# Notepad vs Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Notes at 4.8 against Notepad's 2.7. Notes also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 41%) and ratings volume (654 vs 10). Notepad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Notepad asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes has 654 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Notepad's written reviews are positive against 79% of Notes's.

Notepad ships an update every 2 weeks, Notes monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notepad | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad/id495125972/reviews) | **[4.8 (654 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-and-lists/id1489717129/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **654** |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews | **78.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [YONGSEOK LEE](https://appshunter.io/developer/453718968) | [Orange Dog](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673134885) |

## What reviewers say

### Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad/id495125972)

Capture fleeting thoughts and precious memories with a focus on simple recording and easy retrieval. Features include instant note-taking, automatic saving, categorization, keyword search, and customizable themes and font sizes.

**Highlights:** Instant note-taking, Automatic saving, Categorization, Keyword search, Customizable themes, Adjustable font size

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Fantastic - sort order choices works great
- 👍 Simple and very comfortable!
- 👍 Easy to use for writing stories and notes
- 👍 Great for just simple notes or essays

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Updated app. NOW ALL MY NOTES ARE GONE!!!!
- 🐛 Cannot flip back and forth from a source to copy/paste without running into annoying ads
- 🐛 Why is there no longer a "scrolling signifier" on the side
- 🐛 The search feature option disappears when in use
- 🐛 Notepad Update gone bad

**Reported bugs**

- Updated app. NOW ALL MY NOTES ARE GONE!!!!
- Cannot flip back and forth from a source to copy/paste without running into annoying ads
- The search feature option disappears when in use
- The new update is causing crashes
- App not opening saved notes anymore

**Requested features**

- Add search feature for easier finding in notes
- Add pictures and videos, and let us resize them
- Add landscape mode
- Add undo button
- Add dark mode option


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-and-lists/id1489717129)

This app combines a notepad, to-do list, and memo functionality into a single, intuitive interface. Easily create notes from text, voice, or images, and organize them with reminders and sorting options. Secure your data and transfer it to new devices.

**Highlights:** 3-in-1 notepad, to-do list, and memos, Create notes from photos, images, and voice, Set notifications and reminders, Sort notes by urgency, category, due date, color, Secure notes with a security code, Data transfer to new devices

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Disable ads | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 🎨 Highly customizable with colors and themes
- 🆓 Free app with no ads
- 🔒 Password protected notes
- 📱 Well-organized layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads despite paid subscription
- ❓ Unclear note retention policies
- 🤔 Complicated question/support system

**Reported bugs**

- Unexpected ads appearing after recent updates for paid subscribers

**Requested features**

- More engaging task motivation features
- Clearer documentation on note persistence
- Improved customer support interface


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notepad free?

Notepad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Notes free?

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

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

Notes is rated higher. Notepad averages 2.7 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Notes averages 4.8 from 654 ratings.

### Do Notepad or Notes have ads?

Both Notepad and Notes show ads.

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

Notepad ships an update every 2 weeks, and Notes monthly. Most recently, Notepad was updated on September 20, 2026 and Notes on September 22, 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.*