# Handwriting Memorandum vs Notes Writer

The clearest difference is rating: Handwriting Memorandum at 5.0 against Notes Writer's 4.5. Handwriting Memorandum also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (71% vs 45%). Notes Writer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 12 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notes Writer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Handwriting Memorandum asks for nothing beyond the download.

Handwriting Memorandum holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Handwriting Memorandum's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's.

Handwriting Memorandum ships an update every 12 months, Notes Writer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handwriting Memorandum | Notes Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwriting-memorandum/id933577697/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-ai-markup/id1423643723/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **7.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.4% of reviews** | 44.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 660 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuichi HARA](https://appshunter.io/developer/538530212) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### Handwriting Memorandum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwriting-memorandum/id933577697)

Easily capture your thoughts and ideas with a simple digital notebook. Draw sketches or jot down notes using your finger for quick and convenient input.

**Highlights:** Finger-based note-taking, Simple sketching functionality, Digital notebook, Quick input, Easy to use interface

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-ai-markup/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, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| 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 |
| 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 Handwriting Memorandum free?

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

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Handwriting Memorandum or Notes Writer?

Handwriting Memorandum is rated higher. Handwriting Memorandum averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do Handwriting Memorandum or Notes Writer have ads?

Handwriting Memorandum shows ads; Notes Writer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Handwriting Memorandum or Notes Writer?

Handwriting Memorandum ships an update every 12 months, and Notes Writer every 4 days. Most recently, Handwriting Memorandum was updated on November 4, 2026 and Notes Writer on November 9, 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.*