Comparison

Atomic Notes vs Acto|Handwritten Planner

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

Head to head
About

Atomic Notes

Features
Read full description

Write Freely. Think Clearly. Stay Private. Atomic Notes, part of the Atomic Blend suite, is your privacy-first space to capture ideas, journal thoughts, and organize knowledge — all in one beautifully simple, end-to-end encrypted app. Why Atomic Notes? – Encrypted from the Ground Up – Your notes are secured with end-to-end encryption by default. – Lightweight & Distraction-Free – A clean, fast writing experience that lets you focus. – Organize Your Way – Use tags, folders, and search to stay on top of everything. – Sync Across Devices – Your notes, available anywhere — always private. – Unified with Atomic Blend – One subscription unlocks all apps in the suite. From fleeting thoughts to long-form writing, Atomic Notes helps you think and write with clarity — while keeping your data under your control. ----- About Atomic Blend Atomic Blend is a privacy-first, 100% open-source app suite that includes Atomic Task, Atomic Notes, and more — all designed to work together seamlessly under a single subscription. Built for people who value simplicity, transparency, and control, Atomic Blend is your alternative to bloated, data-hungry SaaS tools. No ads. No tracking. Just powerful tools that respect you. ----- Terms & Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://brandonguigo.notion.site/Politique-de-confidentialit-17591ec0b6688166b781cf05f89d3a2d

About

Acto|Handwritten Planner

Features
Read full description

Acto is a handwritten planner built for iPad. Open it like a paper notebook, write your goals, plan your week by hand, and find what you wrote later — across every page(premium). WHAT IS ACTO? A digital planner where every page is yours to draw on. Five sections work together: a Cover you sign yourself, a Projects index, one Detail page per project, a weekly two-page spread that updates with your calendar, and free Notes pages you can add anywhere. DESIGNED FOR APPLE PENCIL ・Pressure, tilt, and hover support ・Markup tool picker appears the moment your Pencil touches the page ・Palm rejection follows your iPadOS system setting ・Pencil 2 double-tap and Pencil Pro squeeze respect your system shortcut ・Undo, redo, lasso select, and clear page from the toolbar YOUR PLANNER, FOR YEARS The Cover and weekly spreads read your device's date, so the same planner carries from 2026 into 2027 and beyond. No yearly re-purchase, no migration, no "2026 edition" expiring on you. SEARCH YOUR HANDWRITING (PREMIUM) On-device OCR reads Japanese and English handwriting after you leave a page, then lets you search by word, date range, or section. Even rough notes become findable. Recognition runs locally with Apple's Vision framework — your handwriting never leaves your device. ICLOUD SYNC Sign in to iCloud and your planner appears on every iPad with the same Apple ID. Your data stays in your own iCloud — only you can see it. FOUR LIQUID GLASS THEMES (PREMIUM) Sand, Fog, Graphite, and Linen. Free users start with one theme; Premium unlocks all four to match your week or your room. EXPORT WHEN YOU NEED TO PDF export collects every page in order. Single pages export as PNG. Share via Files, Mail, AirDrop, or any Share Sheet target. PLANS ・Free: 3 projects, 10 pages, one theme, PDF / PNG export, every handwriting tool. ・Premium (¥600/month or ¥4,800/year): unlimited pages, all themes, Monthly View, OCR search, every sticker. ・Content Store: stickers WHO IS ACTO FOR? ・People who plan and journal by hand and want their iPad to feel like paper ・Founders, freelancers, and students tracking several projects in parallel ・Apple Pencil users who want a structured planner alongside the note-taking apps they already use ・Bullet journal practitioners who want digital search and sync on top of paper-style layouts PRIVACY Handwriting recognition runs on-device. iCloud sync uses your own iCloud account — only you can access your notes. Acto does not collect, sell, or analyze your notes. REQUIREMENTS iPad running iPadOS 18 or later. Apple Pencil recommended (1st generation, 2nd generation, USB-C, or Pencil Pro). LANGUAGES Japanese, English. TERMS OF USE (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Atomic Notes4 screens
Acto|Handwritten Planner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Acto|Handwritten Planner at every 4 days against Atomic Notes's monthly. Atomic Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, 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. Atomic Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Acto|Handwritten Planner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Atomic Notes ships an update monthly, Acto|Handwritten Planner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Atomic Notes versus Acto|Handwritten Planner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAtomic NotesActo|Handwritten Planner
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrandon GuigoMatsu LLC.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Atomic Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Cloud Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Cloud Yearly$34.991 Year
4 purchases

Acto|Handwritten Planner

Subscriptions2
  • Acto Premium - monthly$3.991 Month
  • Acto Premium - yearly$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Basic Stickers$1.99
  • Monthly View$1.99

Questions

Is Atomic Notes free?
Atomic Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Acto|Handwritten Planner free?
Acto|Handwritten Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Atomic Notes or Acto|Handwritten Planner have ads?
Neither Atomic Notes nor Acto|Handwritten Planner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Atomic Notes or Acto|Handwritten Planner?
Atomic Notes ships an update monthly, and Acto|Handwritten Planner every 4 days. Most recently, Atomic Notes was updated on September 18, 2026 and Acto|Handwritten Planner on September 8, 2026.

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