# Handwritten notes vs Note Always

The clearest difference is price: Handwritten notes at $0.99 against Note Always's $14.99. Handwritten notes also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Note Always's advantage is rating (3.9 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 39 months). On review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Handwritten notes costs $0.99 and Note Always $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Note Always holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Note Always has 27 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Handwritten notes's written reviews are positive against 68% of Note Always's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Handwritten notes ships an update every 39 months, Note Always every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handwritten notes | Note Always |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwritten-notes/id524640709/reviews) | **[3.9 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-always/id1108733742/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 68.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kiyoshi Koike](https://appshunter.io/developer/513590141) | [Always Sunny Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/572443468) |

## What reviewers say

### Handwritten notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwritten-notes/id524640709)

This app allows for quick and smooth handwritten note-taking with simple tools. You can choose from four colors, adjust line thickness, and easily erase or clear your notes. Save your creations as images.

**Highlights:** Smooth multi-finger writing, Four color options, Adjustable line thickness, Erase and clear functions, Save notes as images

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Note Always

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-always/id1108733742)

A dedicated notebook app optimized for Apple Pencil, offering a smooth writing experience and intuitive editing tools. Effortlessly organize thoughts, draft ideas, and modify content without switching tools.

**Highlights:** Outstanding writing feel, Circle, grab, and move content, Intuitive modification (erase, undo), Diagram creation, Photo editing, Drag and drop to other apps

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handwritten notes free?

Handwritten notes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Note Always free?

Note Always costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Handwritten notes or Note Always?

Note Always is rated higher. Handwritten notes averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Note Always averages 3.9 from 27 ratings.

### Do Handwritten notes or Note Always have ads?

Neither Handwritten notes nor Note Always shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Handwritten notes or Note Always?

Handwritten notes ships an update every 39 months, and Note Always every 2 weeks. Most recently, Handwritten notes was updated on October 8, 2026 and Note Always on October 15, 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.*