# NoteBox vs Zavala

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zavala at none against NoteBox's 10. Zavala also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (67 vs 10). NoteBox's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NoteBox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Zavala asks for nothing beyond the download.

Zavala holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zavala has 67 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of NoteBox's written reviews are positive against 88% of Zavala's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

NoteBox ships an update monthly, Zavala every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NoteBox | Zavala |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebox-simple-and-powerful/id899446595/reviews) | **[4.8 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zavala/id1546457750/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **67** |
| Positive reviews | **89.8% of reviews** | 87.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 25 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Elaborapp](https://appshunter.io/developer/899446598) | [Vincode, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434335357) |

## What reviewers say

### NoteBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebox-simple-and-powerful/id899446595)

This app offers a streamlined note-taking experience with quick input, powerful text editing, and seamless syncing across devices. Easily organize, search, and share your notes with extensive integration options.

**Highlights:** Quick note input from various sources, Disturbance-free text editing with advanced formatting, Fast iCloud syncing across iOS devices, Extensive sharing options to numerous apps, In-note text search and Google/Wikipedia integration, Support for external keyboards and VoiceOver

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock note capacity limit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock note capacity limit | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock note capacity limit | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock note capacity limit | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock note capacity limit | $5.99 | one-time |
| Unlock note capacity limit | $6.99 | one-time |
| Unlock note capacity limit | $7.99 | one-time |


### Zavala

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zavala/id1546457750)

This app offers a modern approach to outlining, providing a full suite of features. It supports gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and multiple windows for efficient organization and content creation. Easily import and export in various formats, sync across devices, and customize your outlining experience.

**Highlights:** OPML Import & Export, Markdown Export, iCloud Syncing & Sharing, Nested Tags, Image Embedding, Keyboard Shortcuts, Drag and Drop

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NoteBox free?

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

### Is Zavala free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NoteBox or Zavala?

Zavala is rated higher. NoteBox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Zavala averages 4.8 from 67 ratings.

### Do NoteBox or Zavala have ads?

Neither NoteBox nor Zavala shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NoteBox or Zavala?

NoteBox ships an update monthly, and Zavala every 2 weeks. Most recently, NoteBox was updated on June 10, 2026 and Zavala on September 25, 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.*