# PDF Notes S vs Notes Writer

The clearest difference is ads: Notes Writer at none against PDF Notes S's shown. Notes Writer also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 5). PDF Notes S's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Notes S sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Notes Writer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notes Writer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes Writer has 7.3K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of PDF Notes S's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Notes S ships an update every 6 weeks, Notes Writer weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Notes S | Notes Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-s/id961336139/reviews) | **[4.5 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/id1423643723/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **7.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **52.9% of reviews** | 45.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 22 MB | 811 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AMuseTec Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/342152781) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Notes S

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-s/id961336139)

This app offers a dual-page PDF viewer with smooth scrolling and fast page turns. It also provides document management, quick previews of various file types, and annotation tools. An upgrade removes ads and unlocks full functionality.

**Highlights:** Dual-page PDF viewer, Horizontal/vertical scroll and page turns, Document browser for file organization, Quick Look for various file types, ZIP file preview without unzipping, 8 handwriting tools, Cache manager for fast page turns

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $9.99 | per year |


### Notes Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pdf-voice-ai/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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| 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 |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $3.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $5.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Unlock Pro | $6.99 | one-time |
| 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 PDF Notes S free?

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

### Is Notes Writer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Notes S or Notes Writer?

Notes Writer is rated higher. PDF Notes S averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.

### Do PDF Notes S or Notes Writer have ads?

PDF Notes S shows ads; Notes Writer does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Notes S or Notes Writer?

PDF Notes S ships an update every 6 weeks, and Notes Writer weekly. Most recently, PDF Notes S was updated on October 7, 2026 and Notes Writer on October 20, 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.*