# Paper vs Widgetsmith

The clearest difference is ads: Paper at none against Widgetsmith's shown. Paper also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Widgetsmith's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 44%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paper sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Widgetsmith sells 4 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 Paper against 4.6 for Widgetsmith. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Widgetsmith has 778K ratings behind it against 73K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Paper's written reviews are positive against 73% of Widgetsmith's.

Paper ships an update every 2 months, Widgetsmith every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paper | Widgetsmith |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (73K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-sketch-draw-and-create/id506003812/reviews) | **[4.6 (778K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetsmith/id1523682319/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 73K | **778K** |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **72.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#41** |
| Size | 168 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Evernote Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/281796111) | [Cross Forward Consulting, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/295660206) |

## What reviewers say

### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-sketch-draw-and-create/id506003812)

This app offers an immersive sketching experience with intuitive tools and gesture-based controls. Easily create collages, paintings, and drawings without distracting menus. Organize your creations into journals and sync them across devices.

**Highlights:** Intuitive sketching tools, Gesture-based controls, Photo collage creation, Layer-free editing, Journal organization, Cross-device syncing

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paper Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Paper Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Paper Pro | $7.99 | per 6 months |
| Paper Pro | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Paper Pro | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Paper Pro | $11.99 | per year |
| Paper Pro | $69.99 | per year |
| Paper Pro | $69.99 | per year |
| Paper Pro | $99.99 | per year |
| Paper Pro | $99.99 | per year |
| Paper Credit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Paper Credit Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Paper Credit Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic drawing experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 💡 Unique journal-like format
- 🎨 Great for sketching and doodling
- 📚 Useful for note-taking and organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription model for basic features
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 📥 Limited image import/export options
- 🎨 Lack of advanced drawing tools
- 🔀 Frustrating navigation changes

**Reported bugs**

- Pages disappearing or getting corrupted
- Unreliable cloud sync and data loss
- Erratic scrolling and navigation issues
- Inconsistent behavior of drawing tools
- Compatibility problems with Apple Pencil

**Requested features**

- Add text editing and formatting options
- Improve palm rejection and precision
- Implement layers and advanced compositing
- Allow more customization of journal pages
- Bring back popular features from older versions


### Widgetsmith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetsmith/id1523682319)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Free · Productivity, #120 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Personalize your device with highly customizable widgets for your home and lock screens. Showcase photos, track events, display weather, and launch apps directly from your widgets. Includes a wallpaper library and tools for theming.

**Highlights:** Customizable widgets, Home and lock screen personalization, Photo display, Event countdowns, Weather forecasts, App launching widgets, Theming tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable widgets
- 💡 Allows for aesthetic home screen design
- 🤩 Great for organizing and personalizing
- 🥰 Helpful for improving phone appearance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widgets turning grey or not working
- 🤔 Inability to remove 'Widgetsmith' label
- 🤨 Limited customization options for free users
- 😕 Inconsistent widget behavior

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets randomly turning grey or blank
- Calendar and time widgets not updating correctly
- App crashing or not opening
- Issues with photo widgets not displaying images

**Requested features**

- Ability to choose specific photos for widgets
- Option to adjust photo rotation interval
- Custom color selection tool
- Customizable widget labels
- Transparent widget backgrounds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paper free?

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

### Is Widgetsmith free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Paper or Widgetsmith?

Widgetsmith is rated higher. Paper averages 4.6 out of 5 from 73K ratings, while Widgetsmith averages 4.6 from 778K ratings.

### Do Paper or Widgetsmith have ads?

Widgetsmith shows ads; Paper does not.

### Which is updated more often, Paper or Widgetsmith?

Paper ships an update every 2 months, and Widgetsmith every 2 weeks. Most recently, Paper was updated on October 29, 2026 and Widgetsmith on October 29, 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.*