Comparison

Annual Ring vs Paint Notes

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

Head to head
About

Annual Ring

Features
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The annual ring is an exquisite diary and note taking application. Simple design and powerful functionality. Supports functions such as location and labeling, and can be used without network. When there is network, data is automatically synchronized to the cloud, and data storage is worry free.

About

Paint Notes

Features
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Paint Notes replaces paper notebooks, providing a brand new electronic note taking experience. -Supports handwriting and text input, and can also add images, stickers, and graffiti. -Multiple types of paper can be selected with just one click, making it more convenient and concise to use. -Importing PDF is convenient for browsing, and you can make annotations and notes according to your needs. -Supports iPad, combined with Apple Pence, allows for free adjustment and performance. -Customize brush colors, thickness, and unleash unlimited creative potential. -Paperless management, which used to require a pile of paper notebooks to achieve sorting effects, can now be easily implemented on electronic apps. -Put notes in a folder, organize them in an orderly manner, and categorize and organize them according to projects, courses, or themes to keep them tidy -The powerful search function makes it easy to find notes from a long time ago. More features are continuously improving, and your support is our driving force!!!

Screenshots

Annual Ring4 screens
Paint Notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Paint Notes at weekly against Annual Ring's every 3 weeks. Annual Ring's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Annual Ring ships an update every 3 weeks, Paint Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Annual Ring versus Paint Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnnual RingPaint Notes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer颖昭 范香屏 许

In-app purchases

None

Annual Ring

No in-app purchases

None

Paint Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Annual Ring free?
Annual Ring is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paint Notes free?
Paint Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Annual Ring or Paint Notes have ads?
Neither Annual Ring nor Paint Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Annual Ring or Paint Notes?
Annual Ring ships an update every 3 weeks, and Paint Notes weekly. Most recently, Annual Ring was updated on November 7, 2026 and Paint Notes on November 8, 2026.

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