# NeatNotes vs PDFForge

The clearest difference is ads: PDFForge at none against NeatNotes's shown. NeatNotes's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NeatNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PDFForge sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for NeatNotes against 5.0 for PDFForge. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 8 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of NeatNotes's written reviews are positive against 86% of PDFForge's.

NeatNotes ships an update every 4 days, PDFForge every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NeatNotes | PDFForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neatnotes-notes-and-lists/id1672575304/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfforge-pdf-scanner-and-edit/id6744874734/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **39** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 85.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **17** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fusion Engineering](https://appshunter.io/developer/1233002961) | [MefjuDev LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777787735) |

## What reviewers say

### NeatNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neatnotes-notes-and-lists/id1672575304)

Organize and take notes quickly with a clean interface. See full note previews, customize note styles, and set reminders. Features smart grouping and automatic link title generation.

**Highlights:** Full note previews, Customizable note styles (plain, sticky, lined), Home screen widgets, Paragraph-based reminders, Smart Stacks for automatic note grouping, Readable link titles, Photo integration

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Unlock | $7.99 | one-time |


### PDFForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfforge-pdf-scanner-and-edit/id6744874734)

Transform your iPhone into a comprehensive document management tool. Easily scan, edit, sign, and extract text from PDFs with advanced OCR capabilities. Sync your work across devices seamlessly.

**Highlights:** High-quality document scanning, Bulk scanning for multiple pages, Full PDF editing toolkit, Advanced OCR text recognition, Digital signature insertion, iCloud cross-device syncing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| 3 Months | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| PDFForge Pro | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NeatNotes free?

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

### Is PDFForge free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NeatNotes or PDFForge?

PDFForge is rated higher. NeatNotes averages 4.9 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while PDFForge averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do NeatNotes or PDFForge have ads?

NeatNotes shows ads; PDFForge does not.

### Which is updated more often, NeatNotes or PDFForge?

NeatNotes ships an update every 4 days, and PDFForge every 2 weeks. Most recently, NeatNotes was updated on October 5, 2026 and PDFForge on September 24, 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.*