Comparison

The Stack vs Notepad

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

Head to head
About

The Stack

This app offers a straightforward approach to managing tasks and capturing thoughts. It utilizes a single list of text-based notes organized with hashtags for easy retrieval and organization.

Highlights
  • Simple text-based notes
  • Hashtag organization
  • Easy idea capture
  • To-do list management
  • Streamlined interface
Read full description

The Stack is a different take on To-Do List management. It favours simplicity, and encourages easy capture of your thoughts ("notes to self") as you have them. It uses a single list of simple text-based notes, organised using #hashtags.

About

Notepad

Features
Read full description

Capture ideas, tasks, and memories effortlessly. Notepad is beautifully designed for daily writing, planning, and staying organized. Features Quick notes and rich text editing Daily journal and diary To-do lists and checklists Reminders for important tasks and dates Beautiful themes with Light & Dark Mode Fast search across all your notes Password protection for private notes Custom fonts and font sizes Handwritten notes and sketches Organize notes with categories Whether it's a quick thought, shopping list, meeting note, or detailed plan, Notepad keeps everything organized in one place. Premium Subscription Weekly Premium – $5.99/week Monthly Premium – $19.99/month Yearly Premium – $149.99/year Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime from your Apple Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://altranotes.blogspot.com/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

The Stack4 screens
Notepad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: The Stack at none against Notepad's shown. Notepad's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases 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. The Stack sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Notepad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Stack ships an update every 5 weeks, Notepad every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
The Stack versus Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe StackNotepad
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB58 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperElegant Chaos LimitedHevin Technoweb LLP

In-app purchases

3 purchases

The Stack

One-time3
  • Fresh Straw$0.99
  • A Nice Juicy Carrot$2.99
  • Deluxe Hamster Wheel$9.99
3 purchases

Notepad

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Pro Access3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • Monthly Pro Access3 Days trial$20.991 Month
  • yearly Pro Access3 Days trial$149.991 Year

Questions

Is The Stack free?
The Stack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notepad free?
Notepad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do The Stack or Notepad have ads?
Notepad shows ads; The Stack does not.
Which is updated more often, The Stack or Notepad?
The Stack ships an update every 5 weeks, and Notepad every 2 weeks. Most recently, The Stack was updated on June 1, 2026 and Notepad on September 24, 2026.

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