# abcNotes vs Sticky Notes

abcNotes and Sticky Notes both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of abcNotes's written reviews are positive against 60% of Sticky Notes's. abcNotes also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 501) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. abcNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sticky Notes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for abcNotes against 4.6 for Sticky Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: abcNotes has 2.9K ratings behind it against 501, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of abcNotes's written reviews are positive against 60% of Sticky Notes's.

abcNotes ships an update every 2 weeks, Sticky Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | abcNotes | Sticky Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abcnotes-sticky-note-madness/id504756763/reviews) | [4.6 (501 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-notepad-widget/id1530897546/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 501 |
| Positive reviews | **77.0% of reviews** | 60.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 41 MB | 221 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ALSEDI Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/331879616) | [Shota Yamashita](https://appshunter.io/developer/535161626) |

## What reviewers say

### abcNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abcnotes-sticky-note-madness/id504756763)

Create realistic, customizable sticky notes and to-do lists on your iOS device. Organize shopping lists, class notes, and projects with a variety of backgrounds and skins. Share and sync your notes across devices.

**Highlights:** Realistic sticky note appearance, Customizable skins and backgrounds, Virtual desktops for organization, Scale, rotate, and drag notes, Email and sync notes, Save notes as images

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock all features | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Visually appealing
- 💡 Customizable notes
- 🚀 Convenient for quick notes
- 👍 Helpful for organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 💸 Expensive for full version
- 🔍 Difficult to search/find notes
- 🔍 Limited note editing options
- 📢 Intrusive ads in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly deleted
- Checklist feature not working
- Sync issues between iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Add date/time stamp to notes
- Ability to write notes with Apple Pencil
- Option to set reminders/alarms for notes
- Improved search and organization tools
- More customization options for note styles


### Sticky Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-notepad-widget/id1530897546)

Pin notes and to-do lists directly to your Home and Lock Screens for quick access. Organize tasks, customize backgrounds with colors or photos, and choose from various fonts. Ideal for reminders, class notes, and visualizing goals.

**Highlights:** Pin notes to Home and Lock Screens, Organize tasks by category, Customize backgrounds with photos, Cute font options, Character count display, Undo/Redo functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Hiding | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $2.49 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $12.99 | per year |
| Tip | $1.00 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $5.00 | one-time |
| Greatest Tip | $10.00 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable backgrounds and fonts
- 💡 Ability to add notes to home screen
- 🚀 Lightweight and fast
- 👍 Helpful for daily tasks and reminders

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 💸 Paid version required for advanced features
- 🔒 No iCloud sync or cross-device support
- 🔍 Confusing instructions, mostly in non-English languages

**Reported bugs**

- Newly created notes not showing up on home screen
- Duplicated notes with same content
- Inability to change default font and background settings
- Disappearing notes after app updates

**Requested features**

- Allow text formatting (bold, italic, underline)
- Add checklist/to-do list functionality
- Implement iCloud sync and cross-device support
- Provide option to remove app branding from widget
- Add ability to set reminders/alarms for notes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is abcNotes free?

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

### Is Sticky Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, abcNotes or Sticky Notes?

abcNotes and Sticky Notes are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.9K and 501 ratings respectively.

### Do abcNotes or Sticky Notes have ads?

Both abcNotes and Sticky Notes show ads.

### Which is updated more often, abcNotes or Sticky Notes?

abcNotes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Sticky Notes weekly. Most recently, abcNotes was updated on September 22, 2026 and Sticky Notes on September 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*