Comparison

n+otes vs Notepad

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

Head to head
About

n+otes

Capture thoughts and ideas instantly with a simple interface. Secure your notes with a private lock feature. Optional subscription removes ads and supports development.

Highlights
  • Quick note-taking
  • Private note lock
  • Ad-free experience (subscription)
  • Easy to use interface
Features
Read full description

Great for those quick notes! Just tap the + button and start typing! Subscribe for the Ad-free Experience: To support further development and maintenance of the app, we have a small subscription so you can use the app without advertising: A monthly, 3-monthly or yearly purchase will be applied to your iTunes account on confirmation. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime with your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered will be forfeited if you cancel a subscription. Terms: http://rieu.co.nz/terms.html Privacy Policy: http://rieu.co.nz/privacy.html

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

n+otes4 screens
Notepad4 screens

Verdict

The call

n+otes and Notepad both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Notepad's written reviews are positive against 64% of n+otes's. n+otes's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. n+otes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for n+otes against 4.8 for Notepad. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45K and 28K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of n+otes's written reviews are positive against 84% of Notepad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

n+otes ships an update fortnightly, Notepad every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
n+otes versus Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametern+otesNotepad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (45K ratings)4.8 (28K ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews84.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings45K — better28K
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRIEU Limited1381802 Ontario Inc.

Customer experience

n+otes

All ratings45,283 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews434 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral9.0%
Negative26.7%

Notepad

All ratings27,905 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews961 reviews
Positive84.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative11.4%

User reviews

n+otes

From 45K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 🚀 Efficient note-taking experience
  • 🔒 Secure with passcode protection
  • 💡 Customizable themes and backgrounds
  • 👍 Great for organizing thoughts and ideas

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 💰 Intrusive ads interrupting workflow
  • 🔋 Concerns about battery drain
  • 🔒 Lack of cross-device syncing

Notepad

From 28K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 📝 Useful for notes, lists, and reminders
  • 🎨 Customizable font and color options
  • 💾 Reliable for storing important information
  • 🔍 Helpful search functionality

Room to improve

  • 💰 Premium subscription required to remove ads
  • 🐛 Occasional data loss or note disappearance
  • 📤 Lack of sharing or exporting options
  • 🔒 No password protection for individual notes

Bugs and requests

n+otes

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Notes disappearing or getting lost
  • Inability to delete notes on Apple Watch
  • Scrolling issues and text freezing at the bottom
  • Inconsistent behavior after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to sync notes across devices
  • More font and formatting options
  • Folder or category organization
  • Voice-to-text functionality
  • Ability to insert images and attachments

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

4 purchases

n+otes

Subscriptions3
  • Ad-free Experience (Monthly)$0.491 Month
  • Ad-free Experience (3 Months)$0.993 Months
  • Ad-free Experience (1 Year)$3.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads$19.99
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 n+otes free?
n+otes 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, n+otes or Notepad?
Notepad is rated higher. n+otes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 45K ratings, while Notepad averages 4.8 from 28K ratings.
Do n+otes or Notepad have ads?
Both n+otes and Notepad show ads.
Which is updated more often, n+otes or Notepad?
n+otes ships an update fortnightly, and Notepad every 8 days. Most recently, n+otes was updated on September 24, 2026 and Notepad on September 24, 2026.

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