# Notestudio vs Simplify Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simplify Notes at none against Notestudio's 2. Notestudio's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (19 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notestudio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Simplify Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Notestudio against 5.0 for Simplify Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notestudio has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Notestudio ships an update every 10 days, Simplify Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notestudio | Simplify Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notestudio-note-taking-pdf/id6737322636/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **19** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 35 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lucky Clan](https://appshunter.io/developer/294866851) | [Mario Guzman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874125399) |

## 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 |


### Simplify Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857)

Capture and organize handwritten notes, notebooks, and PDFs in one place. Create unlimited notebooks, draw naturally with Apple Pencil, and import PDFs to study, plan, or research. Reduce clutter and enhance focus with a calm, organized system.

**Highlights:** Unlimited notebooks, Natural handwriting and drawing, Apple Pencil support, PDF import and annotation, Folder organization, Add images and tags, Quick search and PDF export

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notestudio free?

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

### Is Simplify Notes free?

Simplify Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Notestudio or Simplify Notes?

Simplify Notes is rated higher. Notestudio averages 4.9 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Simplify Notes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Notestudio or Simplify Notes have ads?

Simplify Notes shows ads; Notestudio does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notestudio or Simplify Notes?

Notestudio ships an update every 10 days, and Simplify Notes weekly. Most recently, Notestudio was updated on October 17, 2026 and Simplify Notes on September 30, 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.*