# FirstSeed Notes vs Parchment

The clearest difference is price: FirstSeed Notes at Free against Parchment's $4.99. FirstSeed Notes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Parchment's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ratings volume (314 vs 1). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

FirstSeed Notes is free to download; Parchment costs $4.99 up front. FirstSeed Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Parchment asks for nothing beyond the download.

FirstSeed Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Parchment has 314 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of FirstSeed Notes's written reviews are positive against 79% of Parchment's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

FirstSeed Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Parchment every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FirstSeed Notes | Parchment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstseed-notes/id6757331297/reviews)** | [4.8 (314 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parchment-agenda-and-daily-note/id6779987526/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **314** |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | **78.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#39** |
| Size | 116 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstSeed Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1321260277) | [Chris Lawley](https://appshunter.io/developer/6773534752) |

## What reviewers say

### FirstSeed Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firstseed-notes/id6757331297)

Capture thoughts, organize with notebooks and tags, and transform them into actionable ideas. Record audio, get AI-powered transcripts and summaries, and collaborate in real-time. Syncs across devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Markdown editor with smart formatting, Audio recording and AI transcription, AI-powered summarization and action items, Notebooks, sections, and tag organization, Real-time collaboration and sharing, iCloud sync across devices, Export notes as Markdown or PDF

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Team Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Personal Yearly | $26.99 | per year |
| Team Yearly | $95.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


### Parchment

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parchment-agenda-and-daily-note/id6779987526)

**Currently charting:** #39 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app combines your writing, plans, calendar events, and reminders into a single, private space. It offers a quiet environment for daily journaling, note-taking, and planning, with added support for handwriting and drawing on iPad.

**Highlights:** Daily journal entries by date, Calendar events alongside writing, Reminders in daily view, Apple Pencil handwriting and drawing, iCloud sync across devices, Widgets for quick agenda view, Export tools for writing backup

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FirstSeed Notes free?

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

### Is Parchment free?

Parchment costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FirstSeed Notes or Parchment?

FirstSeed Notes is rated higher. FirstSeed Notes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Parchment averages 4.8 from 314 ratings.

### Do FirstSeed Notes or Parchment have ads?

Neither FirstSeed Notes nor Parchment shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FirstSeed Notes or Parchment?

FirstSeed Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Parchment every 6 days. Most recently, FirstSeed Notes was updated on November 7, 2026 and Parchment on November 5, 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.*