# MagicWidgets vs Ducky Notes

MagicWidgets and Ducky Notes both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of Ducky Notes's written reviews are positive against 35% of MagicWidgets's. Ducky Notes also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). MagicWidgets's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (7.4K vs 646). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MagicWidgets sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Ducky Notes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. 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 MagicWidgets against 4.8 for Ducky Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MagicWidgets has 7.4K ratings behind it against 646, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 35% of MagicWidgets's written reviews are positive against 95% of Ducky Notes's.

MagicWidgets ships an update fortnightly, Ducky Notes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MagicWidgets | Ducky Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicwidgets-photo-widgets/id1533414094/reviews) | **[4.8 (646 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ducky-notes-cute-diary-app/id6444694291/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.4K** | 646 |
| Positive reviews | 35.3% of reviews | **94.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 265 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DXPLORER TECHNOLOGY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503310198) | [HONGKONG COOLMIND LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607306779) |

## What reviewers say

### MagicWidgets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicwidgets-photo-widgets/id1533414094)

Personalize your device's lock and home screens with custom widgets. Add photos, text, clocks, calendars, and countdowns for important events. Choose from various styles and fonts to make your screen unique and functional.

**Highlights:** Lock screen widgets for iOS 16, Home screen customization, Photo and text widgets, Clock and calendar styles, Countdown timers for events, Customizable fonts and colors, Image upload from local album

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MagicWidgets Promotion | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| MagicWidgets Premium | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌴 Customizable home screen
- 🎨 Variety of widget designs
- 👍 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Slow loading times
- 💰 Paywall for many features
- 🔍 Confusing navigation
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📺 Excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets not saving properly
- App crashes on certain devices
- Compatibility issues with older OS versions

**Requested features**

- More free widget options
- Ability to import custom images
- Improved widget customization
- Reduced ads or ad-free version


### Ducky Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ducky-notes-cute-diary-app/id6444694291)

This app offers a cute, themed journal for recording daily thoughts, moods, and growth. It provides a cozy atmosphere for writing, collaging with free materials, and tracking your progress with a monthly calendar view.

**Highlights:** Themed journaling with a cute character, Mood and growth tracking, Collage and journaling with free materials, Monthly calendar view for progress, Easy to use, three-step journal creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Material membership | $1.49 | per month |
| SVIP | $1.99 | per month |
| Cloud Saving | $1.99 | per year |
| Material membership | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| SVIP | $3.49 | per 3 months |
| Material membership | $9.99 | per year |
| SVIP | $10.99 | per year |
| SVIP | $10.99 | per year |
| Peach Smoothie | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cute and motivating design
- 🎨 Customizable templates and stickers
- 🔒 Private journal option
- 💡 Helpful for journaling and note-taking
- 🙌 Free to use with minimal ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Some features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes or bugs
- ⏱️ Long download times for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Saving issues causing data loss
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add cloud sync/backup option
- Improve template and sticker selection
- Implement password protection for private journal


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MagicWidgets free?

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

### Is Ducky Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MagicWidgets or Ducky Notes?

Ducky Notes is rated higher. MagicWidgets averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.4K ratings, while Ducky Notes averages 4.8 from 646 ratings.

### Do MagicWidgets or Ducky Notes have ads?

Neither MagicWidgets nor Ducky Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MagicWidgets or Ducky Notes?

MagicWidgets ships an update fortnightly, and Ducky Notes every 2 months. Most recently, MagicWidgets was updated on October 22, 2026 and Ducky Notes on October 24, 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.*