# Notability vs Notepad

Notability and Notepad both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Notepad's written reviews are positive against 37% of Notability's. Notability's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (457K vs 28K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notability sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Notepad sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 — 4.8 for Notability against 4.8 for Notepad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notability has 457K ratings behind it against 28K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 84% of Notepad's.

Notability ships an update weekly, Notepad every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Notepad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530/reviews) | [4.8 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-easy-notes-and-memos/id725368535/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 28K |
| Positive reviews | 36.5% of reviews | **84.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#80** | — |
| Size | 411 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.5** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [1381802 Ontario Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318613521) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-planner/id360593530)

**Currently charting:** #80 Top Grossing · Productivity, #129 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture, organize, and enhance your thoughts with a versatile digital notebook. Seamlessly blend handwriting, typing, and multimedia to annotate documents, record lectures, and generate summaries. Ideal for students and professionals seeking to boost productivity and learning.

**Highlights:** Handwritten and typed notes, PDF and document annotation, Audio recording and transcription, AI-powered summaries and quizzes, Customizable organization, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notability Lite | $5.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $7.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Notability Lite | $14.99 | per year |
| Notability Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $29.99 | per year |
| Notability Pro | $99.99 | per year |
| Notability Classic | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for note-taking
- 👍 Smooth handwriting experience
- 📝 Excellent organization and file management
- 🎙️ Useful audio recording feature
- 🔍 Handwriting recognition and search

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with iCloud
- 🔍 Limited search and organization options
- 🖍️ Frustrating highlighter behavior
- 🔒 Concerns about subscription model
- 🔧 Buggy after recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting corrupted
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
- Palm rejection problems after updates
- Inconsistent behavior when importing files

**Requested features**

- Improved folder/hierarchy organization
- More shape recognition and drawing tools
- Side-by-side viewing of multiple notes
- Ability to edit/rename audio recordings
- Better integration with other apps and services


### Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-easy-notes-and-memos/id725368535)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $17.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Membership | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Membership | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Membership | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📝 Useful for notes, lists, and reminders
- 🎨 Customizable font and color options
- 💾 Reliable for storing important information
- 🔍 Helpful search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Premium subscription required to remove ads
- 🐛 Occasional data loss or note disappearance
- 📤 Lack of sharing or exporting options
- 🔒 No password protection for individual notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing
- Ads covering up the note-taking area

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is Notepad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notability or Notepad?

Notability and Notepad are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 457K and 28K ratings respectively.

### Do Notability or Notepad have ads?

Notepad shows ads; Notability does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notability or Notepad?

Notability ships an update weekly, and Notepad every 8 days. Most recently, Notability was updated on September 24, 2026 and Notepad 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.*