Comparison

Outline Memo vs Notepad

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Outline Memo

This app helps you create structured memos with a hierarchical outline format. Easily edit notes using swipe gestures and drag-and-drop functionality. It supports exporting to Notion and email, with options for customization and backup.

Highlights
  • Hierarchical outline creation
  • Drag-and-drop paragraph movement
  • Swipe-based hierarchy changes
  • Export to Notion and email
  • Dropbox backup and restore
  • Customizable background and text colors
  • Password protection
Features
Read full description

Outline Memo is an outline processor that allows you to easily create memos with a hierarchical structure. It is perfect for creating lengthy texts, essays, specifications, and more. You can edit your notes with simple swipe actions and drag-and-drop operations. == Main Features == * Create text as paragraphs * Move paragraphs with drag-and-drop * Change hierarchy with swipe operations * Insert contents from other memos * Undo insertions * Specify background and text colors * Backup and restore to Dropbox * Newly added export to Notion functionality * Send emails in text or OPML format * Protect contents with password settings * Categorize with "tags" * Search by color pattern * Sort memos by name or creation date * Move paragraphs to another memo * Copy memos * Copy paragraphs * Copy hierarchy

About

Notepad

Capture thoughts, create to-do lists, and organize ideas with a versatile digital notebook. Supports handwriting, text notes, and secure cloud syncing. Personalize your experience with custom themes and icons.

Highlights
  • Create to-do lists with checkboxes
  • Unlimited text notes
  • Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil
  • Organize notes into folders
  • Pin and sort notes
  • iCloud backup and sync
  • Advanced search functionality
Features
Read full description

Jot down notes and organize your ideas with Notepad—the classic notepad writing app designed for keeping track of everything that matters. [ TO-DO LISTS ] • Create beautiful task lists with interactive checkboxes to track your daily tasks and goals. • Drag and drop to reorder items—organize your to-dos exactly how you want them. • Enjoy the satisfying experience of checking off completed tasks as you get things done. • Perfect for shopping lists, daily chores, project tasks, and everything in between. [ NOTES ] • Create unlimited text notes with rich formatting—quickly and easily. • Tap anywhere to start typing—it's simple, fast, and always saved automatically. • Works perfectly in both light and dark mode. [ RICH TEXT FORMATTING ] • Style your notes with bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough. • Choose from 7 text colors and 7 highlight colors to make important details stand out. • Pick from 18 handpicked font families—each with proper bold and italic variants. • A convenient formatting toolbar sits right above the keyboard for fast access. • Switch fonts anytime—your existing formatting is preserved. [ HANDWRITTEN NOTES WITH APPLE PENCIL ] • Capture your thoughts naturally with fluid, responsive handwriting that feels like pen on paper. • Create beautiful handwritten notes, diagrams, and drawings with realistic ink flow and pressure sensitivity. • Choose from fountain pens, pencils, and highlighters with customizable colors for a personalized writing experience. • Enjoy our adaptive paper grid that works perfectly in any orientation or device. [ FOLDERS - ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES ] • Organize notes into folders and subfolders with a clean, nested structure. • Assign a unique color to each folder, making it simple to categorize and find notes at a glance. • Drag-and-drop to reorder, and move multiple notes easily. [ PIN & SORT NOTES ] • Pin important notes to the top and sort by date, custom order, or alphabetical order. [ BACKUP WITH ICLOUD ] • Keep notes safe with automatic backups and iCloud sync across your devices. [ PERSONALIZE YOUR NOTEPAD ] • Give your notepad a personal touch with unique app icons, custom colors, stylish fonts, and a sleek dark mode for night owls. [ FIND NOTES FAST ] • Use advanced search tools and text highlighting to track down exactly what you're looking for. [ KEEP YOUR NOTES SAFE ] • Lock your notes with FaceID or TouchID for extra privacy. [ SHARE & PRINT ] • Send your notes to other apps like Mail or WhatsApp, or print them directly from Notepad. [ PREMIUM FEATURES FOR POWER USERS ] • Go ad-free, unlock exclusive themes, and get advanced sorting options with Premium. Notepad combines the nostalgic feel of a simple notebook with the functionality of today's tech. Use Notepad for everything from brainstorming ideas and setting personal reminders to creating shopping lists, to-do lists, grocery lists, chores lists, appointment notes, class notes, daily goals, password hints, birthday reminders, packing lists, travel itineraries, and more. Write, organize, and stay on top of everything that matters—download Notepad now and stay productive your way! Terms of Use & Privacy Policy: https://www.oldnotepad.com/terms.

Screenshots

Outline Memo3 screens
Notepad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Notepad at 4.8 against Outline Memo's 2.5. Notepad also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (28K vs 2). Outline Memo's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Outline Memo sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Notepad sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notepad has 28K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Outline Memo's written reviews are positive against 84% of Notepad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Outline Memo ships an update every 2 months, Notepad every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Outline Memo versus Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOutline MemoNotepad
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (2 ratings)4.8 (28K ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews84.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings228K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuji Fujishiro1381802 Ontario Inc.

Customer experience

Outline Memo

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%

Notepad

All ratings28,224 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews961 reviews
Positive84.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative11.4%

Bugs and requests

Outline Memo

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Notepad

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notes randomly disappearing
  • Ads covering up the note-taking area

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add drawing/highlighting tools
  • Integrate with calendar and contacts
  • Ability to sort and organize notes
  • Option to password protect specific notes

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Outline Memo

One-time2
  • search memo content by key word$0.99
  • unlock memo count limit$2.99
7 purchases

Notepad

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Premium Membership$1.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Subscription$14.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Premium Subscription$17.991 Year
One-time3
  • Lifetime Premium Membership$19.99
  • Lifetime Premium Membership$29.99
  • Lifetime Premium Membership$39.99

Questions

Is Outline Memo free?
Outline Memo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notepad free?
Notepad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Outline Memo or Notepad?
Notepad is rated higher. Outline Memo averages 2.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Notepad averages 4.8 from 28K ratings.
Do Outline Memo or Notepad have ads?
Notepad shows ads; Outline Memo does not.
Which is updated more often, Outline Memo or Notepad?
Outline Memo ships an update every 2 months, and Notepad every 8 days. Most recently, Outline Memo was updated on September 10, 2026 and Notepad on September 27, 2026.

Other comparisons