Comparison

ScribblePad vs Spider Notes

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Spider Notes

Features
Read full description

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

ScribblePad4 screens
Spider Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
ScribblePad versus Spider Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScribblePadSpider Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSagar SethLuke Mclaughlin

In-app purchases

None

ScribblePad

No in-app purchases

None

Spider Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ScribblePad free?
ScribblePad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spider Notes free?
Spider Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ScribblePad or Spider Notes have ads?
Neither ScribblePad nor Spider Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScribblePad or Spider Notes?
ScribblePad ships an update every 4 days, and Spider Notes every 4 days. Most recently, ScribblePad was updated on October 9, 2026 and Spider Notes on October 16, 2026.

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