# Sketchbook® vs Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw

The clearest difference is rating: Sketchbook® at 4.8 against Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw's 4.2. Sketchbook® also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (220K vs 57). Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sketchbook® sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sketchbook® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchbook® has 220K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Sketchbook®'s written reviews are positive against 65% of Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sketchbook® | Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (220K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213/reviews)** | [4.2 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwritten-notes-widget-draw/id1557432459/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **220K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **76.6% of reviews** | 65.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 142 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sketchbook, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569383806) | [FugaPiyo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497887610) |

## What reviewers say

### Sketchbook®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketchbook/id883738213)

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app provides a professional-grade drawing and painting experience for artists and illustrators. It offers a natural drawing feel with customizable tools, layers, and guides for precision. Unlock advanced features like custom brushes and canvas resizing with an optional premium purchase.

**Highlights:** Full complement of brush types, Highly customizable brushes, Guides, rulers, and stroke tools, Layers with blend modes, Clean and unobtrusive interface, Custom brush creation (premium), Canvas resizing (premium)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing, free, and no ads
- 👍 Lots of brushes and customization options
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Great for beginners and professionals
- 👍 Smooth performance and no lag

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Blurry or corrupted images when saving or copying
- 🐛 Glitches with color selection and layers
- 🐛 Inability to rotate canvas or access gallery easily
- 🐛 Lack of blurring and clipping mask tools

**Reported bugs**

- Layers randomly deleted or corrupted
- Freezing when using certain tools like the eyedropper
- Saving issues leading to loss of progress
- Incompatibility with newer iPad Pro devices

**Requested features**

- Add blurring and clipping mask tools
- Improve gallery and canvas rotation functionality
- Allow custom font import
- Add effects like glow, stroke, and drop shadow
- Implement layer grouping and organization


### Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwritten-notes-widget-draw/id1557432459)

Create and display handwritten notes, drawings, and sketches directly on your iOS home screen. This app offers a suite of free drawing tools, including customizable pens, an eraser, and undo/redo functionality. Save unlimited notes, organize them into folders, and share your creations easily.

**Highlights:** iOS 14 home screen widgets, Free drawing and sketching tools, Apple Pencil compatibility, Customizable pen types and colors, Undo, redo, and eraser, Unlimited note saving, Folder organization

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sketchbook® free?

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

### Is Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sketchbook® or Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw?

Sketchbook® is rated higher. Sketchbook® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 220K ratings, while Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw averages 4.2 from 57 ratings.

### Do Sketchbook® or Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw have ads?

Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw shows ads; Sketchbook® does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sketchbook® or Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw?

Sketchbook® ships an update every 6 weeks, and Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw every 6 weeks. Most recently, Sketchbook® was updated on September 25, 2026 and Handwritten Notes Widget, Draw on September 14, 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.*