# Simplify Notes vs Papyrus

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simplify Notes at none against Papyrus's 2. Simplify Notes also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Papyrus's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Papyrus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Simplify Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simplify Notes ships an update weekly, Papyrus every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplify Notes | Papyrus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 13 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mario Guzman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874125399) | [waraku kobayashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892218372) |

## What reviewers say

### Simplify Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplify-notes-pdf-notebook/id6758640857)

Capture and organize handwritten notes, notebooks, and PDFs in one place. Create unlimited notebooks, draw naturally with Apple Pencil, and import PDFs to study, plan, or research. Reduce clutter and enhance focus with a calm, organized system.

**Highlights:** Unlimited notebooks, Natural handwriting and drawing, Apple Pencil support, PDF import and annotation, Folder organization, Add images and tags, Quick search and PDF export

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Papyrus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papyrus-notes-pdf/id6779149036)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Papyrus Sync Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Papyrus Sync Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplify Notes free?

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

### Is Papyrus free?

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

### Do Simplify Notes or Papyrus have ads?

Simplify Notes shows ads; Papyrus does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simplify Notes or Papyrus?

Simplify Notes ships an update weekly, and Papyrus every 4 days. Most recently, Simplify Notes was updated on September 30, 2026 and Papyrus 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.*