# NotePlan vs FreeScout

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NotePlan at 85% against FreeScout's 21%. NotePlan also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 15 months). FreeScout's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. FreeScout asks for nothing beyond the download.

NotePlan holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NotePlan has 1.5K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of NotePlan's written reviews are positive against 21% of FreeScout's.

NotePlan ships an update monthly, FreeScout every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NotePlan | FreeScout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freescout/id1530383172/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **85.0% of reviews** | 21.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 15 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 210 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NotePlan LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137020763) | [Jason Rhee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721575250) |

## What reviewers say

### NotePlan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629)

Organize your tasks, notes, and calendar in one unified app. Quickly plan your day with Markdown, link notes bi-directionally, and stay on top of your to-dos with powerful review and search features. Seamlessly integrates with your existing calendars and syncs across all your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Unified task, note, and calendar view, Markdown for quick task and note creation, Bi-directional note linking, Calendar integration (iCloud, Google, Exchange), Flexible recurring tasks, Global Command Bar for fast navigation, Plaintext note storage

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Personal Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Personal Monthly | $12.00 | per month |
| Personal Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Personal Annual | $119.99 | per year |
| Business Class | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful note-taking and task management
- 👍 Seamless calendar and reminders integration
- 💡 Flexible and customizable workflow
- 🔒 Secure and open-format data storage
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional sync and performance issues
- 👤 Limited collaboration and sharing features

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent sync between devices
- Crashes when opening certain files

**Requested features**

- Improved iPad and mobile app experience
- Better integration with other productivity apps
- More automation and scripting capabilities
- Weekly or monthly calendar view


### FreeScout

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freescout/id1530383172)

This official client provides access to your FreeScout helpdesk on iOS devices. It enables push notifications for important updates when configured with the "Mobile Notifications" module. Contact your administrator for any helpdesk-related issues.

**Highlights:** Official FreeScout client, Push notifications, iOS compatibility, Helpdesk access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NotePlan free?

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

### Is FreeScout free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NotePlan or FreeScout?

NotePlan is rated higher. NotePlan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while FreeScout averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do NotePlan or FreeScout have ads?

Neither NotePlan nor FreeScout shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NotePlan or FreeScout?

NotePlan ships an update monthly, and FreeScout every 15 months. Most recently, NotePlan was updated on September 23, 2026 and FreeScout on June 1, 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.*