# JL Notepad vs Notes

The clearest difference is ads: JL Notepad at none against Notes's shown. Notes's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

JL Notepad ships an update every 5 months, Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JL Notepad | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Size | 1 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shanghai JL Technology Co. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890054905) | [ZHONGCHENG YANG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6794194980) |

## What reviewers say

### JL Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jl-notepad-simple-notes/id6762251262)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notepad-free-note-app/id6794194978)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JL Notepad free?

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

### Is Notes free?

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

### Do JL Notepad or Notes have ads?

Notes shows ads; JL Notepad does not.

### Which is updated more often, JL Notepad or Notes?

JL Notepad ships an update every 5 months, and Notes weekly. Most recently, JL Notepad was updated on October 9, 2026 and Notes on October 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.*