# DS note vs Swift Paperless

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Swift Paperless at 97% against DS note's 31%. Swift Paperless also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.8) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). DS note's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Swift Paperless sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. DS note asks for nothing beyond the download.

Swift Paperless holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 109 and 72 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of DS note's written reviews are positive against 97% of Swift Paperless's.

DS note ships an update every 3 months, Swift Paperless monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS note | Swift Paperless |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-note/id918177542/reviews) | **[4.9 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swift-paperless/id6448698521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **109** | 72 |
| Positive reviews | 30.7% of reviews | **97.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 38 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Paul Gessinger](https://appshunter.io/developer/867006427) |

## What reviewers say

### DS note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-note/id918177542)

Create, organize, and share notes anywhere, even offline. This app syncs with your personal cloud storage, allowing you to manage to-do lists, project information, and memories. Organize with tags, notebooks, and shortcuts for easy access and sharing.

**Highlights:** Note creation and editing, Offline access, Tagging and notebook organization, Note sharing, Sync with Synology NAS

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Data stored on personal NAS for privacy
- 🔄 Reliable synchronization across devices
- 💰 Free alternative to Evernote
- 📱 Available on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Web)
- ✅ Simple and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notes disappear when app left open without saving
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app instability
- 🐛 Copy-paste functionality unreliable
- 🐛 Keyboard arrow keys don't work on iPad
- 🐛 Apple Pencil causes app crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes content erased when leaving app open
- App crashes on startup
- App crashes when using Apple Pencil
- App crashes during text input with swipe-to-text
- App crashes when printing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode for all platforms
- Apple Pencil support for iPad
- Arrow key support for Bluetooth keyboards
- Auto-save functionality
- Offline mode for note creation


### Swift Paperless

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swift-paperless/id6448698521)

This app allows users to manage documents directly from their iOS device. It seamlessly integrates with a self-hosted document management system, ensuring data privacy and control. Easily find, categorize, and add new documents on the go.

**Highlights:** Native iOS integration, Paperless-ngx compatibility, Document finding, Document categorization, Add documents from phone

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee money | $3.99 | one-time |
| Proper thank-you | $8.99 | one-time |
| Above and beyond | $17.99 | one-time |
| Legendary generosity | $44.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS note free?

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

### Is Swift Paperless free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DS note or Swift Paperless?

Swift Paperless is rated higher. DS note averages 2.8 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while Swift Paperless averages 4.9 from 72 ratings.

### Do DS note or Swift Paperless have ads?

Neither DS note nor Swift Paperless shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS note or Swift Paperless?

DS note ships an update every 3 months, and Swift Paperless monthly. Most recently, DS note was updated on October 1, 2026 and Swift Paperless on September 29, 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.*