Comparison

*scratch* vs PaperTrail

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

Head to head
About

*scratch*

Quickly jot down notes, phone numbers, or directions on the go. This simple scratchpad app requires no sign-in or cloud storage, offering a straightforward way to capture information instantly. Supports plain text and basic Emacs org mode markup.

Highlights
  • Instant note-taking
  • Plain text support
  • Checkbox lists
  • Share to other apps
  • Save to Files
  • Emacs org mode markup
Features
Read full description

You're on the go. Someone's giving you directions, or a phone number, name of a restaurant... you need to write it down now, quickly! No time to create new contact, or a note, a file, or waste time on additional taps, bring up keyboard... You just need to write it somewhere right now. *scratch* is a simple scratch pad. • No bells or whistles, just a simple area to quickly jot something down. • Launch *scratch* and write. • Quickly create lists or checkboxes. • All plain text. • Share to other apps or save to Files as an org file (plain text). • No cloud, account, sign-in, or social required. Bonus: Emacs org mode lovers, you can use lightweight org markup like headings, plain lists, numbered lists, and checkboxes.

About

PaperTrail

This app provides a full TaskPaper editing experience on iOS and iPadOS, allowing you to manage projects, tasks, and notes using simple, flexible plain text files. Sync your work with iCloud and edit across devices, with powerful search and filtering capabilities.

Highlights
  • Full TaskPaper format support
  • OPML import
  • Distraction-free editing
  • Full query language search
  • Tag system with progress tracking
  • iOS Reminders integration
  • Shortcuts and Siri integration
Read full description

PaperTrail brings full TaskPaper editing to iOS and iPadOS. TaskPaper is plain text productivity—simple, fast, flexible. Projects, tasks, notes, and tags. Filter, search, and archive. All in plain text files you can sync via iCloud and edit in TaskPaper on your Mac. FEATURES • Full TaskPaper format support (.taskpaper, .todo, .txt, .md) • Open Bike (.bike) and OPML (.opml) outlines, with clear warnings when an import can't carry everything across • OPML and Bike-style export, so tags and done state round-trip back into Bike • Fold and focus into any subtree for distraction-free editing • Full query language with text, tag, boolean, and semantic search • Tag system with dates, progress tracking, and cost aggregation • Tag autocomplete ranked by how often you use each tag • Smart filters with edge-swipe gestures and an iPad side-by-side sidebar • Colour lines by priority, depth, or due date proximity • Natural date parsing and two-way iOS Reminders integration—import a Reminders list as a project • Quick capture: append tasks, notes, clipboard text, or web links to your most recent document • Planning shortcuts: Open in Today, Random Next Task, and Morning Brief • Shortcuts, Siri, Action Button, and Spotlight integration via App Intents • Find & update documents from Shortcuts: run queries, mark done, set tags, append tasks • Command palette for projects, searches, tags, and every editor command • iPadOS menu bar with Item, Tag, Outline, View, and Palette menus • Export documents as interactive HTML slide presentations or as OPML outlines • Built-in and custom document templates • 50+ keyboard shortcuts for power workflow • Native Swift app—tiny install size, built for speed • Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, and dark mode support

Screenshots

*scratch*2 screens
PaperTrail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: *scratch* at $2.99 against PaperTrail's $19.99. *scratch* also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and update cadence (daily vs every 10 days). On ratings volume, 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

*scratch* costs $2.99 and PaperTrail $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

*scratch* holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of *scratch*'s written reviews are positive against 75% of PaperTrail's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

*scratch* ships an update daily, PaperTrail every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
*scratch* versus PaperTrail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter*scratch*PaperTrail
Price$2.99 — better$19.99
Rating4.9 (27 ratings) — better4.2 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings27 — better15
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperXenodium Ltd.gingerbeardman

Customer experience

*scratch*

All ratings27 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PaperTrail

All ratings15 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

*scratch*

No in-app purchases

None

PaperTrail

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is *scratch* free?
*scratch* costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PaperTrail free?
PaperTrail costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, *scratch* or PaperTrail?
*scratch* is rated higher. *scratch* averages 4.9 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while PaperTrail averages 4.2 from 15 ratings.
Do *scratch* or PaperTrail have ads?
Neither *scratch* nor PaperTrail shows ads.
Which is updated more often, *scratch* or PaperTrail?
*scratch* ships an update daily, and PaperTrail every 10 days. Most recently, *scratch* was updated on September 19, 2026 and PaperTrail on September 10, 2026.

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