# PaperTrail vs Task Optimist

The clearest difference is price: Task Optimist at Free against PaperTrail's $19.99. Task Optimist also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). PaperTrail's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Task Optimist is free to download; PaperTrail costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PaperTrail ships an update every 10 days, Task Optimist monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PaperTrail | Task Optimist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papertrail-taskpaper-client/id6751271083/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **15** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [gingerbeardman](https://appshunter.io/developer/294611470) | [Adrian Hill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1695103750) |

## What reviewers say

### PaperTrail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papertrail-taskpaper-client/id6751271083)

This app provides a full TaskPaper editing experience on iOS and iPadOS, allowing you to manage projects, tasks, and notes using simple, flexible plain text files. Sync your work with iCloud and edit across devices, with powerful search and filtering capabilities.

**Highlights:** Full TaskPaper format support, OPML import, Distraction-free editing, Full query language search, Tag system with progress tracking, iOS Reminders integration, Shortcuts and Siri integration

**In-app purchases:** none


### Task Optimist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/task-optimist/id6751349703)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PaperTrail free?

PaperTrail costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Task Optimist free?

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

### Do PaperTrail or Task Optimist have ads?

Neither PaperTrail nor Task Optimist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PaperTrail or Task Optimist?

PaperTrail ships an update every 10 days, and Task Optimist monthly. Most recently, PaperTrail was updated on October 19, 2026 and Task Optimist on October 7, 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.*