Comparison

OpenNotes vs Notes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

OpenNotes

Create handwritten notes, import and annotate PDFs, and organize your thoughts with folders. This free, open-source app prioritizes privacy by keeping all your data local and on your device.

Highlights
  • Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil
  • PDF import and annotation
  • Folder-based organization
  • Add images and text
  • Local-first data storage
  • Export and share notes
Features
Read full description

OpenNotes is a simple, free, open-source notes app built for handwriting, PDFs, and focused organization. Create notebooks, import PDFs, write with Apple Pencil, add images or text, organize notes into folders, and export your work when you need it. OpenNotes is local-first and privacy focused. There are no accounts, no analytics, no tracking, no cloud sync, and your notes never leave your device unless you choose to export or share them.

About

Notes

Features
Read full description

Your notes. Your aesthetic. Aesthetic Notes is not an ordinary notes app. Here every note gets its own paper, its own type and its own colour – and, if you like, a strip of tape, a wax seal or punch holes along the edge. What comes out doesn't look like a form. It looks like something off your desk. THE SAME NOTES EVERYWHERE – AND THE SAME DESIGN iCloud keeps your notes on iPhone, iPad and Mac at once. Not just the text: paper, type, colour, trimmings and image crop travel with them. A note you design in the evening looks exactly the same on your other device in the morning. Nothing gets reformatted, nothing goes missing. Everything stays private in your own iCloud. FOUR KINDS OF NOTES • Text note with weight, alignment and bullets • To-do list to tick off, with a reminder for each item • Table for plans, weeks and overviews • Picture note with a clean crop DESIGN IT UNTIL IT FEELS RIGHT Ten paper colours from cream to sage. Blank, lined or grid. Seventeen typefaces from plain to handwriting. Plus around thirty trimmings: tape, wax seals, pins, paper clips, punch holes, torn edges, decorative frames and bows. Found a combination you love? Save it in the Style Studio as your own style and apply it to any other note with a single tap. ON YOUR HOME SCREEN Any note can go on your Home Screen as a widget – in three sizes and in its own design. Your shopping list ends up where you're already looking. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Individual notes can be locked with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. A locked note stays milky – lovely to look at, impossible to read. DRAWING Pen, marker, pencil and eraser. On iPad with Apple Pencil too. ON MAC AS WELL Aesthetic Notes is also available for macOS. There your notes sit right on the desktop, free to place anywhere, and they can turn transparent. FREE AND PRO Aesthetic Notes is free. Pro unlocks custom colours with an eyedropper, your own images as note backgrounds, the Design Collection and more typefaces. Try it free for seven days. Privacy Policy: https://notes-privacy-museandmethod.sofia-schuster02.chatgpt.site/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ das noch in deutsch. danke dir für alles ich schaue leich. ich brauche ein werbetext für die mac version noch bitte in beide sprachen

Screenshots

OpenNotes4 screens
Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenNotes at none against Notes's 3. OpenNotes also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. OpenNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
OpenNotes versus Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenNotesNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (16 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMark MillerSofia Schuster

In-app purchases

None

OpenNotes

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Notes Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Notes Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Notes Pro Lifetime$79.99

Questions

Is OpenNotes free?
OpenNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notes free?
Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do OpenNotes or Notes have ads?
Neither OpenNotes nor Notes shows ads.

Other comparisons