# Notepad vs Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notes at none against Notepad's 7. Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (641K vs 28K). Notepad's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 51%) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 9 months). On price and rating there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notepad sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Notepad against 4.8 for Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes has 641K ratings behind it against 28K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Notepad's written reviews are positive against 51% of Notes's.

Notepad ships an update every 8 days, Notes every 9 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notepad | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-easy-notes-and-memos/id725368535/reviews) | [4.8 (641K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 28K | **641K** |
| Positive reviews | **84.1% of reviews** | 51.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 100 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [1381802 Ontario Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318613521) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notepad-easy-notes-and-memos/id725368535)

Capture thoughts, create to-do lists, and organize ideas with a versatile digital notebook. Supports handwriting, text notes, and secure cloud syncing. Personalize your experience with custom themes and icons.

**Highlights:** Create to-do lists with checkboxes, Unlimited text notes, Handwritten notes with Apple Pencil, Organize notes into folders, Pin and sort notes, iCloud backup and sync, Advanced search functionality

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $17.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium Membership | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Membership | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Membership | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📝 Useful for notes, lists, and reminders
- 🎨 Customizable font and color options
- 💾 Reliable for storing important information
- 🔍 Helpful search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Premium subscription required to remove ads
- 🐛 Occasional data loss or note disappearance
- 📤 Lack of sharing or exporting options
- 🔒 No password protection for individual notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing
- Ads covering up the note-taking area

**Requested features**

- Add drawing/highlighting tools
- Integrate with calendar and contacts
- Ability to sort and organize notes
- Option to password protect specific notes


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109)

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and important information with a versatile note-taking app. Attach various file types, scan documents, create checklists, and even sketch directly within your notes. Organize with folders, tags, and smart searches, and collaborate with others on shared notes.

**Highlights:** Add attachments (PDFs, images, links), Scan paper documents, Create checklists, Sketch with finger or stylus, Search text in notes and handwriting, Collaborate on shared notes, Quick Note feature

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Versatile note-taking app
- 🔒 Secure with password/biometric lock
- 🌐 Seamless sync across devices
- 🚀 Quick and responsive
- 📂 Organized with folders and tags

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/retrieving notes
- 🔋 High battery drain when using Apple Pencil
- 📝 Limited formatting options (font, color, etc.)
- 🔒 Password reset issues with locked notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or not syncing
- Cursor jumping around when editing text
- Typing lag and performance issues
- Inconsistent behavior when adding images
- Formatting problems when pasting content

**Requested features**

- Add undo/redo functionality
- Improve table formatting and calculations
- Allow custom folder colors and icons
- Implement a page view for longer notes
- Integrate with Reminders app for to-do lists


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notepad free?

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

### Is Notes free?

Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Notepad or Notes?

Notepad and Notes are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 28K and 641K ratings respectively.

### Do Notepad or Notes have ads?

Notepad shows ads; Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notepad or Notes?

Notepad ships an update every 8 days, and Notes every 9 months. Most recently, Notepad was updated on September 24, 2026 and Notes on September 24, 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.*