Comparison

abcNotes Full Version vs Notepad

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

Head to head
About

abcNotes Full Version

This app allows you to create stylish and functional notes and to-do lists with a realistic paper sticky note feel. It offers extensive customization options for appearance and functionality, including iCloud synchronization and checklist management.

Highlights
  • iCloud Synchronization
  • Checklist style notes
  • Customizable appearance (backgrounds, skins, icons)
  • Virtual desktops
  • Scale, rotate, and drag notes
  • Email and share notes
  • Save notes as images
Read full description

• iCloud Synchronization between iOS and MacOS X! • Checklist style notes! Manage your tasks directly on notes. abcNotes was designed to become your stylish and highly customizable, functional and easy to use assistant in taking notes and managing To Do lists. abcNotes is an awesome note taking application! It takes advantage of unique iOS devices touchscreen preserving realistic look & feel of paper sticky notes. abc Notes - Checklist & Sticky Note Application for iPhone and iPad (share, email and synch your lists, memos, projects and school notebooks) HINT: To make a checklist note: Double tap the note to edit it. Tap the Note Properties button (blue one with tools icon). Find the checklist switch next to text alignment toggles. The total number of unchecked items is displayed as badge on abcNotes icon. BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE: • 88 backgrounds to choose from • 45 note skins • 27 badge designs & 115 icons EXTREMELY FUNCTIONAL: • 15 virtual desktops • Scale, rotate and drag notes • Easy to edit, duplicate, move between desktops • Supports any iPad orientation SHARE YOUR NOTES: • Email notes and desktops • Copy note image to any application • Synchronize notes between iOS devices • Save notes as image and place to lock or home screen No more boring note lists – abcNotes brings you the ability to make REAL notes on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Put everything you need to remember into abcNotes! View you notes the way you want! Rotate your abcNotes to any angle you wish! abcNotes is great for shopping lists, student class notebook, to record lecture and interview notes or to track projects, recordings and more tasks at home, school and university (class or homework). Please feel free to contact us at alsedi.apple@gmail.com if you have suggestions, feature requests, or bug reports.

About

Notepad

Capture thoughts, create to-do lists, and organize ideas with a versatile digital notebook. Supports handwriting, text notes, and secure cloud syncing. Personalize your experience with custom themes and icons.

Highlights
  • Create to-do lists with checkboxes
  • Unlimited text notes
  • Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil
  • Organize notes into folders
  • Pin and sort notes
  • iCloud backup and sync
  • Advanced search functionality
Features
Read full description

Jot down notes and organize your ideas with Notepad—the classic notepad writing app designed for keeping track of everything that matters. [ TO-DO LISTS ] • Create beautiful task lists with interactive checkboxes to track your daily tasks and goals. • Drag and drop to reorder items—organize your to-dos exactly how you want them. • Enjoy the satisfying experience of checking off completed tasks as you get things done. • Perfect for shopping lists, daily chores, project tasks, and everything in between. [ NOTES ] • Create unlimited text notes with rich formatting—quickly and easily. • Tap anywhere to start typing—it's simple, fast, and always saved automatically. • Works perfectly in both light and dark mode. [ RICH TEXT FORMATTING ] • Style your notes with bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough. • Choose from 7 text colors and 7 highlight colors to make important details stand out. • Pick from 18 handpicked font families—each with proper bold and italic variants. • A convenient formatting toolbar sits right above the keyboard for fast access. • Switch fonts anytime—your existing formatting is preserved. [ HANDWRITTEN NOTES WITH APPLE PENCIL ] • Capture your thoughts naturally with fluid, responsive handwriting that feels like pen on paper. • Create beautiful handwritten notes, diagrams, and drawings with realistic ink flow and pressure sensitivity. • Choose from fountain pens, pencils, and highlighters with customizable colors for a personalized writing experience. • Enjoy our adaptive paper grid that works perfectly in any orientation or device. [ FOLDERS - ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES ] • Organize notes into folders and subfolders with a clean, nested structure. • Assign a unique color to each folder, making it simple to categorize and find notes at a glance. • Drag-and-drop to reorder, and move multiple notes easily. [ PIN & SORT NOTES ] • Pin important notes to the top and sort by date, custom order, or alphabetical order. [ BACKUP WITH ICLOUD ] • Keep notes safe with automatic backups and iCloud sync across your devices. [ PERSONALIZE YOUR NOTEPAD ] • Give your notepad a personal touch with unique app icons, custom colors, stylish fonts, and a sleek dark mode for night owls. [ FIND NOTES FAST ] • Use advanced search tools and text highlighting to track down exactly what you're looking for. [ KEEP YOUR NOTES SAFE ] • Lock your notes with FaceID or TouchID for extra privacy. [ SHARE & PRINT ] • Send your notes to other apps like Mail or WhatsApp, or print them directly from Notepad. [ PREMIUM FEATURES FOR POWER USERS ] • Go ad-free, unlock exclusive themes, and get advanced sorting options with Premium. Notepad combines the nostalgic feel of a simple notebook with the functionality of today's tech. Use Notepad for everything from brainstorming ideas and setting personal reminders to creating shopping lists, to-do lists, grocery lists, chores lists, appointment notes, class notes, daily goals, password hints, birthday reminders, packing lists, travel itineraries, and more. Write, organize, and stay on top of everything that matters—download Notepad now and stay productive your way! Terms of Use & Privacy Policy: https://www.oldnotepad.com/terms.

Screenshots

abcNotes Full Version4 screens
Notepad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Notepad at Free against abcNotes Full Version's $2.99. Notepad also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (28K vs 882). abcNotes Full Version's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment 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

Notepad is free to download; abcNotes Full Version costs $2.99 up front. Notepad sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. abcNotes Full Version asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for abcNotes Full Version against 4.8 for Notepad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notepad has 28K ratings behind it against 882, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of abcNotes Full Version's written reviews are positive against 84% of Notepad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

abcNotes Full Version ships an update every 2 months, Notepad every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 27, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
abcNotes Full Version versus Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterabcNotes Full VersionNotepad
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (882 ratings)4.8 (28K ratings)
Positive reviews86.1% of reviews — better84.1% of reviews
Number of ratings88228K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperALSEDI Group1381802 Ontario Inc.

Customer experience

abcNotes Full Version

All ratings882 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews1,089 reviews
Positive86.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative6.8%

Notepad

All ratings28,224 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews962 reviews
Positive84.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative11.4%

Bugs and requests

abcNotes Full Version

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Notepad

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notes randomly disappearing
  • Ads covering up the note-taking area

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add drawing/highlighting tools
  • Integrate with calendar and contacts
  • Ability to sort and organize notes
  • Option to password protect specific notes

In-app purchases

None

abcNotes Full Version

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Notepad

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Premium Membership$1.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Subscription$14.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Premium Subscription$17.991 Year
One-time3
  • Lifetime Premium Membership$19.99
  • Lifetime Premium Membership$29.99
  • Lifetime Premium Membership$39.99

Questions

Is abcNotes Full Version free?
abcNotes Full Version costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notepad free?
Notepad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, abcNotes Full Version or Notepad?
abcNotes Full Version and Notepad are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 882 and 28K ratings respectively.
Do abcNotes Full Version or Notepad have ads?
Notepad shows ads; abcNotes Full Version does not.
Which is updated more often, abcNotes Full Version or Notepad?
abcNotes Full Version ships an update every 2 months, and Notepad every 8 days. Most recently, abcNotes Full Version was updated on September 27, 2026 and Notepad on September 27, 2026.

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