Basic?

Notepad is rated higher. Notepad averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Notes Basic averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Notepad or Notes Basic have ads?

Both Notepad and Notes Basic show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notepad or Notes Basic?

Notepad ships an update monthly, and Notes Basic weekly. Most recently, Notepad was updated on September 17, 2026 and Notes Basic on June 3, 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.*