# Pen and Paper vs Notator | Annotate Documents

The clearest difference is rating: Pen and Paper at 4.4 against Notator | Annotate Documents's 2.0. Pen and Paper also leads on ratings volume (42 vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Notator | Annotate Documents sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pen and Paper holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pen and Paper has 42 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, Notator | Annotate Documents every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen and Paper | Notator | Annotate Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notator-annotate-documents/id6447326736/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **42** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 50 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [CIMTOPS SG LAB Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1657070999) |

## 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 |


### Notator | Annotate Documents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notator-annotate-documents/id6447326736)

This app allows for detailed annotation of PDFs and images with various tools, including support for Apple Pencil. It offers flexible import options, high-quality rendering for large files, and intuitive page management. Upgrade to Pro for advanced export and editing capabilities.

**Highlights:** PDF and image annotation, Apple Pencil support, Flexible PDF import, High-quality PDF support, Zoom up to 1000%, Intuitive page management, Cloud storage integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notator Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Notator Pro Yearly | $8.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen and Paper free?

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

### Is Notator | Annotate Documents free?

Notator | Annotate Documents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pen and Paper or Notator | Annotate Documents?

Pen and Paper is rated higher. Pen and Paper averages 4.4 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Notator | Annotate Documents averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pen and Paper or Notator | Annotate Documents have ads?

Neither Pen and Paper nor Notator | Annotate Documents shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pen and Paper or Notator | Annotate Documents?

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, and Notator | Annotate Documents every 2 months. Most recently, Pen and Paper was updated on October 23, 2026 and Notator | Annotate Documents on October 6, 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.*