# Sticky Notes vs Paper

The clearest difference is monetization model: Paper at free with in-app purchases against Sticky Notes's subscription. Paper also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Sticky Notes's advantage is ratings volume (6K vs 1.7K). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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 Paper sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Paper holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 72% and 72% positive.

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, Paper monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sticky Notes | Paper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-free-note-taking/id608937293/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6K** | 1.7K |
| Positive reviews | 71.8% of reviews | **72.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 166 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Epiphany Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/577389343) | [Mihhail Lapushkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143513743) |

## 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


### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841)

This app offers a clean and configurable writing environment for various creative projects. It supports Markdown and plain text, syncs with iCloud, and integrates with other tools. Users can publish drafts to popular blogging platforms and export documents in multiple formats.

**Highlights:** Gorgeous writing space, Silky-smooth typing, Deep personalization (Pro), Markdown or Plain Text support, iCloud sync, Publish to Medium, WordPress, Ghost, Export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, ePub

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Features | $29.99 | per month |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Features | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $99.99 | one-time |
| Pro Features | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Fantastic app
- 🎀 Great tool for writers
- 👍 Clean writing app
- 🤩 Awesome app
- 👍 Cute animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Lost files and documents
- 🐛 Cursor issues
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable

**Reported bugs**

- Files randomly disappearing
- Cursor issues causing freezes
- Syncing and iCloud integration problems

**Requested features**

- Add image support
- Improve file management and recovery
- Expand font and customization options
- Implement team/collaborative writing features
- Add text formatting options like italics and bold


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sticky Notes free?

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

### Is Paper free?

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

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

Paper is rated higher. Sticky Notes averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while Paper averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Sticky Notes or Paper have ads?

Neither Sticky Notes nor Paper shows ads.

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

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and Paper monthly. Most recently, Sticky Notes was updated on September 22, 2026 and Paper on September 23, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*