# OBSRV vs Paper

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OBSRV at none against Paper's 3. OBSRV also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paper sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. OBSRV asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for OBSRV against 5.0 for Paper. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

OBSRV ships an update every 2 weeks, Paper fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OBSRV | Paper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsrv-personal-notes/id1535719555/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-smart-notes-and-memos/id6449750600/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 62 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benjamin Spurlock](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535601534) | [Steve NOSSE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1690451530) |

## What reviewers say

### OBSRV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obsrv-personal-notes/id1535719555)

Capture location-specific reminders and notes for businesses you visit. Remember details about your experiences or specific people you want to reconnect with.

**Highlights:** Location-based notes, Business-specific reminders, Personalized memory aid, Easy note creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-smart-notes-and-memos/id6449750600)

Capture, organize, and sync your thoughts with a smart note-taking app. Features include rich formatting, AI summarization, and secure encryption across all your devices. Ideal for students, professionals, and anyone seeking enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Customizable notebooks, Military-grade encryption, Smart search, Rich formatting (images, sketches), AI note summarization, Voice-to-text capture, Cross-device sync

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime access | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OBSRV free?

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

### Is Paper free?

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

### Which has better reviews, OBSRV or Paper?

OBSRV and Paper are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do OBSRV or Paper have ads?

Neither OBSRV nor Paper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OBSRV or Paper?

OBSRV ships an update every 2 weeks, and Paper fortnightly. Most recently, OBSRV was updated on September 11, 2026 and Paper on September 12, 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.*