# Pen and Paper vs Simple Note

The clearest difference is ads: Pen and Paper at none against Simple Note's shown. Simple Note's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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 Simple Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, Simple Note every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen and Paper | Simple Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **41** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [Tools Products FZ-LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549858533) |

## 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 |


### Simple Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-note-taking/id1551202375)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Simple note-taking pro | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen and Paper free?

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

### Is Simple Note free?

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

### Do Pen and Paper or Simple Note have ads?

Simple Note shows ads; Pen and Paper does not.

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

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, and Simple Note every 2 days. Most recently, Pen and Paper was updated on October 15, 2026 and Simple Note on October 12, 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.*