# Notestudio vs Pensieve Note

Notestudio and Pensieve Note both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Pensieve Note's written reviews are positive against 91% of Notestudio's. Notestudio's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 5). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notestudio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year and Pensieve Note sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Notestudio against 5.0 for Pensieve Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 5 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Notestudio's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pensieve Note's.

Notestudio ships an update every 10 days, Pensieve Note fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notestudio | Pensieve Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notestudio-note-taking-pdf/id6737322636/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pensieve-note/id6758640774/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.5** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lucky Clan](https://appshunter.io/developer/294866851) | [Mena Soliman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364321200) |

## What reviewers say

### Notestudio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notestudio-note-taking-pdf/id6737322636)

Capture, organize, and create notes with a blend of analog feel and digital power. Annotate PDFs, add media, and export in various formats. Offers advanced drawing tools and a customizable interface for focused work.

**Highlights:** Multi-page note creation, PDF markup and annotation, Flexible note sizes and paper styles, Organize with custom folders, Export to PDF, PNG, HEIC, JPEG, Low-latency drawing with sensitivity, Customizable workspace

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Subscription | $1.99 | per year |
| Lifetime License | $9.99 | one-time |


### Pensieve Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pensieve-note/id6758640774)

Capture and organize your thoughts with a unique note-taking experience. Pin notes to real-world locations using augmented reality, set location-based reminders, and secure private thoughts with a hidden folder. Offers rich text formatting, drawing, voice notes, and powerful organization tools.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality note placement, Location-based reminders, Hidden folder for private notes, Rich text formatting and drawing, Voice notes with transcription, One-sentence journaling timeline, Custom folders and tagging

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pensieve Note Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Pensieve Note Pro | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notestudio free?

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

### Is Pensieve Note free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notestudio or Pensieve Note?

Pensieve Note is rated higher. Notestudio averages 5.0 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Pensieve Note averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Notestudio or Pensieve Note have ads?

Neither Notestudio nor Pensieve Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notestudio or Pensieve Note?

Notestudio ships an update every 10 days, and Pensieve Note fortnightly. Most recently, Notestudio was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pensieve Note on November 5, 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.*