# Handwriting Memorandum vs Paper

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Handwriting Memorandum at none against Paper's 6. Handwriting Memorandum also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15). Paper's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paper sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Handwriting Memorandum asks for nothing beyond the download.

Handwriting Memorandum holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paper has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 71% and 72% positive.

Handwriting Memorandum ships an update every 12 months, Paper monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handwriting Memorandum | Paper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwriting-memorandum/id933577697/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **72.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuichi HARA](https://appshunter.io/developer/538530212) | [Mihhail Lapushkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143513743) |

## 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


### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841)

This app offers a clean and configurable writing environment for various creative projects. It supports Markdown and plain text, syncs with iCloud, and integrates with other tools. Users can publish drafts to popular blogging platforms and export documents in multiple formats.

**Highlights:** Gorgeous writing space, Silky-smooth typing, Deep personalization (Pro), Markdown or Plain Text support, iCloud sync, Publish to Medium, WordPress, Ghost, Export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, ePub

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Features | $29.99 | per month |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Features | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $99.99 | one-time |
| Pro Features | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Fantastic app
- 🎀 Great tool for writers
- 👍 Clean writing app
- 🤩 Awesome app
- 👍 Cute animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Lost files and documents
- 🐛 Cursor issues
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable

**Reported bugs**

- Files randomly disappearing
- Cursor issues causing freezes
- Syncing and iCloud integration problems

**Requested features**

- Add image support
- Improve file management and recovery
- Expand font and customization options
- Implement team/collaborative writing features
- Add text formatting options like italics and bold


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handwriting Memorandum free?

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

### Is Paper free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Handwriting Memorandum or Paper?

Handwriting Memorandum is rated higher. Handwriting Memorandum averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Paper averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Handwriting Memorandum or Paper have ads?

Handwriting Memorandum shows ads; Paper does not.

### Which is updated more often, Handwriting Memorandum or Paper?

Handwriting Memorandum ships an update every 12 months, and Paper monthly. Most recently, Handwriting Memorandum was updated on October 3, 2026 and Paper on October 18, 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.*