Comparison

Notebook vs Handwriting Memorandum

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Notebook

This app offers a natural journaling experience by organizing daily notes on a single page, allowing you to flip through your entries like a physical book. It prioritizes simplicity, security with passcode locks, and seamless iCloud synchronization for easy access across devices.

Highlights
  • Realistic page-turning effect
  • One page per day organization
  • iCloud sync and backup
  • Passcode lock with Face ID/Touch ID
  • Dark mode and font adjustment
  • Ad-free Premium option
Features
Read full description

Keep daily notes and diary entries together on one page. Turn pages like a book and revisit your past entries. Search, iCloud sync, and a passcode lock help you organize and access your notes. Core features are free; ad removal is a one-time purchase. ■ Your day on one page See the notes and diary entries you write each day together on one page. Swipe or tap to turn pages and look back on everyday moments and memories. ■ Find past entries Use the contents list or search to find a note you want to revisit. Change a note's date to record plans or past events. ■ Make reading and writing comfortable Adjust the text size or use Dark Mode. Copy, print, or share your notes. ■ Protect access with a passcode Lock access to your diary with a passcode. Face ID / Touch ID is available on supported devices. ■ Sync between devices with iCloud With iCloud sync enabled, notes synchronize automatically between devices using the same Apple Account. iCloud sync is enabled by default for new installations. iCloud Drive and Notebook's iCloud access must be enabled, with available storage and a network connection. Synchronization may take time. iCloud sync and device backups are separate features. Check your sync status and backups before changing devices. ■ Recover deleted notes Recover notes within 30 days of deletion from Recently Deleted in Settings. ■ Remove ads with a one-time purchase Core features are free. Premium removes ads with a one-time purchase, not a subscription. After changing devices, use Restore Purchases with the Apple Account used for your purchase. Over 2 million downloads worldwide. Rated 4.7 out of 5 from over 21,000 ratings across all countries and regions (October 2026). Capture your everyday moments, one page at a time.

About

Handwriting Memorandum

Easily capture your thoughts and ideas with a simple digital notebook. Draw sketches or jot down notes using your finger for quick and convenient input.

Highlights
  • Finger-based note-taking
  • Simple sketching functionality
  • Digital notebook
  • Quick input
  • Easy to use interface
Features
Read full description

You can take notes or draw simple sketches with your fingers using this app.

Screenshots

Notebook4 screens
Handwriting Memorandum3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Handwriting Memorandum at none against Notebook's 1. Handwriting Memorandum also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Notebook's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Handwriting Memorandum asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Handwriting Memorandum holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebook has 14K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 71% of Handwriting Memorandum's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notebook ships an update weekly, Handwriting Memorandum every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Notebook versus Handwriting Memorandum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotebookHandwriting Memorandum
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews — better71.4% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 12 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKoji ItoYuichi HARA

Customer experience

Notebook

All ratings14,321 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews276 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral12.3%
Negative15.2%

Handwriting Memorandum

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral28.6%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Notebook

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Deleting entries causes the app to crash
  • Long entries can cause the app to become unresponsive
  • Password feature doesn't always work as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to insert photos and attachments
  • Implement cloud sync and backup
  • Allow more formatting options (font, size, color, bold, italic, etc.)
  • Develop an iPad version with optimized layout
  • Add a search function to easily find past entries

Handwriting Memorandum

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Notebook

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$6.99
None

Handwriting Memorandum

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notebook free?
Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Handwriting Memorandum free?
Handwriting Memorandum is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Notebook or Handwriting Memorandum?
Handwriting Memorandum is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Handwriting Memorandum averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Notebook or Handwriting Memorandum have ads?
Both Notebook and Handwriting Memorandum show ads.
Which is updated more often, Notebook or Handwriting Memorandum?
Notebook ships an update weekly, and Handwriting Memorandum every 12 months. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 29, 2026 and Handwriting Memorandum on October 24, 2026.

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