# Mental Note Lite ๛ vs HandyNote

The clearest difference is update cadence: HandyNote at fortnightly against Mental Note Lite ๛'s every 5 months. Mental Note Lite ๛'s advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mental Note Lite ๛ sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and HandyNote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mental Note Lite ๛ ships an update every 5 months, HandyNote fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mental Note Lite ๛ | HandyNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mental-note-lite/id348204405/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zymbiotic Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/338578112) | [Wimlog](https://appshunter.io/developer/424067793) |

## What reviewers say

### Mental Note Lite ๛

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mental-note-lite/id348204405)

This app transforms your device into a versatile digital notepad. Seamlessly combine text, drawings, photos, and voice recordings on a single page to capture ideas in rich detail. Organize, protect, and share your notes in various formats.

**Highlights:** Combine text, photos, audio, and drawings, Finger drawing with multiple colors, Organize notes with tags, Password protect private notes, Export notes to PDF, text, and more, Share notes via email and cloud services

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paper Customization feature | $2.99 | one-time |
| 100 sheet refill pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Note Copying feature (includes free Note Linking feature) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Export to another app feature | $3.99 | one-time |
| Password Protection feature | $3.99 | one-time |
| Straight Line Drawing feature | $3.99 | one-time |
| Dark Mode Override feature | $3.99 | one-time |
| 250 sheet refill pack | $4.99 | one-time |


### HandyNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handynote-canvas-transcribe/id6762900901)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month subscription service | $1.99 | per month |
| 3 months subscription service | $5.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 year subscription service | $14.99 | per year |
| Canvas Wallpaper | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mental Note Lite ๛ free?

Mental Note Lite ๛ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HandyNote free?

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

### Do Mental Note Lite ๛ or HandyNote have ads?

Both Mental Note Lite ๛ and HandyNote show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mental Note Lite ๛ or HandyNote?

Mental Note Lite ๛ ships an update every 5 months, and HandyNote fortnightly. Most recently, Mental Note Lite ๛ was updated on October 24, 2026 and HandyNote on October 28, 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.*