# pdf vs Notes Writer

The clearest difference is rating: Notes Writer at 4.5 against pdf's 4.0. Notes Writer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). pdf's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. pdf sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Notes Writer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notes Writer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of pdf's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

pdf ships an update every 5 weeks, Notes Writer weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | pdf | Notes Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-for-iphone/id694946243/reviews) | **[4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/id1423643723/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **7.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **48.6% of reviews** | 45.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 109 MB | 811 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AMuseTec Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/342152781) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### pdf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-for-iphone/id694946243)

This app allows you to read and annotate PDF files on your iPhone with fast page turning and convenient finger-writing tools. Easily import PDFs and share your notes via email or cloud services.

**Highlights:** Fast PDF display and page turning, Finger-writing and annotation tools, Import PDFs via Dropbox, Email, iTunes, Categorized bookshelves with search, Export annotated PDFs, Password-protected bookshelves

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2-Month Pass | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1-Year Path | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime License | $4.99 | one-time |


### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/id1423643723)

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF editing solution for mobile devices. It allows users to write, format, and organize notes, annotate PDFs, fill forms, and scan documents. The app offers advanced editing tools, powerful search, and seamless sharing and export options.

**Highlights:** Write and format notes, Annotate PDFs and fill forms, Organize with unlimited notebooks, Powerful full-text search, Document scanning, Sync with cloud services, Export to multiple formats

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $3.99 | per month |
| Notes Writer Unlock All and AI | $14.99 | per year |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $5.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro Full Unlock | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth writing experience
- 💡 Versatile note-taking features
- 🔒 Good privacy
- 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
- 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
- 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
- Inability to recover deleted documents
- Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
- Syncing issues and broken links between documents

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes and pen customization options
- Improve the clipping/selection tool
- Implement OCR and handwriting search
- Provide a Mac version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is pdf free?

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

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, pdf or Notes Writer?

Notes Writer is rated higher. pdf averages 4.0 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do pdf or Notes Writer have ads?

pdf shows ads; Notes Writer does not.

### Which is updated more often, pdf or Notes Writer?

pdf ships an update every 5 weeks, and Notes Writer weekly. Most recently, pdf was updated on October 12, 2026 and Notes Writer on October 17, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*