# Sticky Notes vs Freenotes®

The clearest difference is monetization model: Freenotes® at free with in-app purchases against Sticky Notes's subscription. Freenotes® also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Sticky Notes's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 60%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sticky Notes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Freenotes® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Freenotes® holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freenotes® has 61K ratings behind it against 6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Sticky Notes's written reviews are positive against 60% of Freenotes®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, Freenotes® weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sticky Notes | Freenotes® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-free-note-taking/id608937293/reviews) | **[4.7 (61K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freenotes-ai-notes-taking/id6464237904/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6K | **61K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.8% of reviews** | 59.6% 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 | 704 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Epiphany Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/577389343) | [Free Notes AI Note Taker LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775767870) |

## 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


### Freenotes®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freenotes-ai-notes-taking/id6464237904)

This AI-powered digital notepad transforms your device into an intelligent workspace. It offers handwriting recognition, PDF annotation, and AI assistance for summarizing documents, answering questions, and aiding in study. Organize notes, sketch ideas, and sync across devices for a seamless paperless experience.

**Highlights:** AI Summaries and Chat with PDFs, AI Homework and Study Helper, Handwritten Note Organization, OCR Search and PDF Annotation, Infinite Canvas and Shape Recognition, Active Recall Tape and Flashcards, Picture-in-Picture Video Note-Taking

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Freenotes Weekly Plus Member | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Freenotes Weekly Pro Member | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Freenotes AI Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Freenotes Yearly Plus Member | $9.99 | per year |
| Freenotes Yearly Plus Member | $9.99 | per year |
| Monthly Pro Member Promotion | $19.99 | per month |
| Freenotes Monthly Pro Member | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Freenotes AI Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Freenotes Yearly Pro Member | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Pro Member Discount | $39.99 | per year |
| Freenotes Yearly Pro Member | $39.99 | per year |
| Marketplace Content | $1.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $2.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $3.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $9.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $10.99 | one-time |
| Freenotes Remove Ads | $29.99 | one-time |
| Freenotes Plus Member Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Completely free app with no ads or in-app purchases
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 📚 Comprehensive note-taking features (layers, templates, stickers, etc.)
- 🎨 Highly customizable (colors, fonts, covers, etc.)
- 🗂️ Excellent organization tools (folders, notebooks, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional issues with syncing and iCloud backup
- 🖌️ Limited customization options for pen/pencil settings
- 🔍 Lack of handwriting recognition and search
- 🔗 No support for external links or clickable content
- 🔀 Difficulty in rearranging or splitting notebooks

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional freezing or lagging when writing/drawing
- Issues with the shape recognition tool not working as expected
- Problems with the eraser tool not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add handwriting recognition and search functionality
- Improve iCloud sync and backup capabilities
- Expand pen/pencil customization options
- Implement support for external links and clickable content
- Introduce features for easier notebook organization and splitting


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sticky Notes free?

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

### Is Freenotes® free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sticky Notes or Freenotes®?

Freenotes® is rated higher. Sticky Notes averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while Freenotes® averages 4.7 from 61K ratings.

### Do Sticky Notes or Freenotes® have ads?

Neither Sticky Notes nor Freenotes® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sticky Notes or Freenotes®?

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and Freenotes® weekly. Most recently, Sticky Notes was updated on September 28, 2026 and Freenotes® on September 30, 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.*