# Pen and Paper vs AxNote

The clearest difference is monetization model: AxNote at free against Pen and Paper's freemium. Pen and Paper's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 50%) and ratings volume (41 vs 7). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pen and Paper sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and AxNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Pen and Paper against 4.3 for AxNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pen and Paper has 41 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Pen and Paper's written reviews are positive against 50% of AxNote's.

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, AxNote every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen and Paper | AxNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570/reviews)** | [4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axnote-note-taking/id1532017999/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **41** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **70.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 50 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [Jonathan Benjamin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667195856) |

## What reviewers say

### Pen and Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570)

Create handwritten notes and drawings, annotate PDFs, and add text and shapes. Zoom in for detailed editing, organize content with layers, and import custom fonts and page styles. Share your creations as PDFs or JPEGs.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes and drawings, PDF import and annotation, Text and shape insertion, Zoom and split view, Layer management, Custom font installation, PDF export

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pen and Paper PRO monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Pen and Paper PRO | $5.99 | per year |
| Pen and Paper PRO | $7.99 | one-time |


### AxNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axnote-note-taking/id1532017999)

This app offers an intelligent canvas for note-taking, allowing users to generate summaries from text, handwriting, and audio recordings. It supports image annotation, data visualization with tables and charts, and handwriting conversion to typed text. Designed for Apple Pencil, it provides flexible layouts and on-device AI features.

**Highlights:** AI-powered summaries from text, handwriting, and audio, Audio transcription and topic exploration, Image and PDF annotation, Data visualization with tables and charts, Handwriting to typed text conversion, Apple Pencil integration, Customizable layouts

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AxNote+ | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen and Paper free?

Pen and Paper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is AxNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pen and Paper or AxNote?

Pen and Paper is rated higher. Pen and Paper averages 4.4 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while AxNote averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do Pen and Paper or AxNote have ads?

Neither Pen and Paper nor AxNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pen and Paper or AxNote?

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, and AxNote every 2 months. Most recently, Pen and Paper was updated on September 22, 2026 and AxNote on September 19, 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.*