# Summary vs StarNote

The clearest difference is ads: StarNote at none against Summary's shown. StarNote also leads on ratings volume (94 vs 12). Summary's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 74%) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Summary sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days and StarNote sells 21 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Summary against 4.6 for StarNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarNote has 94 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Summary's written reviews are positive against 74% of StarNote's.

Summary ships an update every 6 days, StarNote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Summary | StarNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/summary-ai-note-taker-notimo/id6749896503/reviews)** | [4.6 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starnote-handwritten-notes/id6751570915/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **94** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 73.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 185 MB | 422 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lester Johnson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876154470) | [Onyx International Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1527846836) |

## What reviewers say

### Summary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/summary-ai-note-taker-notimo/id6749896503)

This app uses AI to transcribe audio and text, generating concise summaries and study tools like flashcards. It helps users capture, understand, and remember information from lectures, meetings, and other sources.

**Highlights:** AI transcription of audio and text, Automatic content summarization, Flashcard and quiz generation, Personal knowledge library, Camera text scanning, Link integration for webinars

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Week | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Week | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Month subscription | $29.99 | per month |
| Month subscription | $29.99 | per month |
| Year subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Lecture AI Note Taker, Summary | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Year subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| Year subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| Lecture AI Note Taker, Summary | $24.99 | one-time |


### StarNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starnote-handwritten-notes/id6751570915)

This app offers a realistic pen-on-paper handwriting experience on tablets with an infinite canvas for notes and sketches. It includes advanced layering, PDF annotation, and a robust organizer for efficient digital note-taking and planning.

**Highlights:** Realistic low-latency handwriting, Infinite canvas for unlimited space, Layered design for complex projects, Deep PDF annotation and markup, Robust file management and search, Lifetime access with one-time purchase, Free templates and digital assets

**In-app purchases (21)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StarNote AI Trial | $0.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $3.90 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $4.49 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $4.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $5.00 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $5.79 | one-time |
| StarNote Lifetime PRO | $5.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $6.69 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $6.79 | one-time |
| StarNote AI Plus | $6.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $7.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $8.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $9.79 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $9.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $10.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $11.49 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $11.90 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $12.99 | one-time |
| StarNote AI Pro | $22.99 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $38.90 | one-time |
| Templates\Stickers | $42.90 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Summary free?

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

### Is StarNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Summary or StarNote?

Summary is rated higher. Summary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while StarNote averages 4.6 from 94 ratings.

### Do Summary or StarNote have ads?

Summary shows ads; StarNote does not.

### Which is updated more often, Summary or StarNote?

Summary ships an update every 6 days, and StarNote every 2 weeks. Most recently, Summary was updated on September 10, 2026 and StarNote on September 22, 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.*