# Benchpad vs Barely Notes

The clearest difference is device support: Benchpad at 3 against Barely Notes's 1. Benchpad also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Benchpad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year and Barely Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Benchpad ships an update fortnightly, Barely Notes every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Benchpad | Barely Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 11 days** |
| Size | 113 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gagandeep Singh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864104544) | [Ashley Cornette](https://appshunter.io/developer/6796440920) |

## What reviewers say

### Benchpad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/benchpad-scratchpad-notes/id6766779528)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Benchpad Pro | $9.99 | per year |


### Barely Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barely-notes/id6796440918)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bokashi Themes | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Benchpad free?

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

### Is Barely Notes free?

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

### Do Benchpad or Barely Notes have ads?

Neither Benchpad nor Barely Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Benchpad or Barely Notes?

Benchpad ships an update fortnightly, and Barely Notes every 11 days. Most recently, Benchpad was updated on October 25, 2026 and Barely Notes on October 8, 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.*