# NotePlan vs Nitro PDF Pro

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NotePlan at 85% against Nitro PDF Pro's 13%. NotePlan also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 161). Nitro PDF Pro's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Nitro PDF Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

NotePlan holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NotePlan has 1.5K ratings behind it against 161, 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 13% of Nitro PDF Pro's.

NotePlan ships an update monthly, Nitro PDF Pro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NotePlan | Nitro PDF Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteplan-to-do-list-and-notes/id1505432629/reviews)** | [3.9 (161 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 161 |
| Positive reviews | **85.0% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 210 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NotePlan LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137020763) | [Nitro Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607870122) |

## 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


### Nitro PDF Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539)

Edit, read, sign, and secure PDF documents on your iOS device. This powerful yet lightweight app allows for on-the-go productivity with features like text editing, annotation, form filling, and cloud syncing.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text, Annotate and highlight PDFs, Fill and save PDF forms, Sign and share PDF documents, Password protect PDFs, Sync with cloud storage, Merge and organize PDFs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Nitro PDF Pro for iOS | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for managing project documents
- 👍 Convenient for PDF modifications
- 👍 Superior PDF handling on Mac
- 👍 Satisfactory in both Mac and Windows environments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Pro features not available on iOS/iPadOS
- 👎 Yearly charges for basic features
- 👎 Expensive and useless
- 👎 Fails to deliver promised features
- 👎 Impossible to reorder PDF files

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot reorder PDF files
- Crashes when opening PDFs from websites/email
- Does not save markups or documents
- Difficulty creating new folders
- Cannot rotate pages

**Requested features**

- Keyboard support (Cmd + F for search)
- Ability to cancel search with Esc
- OCR and conversion to text documents on tablets
- User manual for iPad app
- Support for Apple Pencil


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NotePlan free?

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

### Is Nitro PDF Pro free?

Nitro PDF Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NotePlan or Nitro PDF Pro?

NotePlan is rated higher. NotePlan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Nitro PDF Pro averages 3.9 from 161 ratings.

### Do NotePlan or Nitro PDF Pro have ads?

Neither NotePlan nor Nitro PDF Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NotePlan or Nitro PDF Pro?

NotePlan ships an update monthly, and Nitro PDF Pro every 2 months. Most recently, NotePlan was updated on October 2, 2026 and Nitro PDF Pro on October 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.*