# BoardNotes vs Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BoardNotes at 80% against Notes's 0%. BoardNotes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (117 vs 3). Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BoardNotes sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Notes sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BoardNotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BoardNotes has 117 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of BoardNotes's written reviews are positive against 0% of Notes's.

BoardNotes ships an update every 2 weeks, Notes every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BoardNotes | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (117 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boardnotes-notes-pdf-docs/id6448847544/reviews)** | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-note-taking-and-writing/id6502620869/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **117** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 342 MB | 180 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chongqing Ouluowa Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686544790) | [Lutech-DN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1700646669) |

## What reviewers say

### BoardNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boardnotes-notes-pdf-docs/id6448847544)

This app combines note-taking, whiteboarding, PDF management, mind mapping, and flashcards into a single, versatile tool. It offers a rich set of handwriting and drawing features, supports various media types, and includes an intelligent flashcard system for efficient learning.

**Highlights:** Integrated whiteboard, notebook, PDF, mind map, and flashcards, Extensive handwriting pen and brush options, Lasso tool and pixel/object eraser, Whiteboard with media cards and auxiliary tools, Notebooks and PDFs with import/export and page management, Mind mapping with customizable nodes and structures, Spaced repetition flashcards with SuperMemo algorithm

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 days membership | $0.99 | one-time |
| Math Formula Recognition | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 month membership | $1.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $4.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $6.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $6.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 All-in-one app
- 💡 Feature-rich note-taking
- ✍️ Excellent Apple Pencil integration
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🚀 Smooth performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔥 Device gets hot
- 🐛 Data loss (whiteboards erased)
- 🚫 No automatic backup
- 🔍 Limited search functions

**Reported bugs**

- Whiteboards erasing automatically
- No automatic backup leading to data loss
- Syncing issues between iPad and Mac
- Pencil tip not appearing on PDF annotations
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- Sync to Google Drive/other cloud services
- Faster 'add to cards' function
- View carded items in sidebar
- Color coding for pins
- Image opacity adjustment


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-note-taking-and-writing/id6502620869)

Capture ideas, create to-do lists, and sketch designs with a versatile digital notebook. Customize your notes with various paper templates, stickers, fonts, and colors. Effortlessly organize and share your work as PDFs.

**Highlights:** Customizable paper covers and templates, Multimedia tools: pencil, text, photos, Vector-based digital pencil for drawing, Hundreds of font and color options, Organize notes with custom titles and covers, Export notes as PDF

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| quarterly | $2.49 | per 3 months |
| Premium Year | $3.49 | per year |
| Loyalty member | $3.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BoardNotes free?

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

### Is Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BoardNotes or Notes?

BoardNotes is rated higher. BoardNotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117 ratings, while Notes averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do BoardNotes or Notes have ads?

BoardNotes shows ads; Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, BoardNotes or Notes?

BoardNotes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Notes every 2 days. Most recently, BoardNotes was updated on November 14, 2026 and Notes on November 4, 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.*