# Freenotes® vs StarNote

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Freenotes® at 63K against StarNote's 94. Freenotes® also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). StarNote's advantage is review sentiment (74% vs 60%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Freenotes® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and StarNote sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Freenotes® against 4.6 for StarNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freenotes® has 63K ratings behind it against 94, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Freenotes®'s written reviews are positive against 74% of StarNote's.

Freenotes® ships an update weekly, StarNote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freenotes® | StarNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (63K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freenotes-ai-notes-taking/id6464237904/reviews)** | [4.6 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starnote-handwritten-notes/id6751570915/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **63K** | 94 |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | **74.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 711 MB | 422 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Free Notes AI Note Taker LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775767870) | [Onyx International Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527846836) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### StarNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starnote-handwritten-notes/id6751570915)

This app offers a realistic pen-on-paper handwriting experience on tablets with an infinite canvas for notes and sketches. It includes advanced layering, PDF annotation, and a robust organizer for efficient digital note-taking and planning.

**Highlights:** Realistic low-latency handwriting, Infinite canvas for unlimited space, Layered design for complex projects, Deep PDF annotation and markup, Robust file management and search, Lifetime access with one-time purchase, Free templates and digital assets

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StarNote AI Trial | $0.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $3.90 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $4.49 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $4.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $5.00 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $5.79 | one-time |
| StarNote Lifetime PRO | $5.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $6.69 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $6.79 | one-time |
| StarNote AI Plus | $6.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $7.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $8.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $9.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $9.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $10.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $11.49 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $11.90 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $12.99 | one-time |
| StarNote AI Pro | $22.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $38.90 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $42.90 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freenotes® free?

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

### Is StarNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Freenotes® or StarNote?

Freenotes® is rated higher. Freenotes® averages 4.7 out of 5 from 63K ratings, while StarNote averages 4.6 from 94 ratings.

### Do Freenotes® or StarNote have ads?

Neither Freenotes® nor StarNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Freenotes® or StarNote?

Freenotes® ships an update weekly, and StarNote every 2 weeks. Most recently, Freenotes® was updated on October 16, 2026 and StarNote on October 14, 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.*