# Notebooks vs Ikes

The clearest difference is price: Ikes at Free against Notebooks's $17.99. Ikes also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (93% vs 82%). Notebooks's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 30) and chart position (#192 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Ikes is free to download; Notebooks costs $17.99 up front. Notebooks sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Ikes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Notebooks against 4.7 for Ikes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebooks has 1.1K ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Notebooks's written reviews are positive against 93% of Ikes's.

Notebooks ships an update every 6 weeks, Ikes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebooks | Ikes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $17.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838/reviews) | [4.7 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikes-idea-notes/id1515855107/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 30 |
| Positive reviews | 82.2% of reviews | **92.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#192** | — |
| Size | 48 MB | 284 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alfons Schmid](https://appshunter.io/developer/297571754) | [INCREDIBLE FOX, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1515855106) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you write, organize, and manage documents, tasks, and files. It offers flexible writing modes, robust organization tools, and task management features, all while ensuring your data remains accessible and under your control.

**Highlights:** Formatted text, plain text, and Markdown writing, Create documents with styles, tables, and attachments, Organize with nested hierarchies and 'books', Task management with due dates and checklists, Wiki-style linking and backlinks, Full-text search, Cross-device synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Custom Storage Locations | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and flexible organization
- 🔒 Respects user data and privacy
- 👍 Reliable and stable
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer
- 👍 Elegant and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🐛 Formatting and editing limitations
- 🐛 Steep learning curve for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss after iOS upgrades
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Improved Markdown support
- More font and color customization options
- Better Apple Watch integration
- Export to Word format


### Ikes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikes-idea-notes/id1515855107)

Capture and organize text or image ideas with a dynamic feed. Intelligent search and discovery help you find inspiration and make unexpected connections. Syncs seamlessly across devices and prioritizes your privacy.

**Highlights:** Quick capture for text and images, Dynamic Idea Feed for discovery, Tag, source, and color organization, Intelligent search by meaning, Automatic idea discovery, Shuffle for serendipity, iCloud sync across devices

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ikes PREMIUM | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebooks free?

Notebooks costs $17.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ikes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notebooks or Ikes?

Notebooks and Ikes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.1K and 30 ratings respectively.

### Do Notebooks or Ikes have ads?

Neither Notebooks nor Ikes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notebooks or Ikes?

Notebooks ships an update every 6 weeks, and Ikes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Notebooks was updated on October 19, 2026 and Ikes on October 9, 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.*