# Paper vs Permanote

The clearest difference is rating: Paper at 4.7 against Permanote's 3.5. Paper also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months). Permanote's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paper sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Permanote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Paper holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paper has 1.7K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Paper's written reviews are positive against 50% of Permanote's.

Paper ships an update monthly, Permanote every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paper | Permanote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841/reviews)** | [3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/permanote/id1485954738/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **72.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 85 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mihhail Lapushkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143513743) | [Screenplay & Script Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1175555980) |

## What reviewers say

### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841)

This app offers a clean and configurable writing environment for various creative projects. It supports Markdown and plain text, syncs with iCloud, and integrates with other tools. Users can publish drafts to popular blogging platforms and export documents in multiple formats.

**Highlights:** Gorgeous writing space, Silky-smooth typing, Deep personalization (Pro), Markdown or Plain Text support, iCloud sync, Publish to Medium, WordPress, Ghost, Export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, ePub

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Features | $29.99 | per month |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Features | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $99.99 | one-time |
| Pro Features | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Fantastic app
- 🎀 Great tool for writers
- 👍 Clean writing app
- 🤩 Awesome app
- 👍 Cute animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Lost files and documents
- 🐛 Cursor issues
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable

**Reported bugs**

- Files randomly disappearing
- Cursor issues causing freezes
- Syncing and iCloud integration problems

**Requested features**

- Add image support
- Improve file management and recovery
- Expand font and customization options
- Implement team/collaborative writing features
- Add text formatting options like italics and bold


### Permanote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/permanote/id1485954738)

This app allows writers to organize ideas and edit text files directly within Dropbox, synchronizing across devices. It offers a distraction-free writing environment and extensive customization options, with advanced features available through a Pro subscription.

**Highlights:** Dropbox file synchronization, Customizable macro key strip, Distraction-free writing mode, Multiple file preview formats, TextExpander support, Customizable themes and fonts

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro Subscription | $17.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paper free?

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

### Is Permanote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Paper or Permanote?

Paper is rated higher. Paper averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Permanote averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do Paper or Permanote have ads?

Permanote shows ads; Paper does not.

### Which is updated more often, Paper or Permanote?

Paper ships an update monthly, and Permanote every 10 months. Most recently, Paper was updated on October 13, 2026 and Permanote on September 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.*