ScribblePad vs Spider Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ScribblePad
A private, free note-taking and PDF annotation app for Apple devices. It offers natural handwriting, organization tools, and optional cloud backup to your own storage. Enjoy a distraction-free experience with no accounts or tracking.
- Natural handwriting with Apple Pencil
- PDF annotation and markup
- Organize notes with subjects and notebooks
- On-device handwriting search (OCR)
- Audio recording synced to notes
- Optional Google Drive/iCloud backup
- Offline functionality
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The free, private note app for iPhone, iPad & Mac. No subscription, no account, no tracking — just fast handwriting, PDF markup, and backup to YOUR own cloud. Write naturally with Apple Pencil, organize notes into colorful subjects, and keep everything synced to your own Google Drive or iCloud. Nothing lives on our servers — your notes stay yours. WRITING & TOOLS • Smooth, low-latency ink (PencilKit) — pen, pencil, highlighter, eraser, lasso • Pinch to zoom, palm rejection, and ruler • Add text boxes, shapes, images, and stickers on top of your ink ORGANIZE • Subjects → notebooks → pages, drag to reorder • Templates: blank, ruled, grid, dotted + your own custom pages • Search your handwriting instantly with on-device OCR PDF & IMPORT/EXPORT • Import and annotate PDFs • Export as PDF, PNG, or the native .scribble format • Share notes with other ScribblePad users AUDIO • Record audio synced to your strokes — replay your notes in time PRIVATE BACKUP & SYNC (OPTIONAL) • Back up to your own Google Drive (the app only sees files it creates) or iCloud • Works fully offline — the cloud is yours, not ours No sign-up. No ads. No data collection. Just a beautiful place to think.
Spider Notes
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Spider Notes turns your thinking into a spider web. Start with a central idea and watch related thoughts radiate outward on clean radial spokes, with sibling ideas linked by concentric rings of silk. It is a spatial, visual way to take notes, brainstorm, plan, and revise. FEATURES • Strict spider-web canvas with automatic layout • Pan and pinch-to-zoom for webs of any size • Per-branch colour coding • Recall mode for active-recall study • Light and dark appearance • Export any web as an image or PDF • Private by design, with notes stored locally • Native support for iPhone, iPad, and Mac Spider Notes is free. No account, purchase, or subscription is required. Privacy Policy: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/privacy Support: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/support SUBSCRIPTION AND TERMS Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ScribblePad at 17.0 against Spider Notes's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ScribblePad | Spider Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sagar Seth | Luke Mclaughlin |
In-app purchases
ScribblePad
No in-app purchases
Spider Notes
No in-app purchases









