# Loose Leaf vs Charcoal

The clearest difference is rating: Charcoal at 4.5 against Loose Leaf's 4.2. Charcoal also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 68%) and device support (4 vs 1). Loose Leaf's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Charcoal holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 57 and 144 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Loose Leaf's written reviews are positive against 77% of Charcoal's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Loose Leaf | Charcoal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loose-leaf/id625659452/reviews) | **[4.5 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 57 | **144** |
| Positive reviews | 67.9% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 60 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Milestone Made, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476538400) | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) |

## What reviewers say

### Loose Leaf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loose-leaf/id625659452)

Capture your thoughts, sketches, and ideas with an intuitive digital notebook. Offers unlimited pages, customizable templates, and easy import/export options. Its simple interface mimics the feel of pen and paper for effortless creativity.

**Highlights:** Unlimited pages, Customizable templates, Image and PDF import, Moveable scraps with scissors tool, Ruler and protractor tool, Sidebar scrap drawer, Export and share options

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and functional
- 💡 Versatile for various uses
- ✨ Mimics real-life experience
- 🎨 Customizable paper/templates
- ✍️ Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unadjustable eraser size
- 🐛 No landscape mode support
- 🐛 Difficult to use for left-handed users
- 🐛 Laggy performance
- 🐛 No text box insertion

**Reported bugs**

- Does not rotate to landscape view
- Sidebar makes writing difficult on the left
- Cannot insert text box
- Cannot crop pictures
- No way to delete projects

**Requested features**

- Adjustable eraser size
- RGB color selector for pencil
- PDF as paper template
- Text box insertion
- Crop pictures in square/rectangle


### Charcoal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484)

This app offers a simple yet powerful sketching experience with rich tools and beautiful color palettes. Easily create and export your artwork for use in other graphics programs. It supports modern iOS features like multiple windows and dark mode for enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Simple sketching interface, Rich drawing tools, Beautiful color palettes, Export sketches, Multiple window support, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Great for quick sketching
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Limited color palette
- 🎨 Lack of customization options
- 🎨 Missing advanced drawing tools
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Saved sketches lose quality
- Palette colors change unexpectedly
- Freezing when opening color palette

**Requested features**

- Ability to change brush/pen size
- Layers and blending tools
- Color wheel and custom color selection
- Import/export options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Loose Leaf free?

Loose Leaf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Charcoal free?

Charcoal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Loose Leaf or Charcoal?

Charcoal is rated higher. Loose Leaf averages 4.2 out of 5 from 57 ratings, while Charcoal averages 4.5 from 144 ratings.

### Do Loose Leaf or Charcoal have ads?

Neither Loose Leaf nor Charcoal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Loose Leaf or Charcoal?

Loose Leaf ships an update every 2 months, and Charcoal every 2 months. Most recently, Loose Leaf was updated on October 15, 2026 and Charcoal on October 17, 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.*