# Notes for iPad vs Notely

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notely at none against Notes for iPad's 6. Notely also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Notes for iPad's advantage is ratings volume (99 vs 8). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes for iPad sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Notely asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notes for iPad holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes for iPad has 99 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Notes for iPad's written reviews are positive against 33% of Notely's.

Notes for iPad ships an update every 2 weeks, Notely every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes for iPad | Notely |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (99 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-for-ipad-pencil-notes/id6757370665/reviews)** | [4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-notes-and-pdf-app/id6760985471/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **99** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 14 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brite Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620922833) | [JUSTIN WEI SUN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874016949) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes for iPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-for-ipad-pencil-notes/id6757370665)

Transform your iPad into a digital notebook with a natural writing experience using Apple Pencil. Organize your life with over 60 templates, add stickers, and sync across devices. Perfect for students, professionals, and creatives.

**Highlights:** Natural handwriting with Apple Pencil, 60+ professionally designed templates, Extensive sticker library and import options, Unlimited notebooks with custom covers, iCloud sync across devices, Export notes as PDF

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notes for iPad - weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Plus | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $17.99 | per month |
| Notes for iPad for a year | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $39.99 | one-time |


### Notely

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notely-notes-and-pdf-app/id6760985471)

This app offers a private and flexible digital notebook for handwriting, typed notes, and PDF annotation. Convert handwriting to editable text, draw with precision tools, and organize your work with folders and backups. Keep ideas accessible without an account or internet connection.

**Highlights:** Handwriting to editable text conversion, Precision drawing tools, PDF annotation and markup, Organized library with folders, On-device search, Portable backups

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes for iPad free?

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

### Is Notely free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes for iPad or Notely?

Notes for iPad is rated higher. Notes for iPad averages 4.6 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while Notely averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.

### Do Notes for iPad or Notely have ads?

Neither Notes for iPad nor Notely shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notes for iPad or Notely?

Notes for iPad ships an update every 2 weeks, and Notely every 4 days. Most recently, Notes for iPad was updated on October 13, 2026 and Notely on October 13, 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.*