# Widgetsmith vs CollaNote

The clearest difference is ads: CollaNote at none against Widgetsmith's shown. Widgetsmith's advantage is ratings volume (773K vs 14K) and chart position (#32 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Widgetsmith sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and CollaNote sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Widgetsmith against 4.7 for CollaNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Widgetsmith has 773K ratings behind it against 14K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Widgetsmith's written reviews are positive against 70% of CollaNote's.

Widgetsmith ships an update every 2 weeks, CollaNote every 11 days. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Widgetsmith | CollaNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (773K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetsmith/id1523682319/reviews) | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **773K** | 14K |
| Positive reviews | **72.1% of reviews** | 70.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 183 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cross Forward Consulting, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/295660206) | [Zauberberg Lab Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693142923) |

## What reviewers say

### Widgetsmith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetsmith/id1523682319)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Free · Productivity, #100 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Personalize your device with highly customizable widgets for your home and lock screens. Showcase photos, track events, display weather, and launch apps directly from your widgets. Includes a wallpaper library and tools for theming.

**Highlights:** Customizable widgets, Home and lock screen personalization, Photo display, Event countdowns, Weather forecasts, App launching widgets, Theming tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable widgets
- 💡 Allows for aesthetic home screen design
- 🤩 Great for organizing and personalizing
- 🥰 Helpful for improving phone appearance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widgets turning grey or not working
- 🤔 Inability to remove 'Widgetsmith' label
- 🤨 Limited customization options for free users
- 😕 Inconsistent widget behavior

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets randomly turning grey or blank
- Calendar and time widgets not updating correctly
- App crashing or not opening
- Issues with photo widgets not displaying images

**Requested features**

- Ability to choose specific photos for widgets
- Option to adjust photo rotation interval
- Custom color selection tool
- Customizable widget labels
- Transparent widget backgrounds


### CollaNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268)

This app offers a comprehensive note-taking experience with advanced tools for digital planning, PDF markup, and flashcard creation. It features a wide array of pens, handwriting stabilization, and AI-powered assistance for enhanced productivity and creativity. Organize, secure, and share your notes seamlessly across devices.

**Highlights:** 25+ pens and brushes, PDF, PPT, DOC markup, Flashcard creation, Translation tool, Audio recording, AI-powered tools, Real-time collaboration

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium Loyal Users | $6.95 | one-time |
| Premium: Time Limited Sale | $6.95 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Welcome Offer | $9.69 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $13.90 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Very good writing app
- 🚀 Great app and easy to navigate
- 🚀 Excellent note taking app
- 👍 Amazing free note taking app
- 👍 Fantastic for teaching

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitching, crashing, and issues with writing tools
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and bugs
- 🐛 Issues with PDF annotations and exports
- 🐛 Problems with organization and navigation
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- Pen and eraser issues after updates
- Freezing and crashing when deleting or moving notes
- Inconsistent behavior of favorite pen settings
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login screen freezes

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support
- Improve text editing and formatting
- Enhance organization with nested folders
- Implement better backup and sync options
- Add more pen/pencil customization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Widgetsmith free?

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

### Is CollaNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Widgetsmith or CollaNote?

CollaNote is rated higher. Widgetsmith averages 4.6 out of 5 from 773K ratings, while CollaNote averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.

### Do Widgetsmith or CollaNote have ads?

Widgetsmith shows ads; CollaNote does not.

### Which is updated more often, Widgetsmith or CollaNote?

Widgetsmith ships an update every 2 weeks, and CollaNote every 11 days. Most recently, Widgetsmith was updated on September 30, 2026 and CollaNote on September 30, 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.*