# Starchive vs PinNote

Starchive and PinNote both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of PinNote's written reviews are positive against 59% of Starchive's. PinNote also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). Starchive's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (182 vs 6). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PinNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Starchive asks for nothing beyond the download.

PinNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starchive has 182 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Starchive's written reviews are positive against 95% of PinNote's.

Starchive ships an update monthly, PinNote every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starchive | PinNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (182 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starchive/id1480291489/reviews) | **[4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinnote-notes-always-visible/id6809535973/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **182** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 59.1% of reviews | **94.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Relab](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143270787) | [军 孙](https://appshunter.io/developer/949784002) |

## What reviewers say

### Starchive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starchive/id1480291489)

This cloud-based digital asset management solution helps businesses and creators preserve, organize, and access their files. It offers instant organization with auto-tags, curated collections, and secure cloud storage.

**Highlights:** Cloud digital asset management, Auto-tagging for organization, Curated collections, Easy file sharing, Fast browser uploads, Secure cloud storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ☁️ Generous cloud storage (20GB+ free)
- 🗄️ Easy archive browsing and management
- 📸 Good for photo/video management
- 🌟 Stellar sharing capabilities
- 🔍 Powerful AI search and meta tags

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Extremely slow performance
- ❌ Upload failures (partial uploads)
- ⏳ Long buffering times for videos
- 🔄 Auto-upload not working
- 🚫 Cannot upload pictures

**Reported bugs**

- Uploads fail
- Videos take 15+ minutes to play
- Auto-upload not functioning
- Cannot upload pictures
- App crashes when uploading

**Requested features**

- iPad version needed
- Better backup options (whole phone)
- Desktop app


### PinNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinnote-notes-always-visible/id6809535973)

This app places your essential notes directly on your iPhone's Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy. Access important information like passwords, to-dos, or reminders at a glance without unlocking your device. Customize your notes with adjustable font sizes and backgrounds, and utilize privacy mode to blur sensitive content.

**Highlights:** Lock Screen, Home Screen, and StandBy widgets, Adjustable font size and background colors, Privacy mode for sensitive information, iCloud sync across devices, Pinning and sorting of important notes, Paper-inspired design

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PinNote Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Starchive free?

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

### Is PinNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Starchive or PinNote?

PinNote is rated higher. Starchive averages 4.5 out of 5 from 182 ratings, while PinNote averages 4.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Starchive or PinNote have ads?

Neither Starchive nor PinNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Starchive or PinNote?

Starchive ships an update monthly, and PinNote every 2 days. Most recently, Starchive was updated on November 3, 2026 and PinNote 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.*