# Notebook vs Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notes at none against Notebook's 5. Notes also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Notebook's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 9 respectively.

Notebook ships an update every 2 weeks, Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-note-taking/id6748007452/reviews) | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-simple-notepad/id6760331456/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 91 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Christopher Martin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823864832) | [Stijn Aa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1782102905) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-note-taking/id6748007452)

Create, organize, and manage text notes with a rich editor and powerful search. Capture ideas, scan documents, and attach files. Features include AI content generation and Face ID protected content.

**Highlights:** Rich text editing, Folder organization, Customizable tags, Powerful search, Document scanning (OCR), AI chatbot for content generation, Face ID protected content

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-simple-notepad/id6760331456)

Capture thoughts, reminders, and ideas in a secure, private space. Notes save automatically as you type, with fast search and optional biometric locking for your peace of mind. Organize with color-coding and choose from classic or modern themes.

**Highlights:** Automatic saving as you type, Biometric note locking (Face ID/fingerprint), Fast search across all notes, Color-coded organization, Lined paper mode, Modern and classic themes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebook free?

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

### Is Notes free?

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

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

Notes is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.1 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Notes averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do Notebook or Notes have ads?

Notes shows ads; Notebook does not.

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

Notebook ships an update every 2 weeks, and Notes weekly. Most recently, Notebook was updated on October 7, 2026 and Notes on October 3, 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.*