Comparison

Handwritten ToDo vs NovaNote

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Handwritten ToDo

Create and manage to-do lists using your Apple Pencil. Organize tasks with multiple lists, unique tags, and filtering options. Customize how completed tasks are displayed and easily sort or swipe to manage your workflow.

Highlights
  • Handwritten task creation
  • Multiple to-do lists
  • Tagging and filtering
  • Customizable task display
  • Sorting and swipe actions
  • Dark mode support
Read full description

This To-Do and task app is different. You you can write your ToDos and tasks naturally with your Apple pencil. In order to organize a high number of To-Dos the app offers the following capabilities: • create multiple To Do lists • show only the open, the done or all ToDos together • create and maintain unique tags per ToDo list • add tags to your created ToDos • filter your ToDos based on a selected Tag • mark your most used tags as a favorite, so it is easily accessible • sort the To-Do as you need • Use a swipe action to move the To Do to the end of the list • creation date and time is available for each ToDo • ToDos which are done can be hidden from the open list with either a time delay or immediately * ToDos and ToDo lists can also be deleted The app supports dark mode.

About

NovaNote

This app merges your digital life and ideas with advanced rich text formatting, image and PDF attachments, and voice recording. Seamlessly integrate maps and calendars into your notes for effortless organization and task management.

Highlights
  • Rich text formatting
  • Map integration
  • Calendar integration
  • Image and PDF attachments
  • Voice recording
  • Color-coded categories
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

NovaNote is your space to write, organize, and create without interrupting the flow of your ideas. Take notes, create notebooks, add images, scans, drawings, PDFs, audio recordings, tasks, events, and locations: everything stays together in one simple, complete app designed to support your everyday work and creativity. With notebooks, you can organize pages and notes more naturally, keeping projects, study, work, and personal ideas separate and easy to find. Rich text tools let you format text, create lists, adjust alignment, and structure every note with clarity. NovaNote also helps you preserve context. Add locations to notes, connect calendar events, record multiple audio clips in a single note, import attachments, and turn images, scans, and drawings into resources that are always within reach. Attachments are a core part of the experience: add photos, PDFs, images, scans, and drawings, then edit, annotate, crop, and export them whenever you need. Color-coded categories make it easier to quickly find what matters. iCloud sync keeps your content updated across your Apple devices, while improvements to performance, zoom, gallery, scanner, and overall stability make the experience smoother and more reliable. NovaNote is built for anyone who wants functionality and creativity in one place: notes, ideas, documents, and memories, always with you.

Screenshots

NovaNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Handwritten ToDo at 87% against NovaNote's 33%. Handwritten ToDo also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (64 vs 3). NovaNote's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Handwritten ToDo holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handwritten ToDo has 64 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Handwritten ToDo's written reviews are positive against 33% of NovaNote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handwritten ToDo ships an update every 4 weeks, NovaNote every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Handwritten ToDo versus NovaNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandwritten ToDoNovaNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (64 ratings) — better4.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews86.7% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings64 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS14.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcus NotzelFrancesco Salvati

Customer experience

Handwritten ToDo

All ratings55 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive86.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative10.0%

NovaNote

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

None

Handwritten ToDo

No in-app purchases

None

NovaNote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handwritten ToDo free?
Handwritten ToDo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NovaNote free?
NovaNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Handwritten ToDo or NovaNote?
Handwritten ToDo is rated higher. Handwritten ToDo averages 4.6 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while NovaNote averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Handwritten ToDo or NovaNote have ads?
Neither Handwritten ToDo nor NovaNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handwritten ToDo or NovaNote?
Handwritten ToDo ships an update every 4 weeks, and NovaNote every 9 days. Most recently, Handwritten ToDo was updated on November 3, 2026 and NovaNote on November 6, 2026.

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