# Notebooks vs Ashnote

The clearest difference is price: Ashnote at Free against Notebooks's $17.99. Ashnote also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and device support (5 vs 3). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Ashnote is free to download; Notebooks costs $17.99 up front. Notebooks sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Ashnote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notebooks ships an update every 6 weeks, Ashnote every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebooks | Ashnote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $17.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 48 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alfons Schmid](https://appshunter.io/developer/297571754) | [Sanghoon Ahn](https://appshunter.io/developer/6774930990) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebooks

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

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


### Ashnote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ashnote-calendar-diary-notes/id6774930988)

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ASHnote Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| ASHnote Premium (Yearly) | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebooks free?

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

### Is Ashnote free?

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

### Do Notebooks or Ashnote have ads?

Neither Notebooks nor Ashnote shows ads.

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

Notebooks ships an update every 6 weeks, and Ashnote every 4 days. Most recently, Notebooks was updated on October 17, 2026 and Ashnote on October 17, 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.*