# Notes vs ScribblePad

The clearest difference is ads: ScribblePad at none against Notes's shown. ScribblePad also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Notes's advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScribblePad holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Notes ships an update every 8 months, ScribblePad every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes | ScribblePad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-notebook/id6746961597/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribblepad-notes-and-pdf/id6778096521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 2 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 28 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nguyen Thanh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634978580) | [Sagar Seth](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778096523) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-notebook/id6746961597)

This app helps you create, organize, and manage daily notes, to-do lists, and reminders with a clean, user-friendly interface. It's designed for distraction-free writing and staying focused on your tasks and ideas.

**Highlights:** Create and edit notes, Manage task lists with checkboxes, Set reminders, Supports dark mode, Intuitive design

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ScribblePad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scribblepad-notes-and-pdf/id6778096521)

A private, free note-taking and PDF annotation app for Apple devices. It offers natural handwriting, organization tools, and optional cloud backup to your own storage. Enjoy a distraction-free experience with no accounts or tracking.

**Highlights:** Natural handwriting with Apple Pencil, PDF annotation and markup, Organize notes with subjects and notebooks, On-device handwriting search (OCR), Audio recording synced to notes, Optional Google Drive/iCloud backup, Offline functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes free?

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

### Is ScribblePad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes or ScribblePad?

ScribblePad is rated higher. Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while ScribblePad averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Notes or ScribblePad have ads?

Notes shows ads; ScribblePad does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notes or ScribblePad?

Notes ships an update every 8 months, and ScribblePad every 4 days. Most recently, Notes was updated on September 17, 2026 and ScribblePad on September 23, 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.*