# Checklists XL vs Notebooks

The clearest difference is price: Checklists XL at $0.99 against Notebooks's $17.99. Checklists XL also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Notebooks's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 1). On ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Checklists XL costs $0.99 and Notebooks $17.99 up front. Notebooks sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Checklists XL asks for nothing beyond the download.

Checklists XL holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebooks has 1.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Checklists XL's written reviews are positive against 82% of Notebooks's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Checklists XL ships an update every 11 months, Notebooks monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Checklists XL | Notebooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $17.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checklists-xl/id364603282/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **82.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 1 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Piet Jonas](https://appshunter.io/developer/288060167) | [Alfons Schmid](https://appshunter.io/developer/297571754) |

## What reviewers say

### Checklists XL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checklists-xl/id364603282)

Organize your life with customizable checklists for travel, sports, and daily tasks. Easily create, manage, and share your lists, with options to hide completed items and reorder content.

**Highlights:** Multiple checklist creation, Check and uncheck items, Reset lists, Hide checked items option, Email list items, Bulk add items, Edit, sort, and reorder items

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Notebooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838)

This app helps you write, organize, and manage documents, tasks, and files. It offers flexible writing modes, robust organization tools, and task management features, all while ensuring your data remains accessible and under your control.

**Highlights:** Formatted text, plain text, and Markdown writing, Create documents with styles, tables, and attachments, Organize with nested hierarchies and 'books', Task management with due dates and checklists, Wiki-style linking and backlinks, Full-text search, Cross-device synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Custom Storage Locations | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and flexible organization
- 🔒 Respects user data and privacy
- 👍 Reliable and stable
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer
- 👍 Elegant and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🐛 Formatting and editing limitations
- 🐛 Steep learning curve for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss after iOS upgrades
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Improved Markdown support
- More font and color customization options
- Better Apple Watch integration
- Export to Word format


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Checklists XL free?

Checklists XL costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Notebooks free?

Notebooks costs $17.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Checklists XL or Notebooks?

Checklists XL is rated higher. Checklists XL averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Notebooks averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Checklists XL or Notebooks have ads?

Neither Checklists XL nor Notebooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Checklists XL or Notebooks?

Checklists XL ships an update every 11 months, and Notebooks monthly. Most recently, Checklists XL was updated on October 23, 2026 and Notebooks on October 29, 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.*