Note vs Papertone
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Note
This minimalist notes app helps you focus on what matters most. Create up to 8 infinite pages with beautiful typefaces and customizable line formatting. Save notes as plain text files to iCloud Drive or locally, and access them via widgets and shortcuts.
- Minimalist interface
- Up to 8 infinite pages
- Customizable line formatting (color, italics)
- Plain text file export
- iCloud Drive sync
- Home/Lock Screen widgets
- Apple Watch app
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Keep what you really care about in focus with this mini notes app & widget. It’s like a pinned note in its own app. The app feels like just 1 note, but you can create up to 8 infinite pages. It features beautiful typefaces. There is extra spacing between lines. You can mark lines with color, italics, or both. Pages can also be given custom names. Each page is saved as a plain text file, either in iCloud Drive or only on your iPhone or iPad. Text and links can be added to a page in the app from within other apps using the Share button. You can add a sticky note widget to your Home Screen and Lock Screen that shows the last line you selected in the app or the line you pinned in the Home Screen widget. A control lets you open the app directly from Control Center or your Lock Screen. You can also assign this control to your iPhone’s Action button. An Apple Watch app and widget show the last line you selected in the app on your paired iPhone or the line you pinned in the app on your watch. App Privacy: There is no sign-in and no data is collected. Your files are encrypted on your device using your passcode when it’s locked or turned off. If iCloud Backup is turned on for the app in the Settings app > [Your Name] > iCloud > Storage > Backups > [Your Device], your app data is uploaded to iCloud. If you want your files in iCloud Drive to be end-to-end encrypted, please turn on Advanced Data Protection in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection. If you have Share Analytics turned on in Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements, we receive app analytics from Apple. This does not contain your app data or personally identify you. Other Features: To add a new line, pull down when you are at the top of a page. Easily move lines up ↑ or down ↓. Quickly undo or redo changes above the keyboard. Tap the ⋯ button above the keyboard for more actions, such as adding the date or inserting a line break. Link or move lines to another page using the Quick Actions menu. List markers (like ‘•’) and spaces you type at the start of a line automatically get added to a new line below it. A URL scheme allows you to go directly to a page or to a specific line on a page. Support for Apple’s Writing Tools on compatible devices. Supports multiple windows on iPad. Fully accessible with VoiceOver. Gestures: Swipe left or right on a page while editing to move the insertion point from word to word. To move the insertion point, touch and hold the Space bar on the onscreen keyboard with one finger, then slide your finger around the keyboard. Swipe left with three fingers to undo or right to redo. Tap on a page with three fingers to show a menu with undo, cut, copy, paste, and redo. The use of this app is subject to your agreement to: Apple’s Standard End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Apple’s Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/ If you use iCloud with the app, iCloud’s Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/
Papertone
This app offers a nostalgic note-taking experience with a retro iOS aesthetic. It features skeuomorphic textures and physical notebook elements for a charming interface. Easily create, search, and manage your notes with a focus on simplicity and elegance.
- Skeuomorphic textures
- Lined paper backgrounds
- Retro Apple-style interface
- Hidden settings shortcut
- Note import/export
- Time format options
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Papertone is a simple, elegant note-taking app inspired by the golden era of iOS — complete with skeuomorphic textures, lined paper backgrounds, and nostalgic charm. Everything is built to feel like a physical notebook — soft shadows, realistic textures, and a retro Apple-style interface. Here's what you need to know: • Tap the + button in the top-right corner to create a new note. • Need to find something? Pull down on your notes list to reveal the search bar. • Tap to edit button to make changes on the note. • Don't forget, first line of the note will be the title. • Want to access settings? Tap the "Notes" header 5 times — it's a hidden shortcut to keep the interface clean. From the settings menu, you can: • Switch between 12-hour and 24-hour time formats • Import or export your notes • Delete all notes (careful, this can't be undone) Just open and start writing — no distractions, no complexity. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
Note and Papertone both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Note's written reviews are positive against 75% of Papertone's. Papertone's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99) and chart position (#182 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Note costs $4.99 and Papertone $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Note against 5.0 for Papertone. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Note's written reviews are positive against 75% of Papertone's.
| Parameter | Note | Papertone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #182 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | nonzerosumness | YUSUF SAHAN TARHAN |
Customer experience
Note
Papertone
In-app purchases
Note
No in-app purchases
Papertone
No in-app purchases









