# Sticky Notes vs Notes Writer

The clearest difference is monetization model: Notes Writer at free with in-app purchases against Sticky Notes's subscription. Notes Writer also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). Sticky Notes's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 45%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sticky Notes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Notes Writer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 — 4.4 for Sticky Notes against 4.5 for Notes Writer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6K and 7.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Sticky Notes's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's.

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, Notes Writer weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sticky Notes | Notes Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-free-note-taking/id608937293/reviews) | **[4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/id1423643723/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6K | **7.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.8% of reviews** | 45.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 166 MB | 371 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Epiphany Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/577389343) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### Sticky Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-free-note-taking/id608937293)

Capture ideas, create to-do lists, and set reminders with this versatile note-taking app. Supports handwritten notes, audio recordings, photos, and text. Organize notes with folders and share them easily.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes, Audio recordings, Photo attachments, Text notes, Widgets for home/lock screen, Customizable folders, Reminders with alarms

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One month subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Pack with 7 Day Trial | $1.99 | per month |
| Weekly Pack with 7 Day Trial | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Three months subscription | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Half-Yearly Subscription | $10.99 | per 6 months |
| One year subscription | $15.99 | per year |
| Annual Pack with 7 Day Trial | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plan | Free | one-time |
| Unlimited Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Task Paper Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Folder Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bonanza Pack | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful reminders
- 👍 Useful for organization
- 👍 Customizable notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 💰 Expensive
- 🤔 Limited free version

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing
- Freezing and crashing
- Formatting issues
- Sync problems

**Requested features**

- More customization options
- Improved sync and backup
- Better widget functionality
- Ability to rearrange notes
- Longer note length


### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/id1423643723)

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF editing solution for mobile devices. It allows users to write, format, and organize notes, annotate PDFs, fill forms, and scan documents. The app offers advanced editing tools, powerful search, and seamless sharing and export options.

**Highlights:** Write and format notes, Annotate PDFs and fill forms, Organize with unlimited notebooks, Powerful full-text search, Document scanning, Sync with cloud services, Export to multiple formats

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $2.99 | per month |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $14.99 | per year |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $5.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro Full Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth writing experience
- 💡 Versatile note-taking features
- 🔒 Good privacy
- 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
- 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
- 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
- Inability to recover deleted documents
- Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
- Syncing issues and broken links between documents

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes and pen customization options
- Improve the clipping/selection tool
- Implement OCR and handwriting search
- Provide a Mac version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sticky Notes free?

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

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

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

Notes Writer is rated higher. Sticky Notes averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do Sticky Notes or Notes Writer have ads?

Neither Sticky Notes nor Notes Writer shows ads.

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

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and Notes Writer weekly. Most recently, Sticky Notes was updated on September 22, 2026 and Notes Writer on September 24, 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.*