# graynotes vs Benchpad

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: graynotes at none against Benchpad's 1. graynotes also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). Benchpad's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Benchpad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. graynotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

graynotes ships an update every 5 days, Benchpad fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | graynotes | Benchpad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Fortnightly |
| Size | 10 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adam Van Lente](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828851960) | [Gagandeep Singh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864104544) |

## What reviewers say

### graynotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/graynotes-hold-that-thought/id6749127202)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Benchpad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/benchpad-scratchpad-notes/id6766779528)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Benchpad Pro | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is graynotes free?

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

### Is Benchpad free?

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

### Do graynotes or Benchpad have ads?

Neither graynotes nor Benchpad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, graynotes or Benchpad?

graynotes ships an update every 5 days, and Benchpad fortnightly. Most recently, graynotes was updated on October 2, 2026 and Benchpad on September 28, 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.*