# Notebook vs Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notes at none against Notebook's 8. Notes also leads on ratings volume (641K vs 24K) and device support (5 vs 3). Notebook's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (65% vs 51%). On price, rating, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notebook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Notebook against 4.8 for Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notes has 641K ratings behind it against 24K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Notebook's written reviews are positive against 51% of Notes's.

Notebook ships an update every 6 days, Notes every 9 months. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notebook | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-ai-notes-notepad/id973801089/reviews) | **[4.8 (641K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 24K | **641K** |
| Positive reviews | **64.6% of reviews** | 51.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 220 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zoho Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/388384807) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## What reviewers say

### Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebook-ai-notes-notepad/id973801089)

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and tasks with a versatile digital notebook. Create rich notes with text, files, audio, and video. Organize content visually, collaborate in real-time, and access everything across your devices.

**Highlights:** Rich note creation with text, files, audio, and video, Checklist creation for task management, Bookmark collection and offline reading, Kanban-style note organization, Real-time collaboration and sharing, AI-powered journaling suggestions, Cross-device and cloud synchronization

**Features:** Safari Extension, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notebook Pro | $2.49 | per month |
| Notebook Pro Plus | $3.99 | per month |
| Notebook AI | $4.99 | per month |
| Notebook Personal | $14.99 | per year |
| Notebook Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Notebook Pro Plus | $39.99 | per year |
| Notebook AI | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly organized and customizable
- 👍 Visually appealing and intuitive
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 🤳 Seamless cross-device sync
- 📝 Versatile note-taking features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional sync and stability issues
- 🔀 Inconsistent note order after editing
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 📤 Lack of export/backup options
- 🔗 Difficulty inserting links in notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting corrupted
- Freezing and crashing issues
- Inconsistent behavior when editing notes
- Syncing problems across devices

**Requested features**

- Improved sorting and reordering options for notes
- Enhanced search capabilities
- Ability to export notes in various formats
- More customization options for notebook covers
- Integration with other productivity apps


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes/id1110145109)

Capture your thoughts, ideas, and important information with a versatile note-taking app. Attach various file types, scan documents, create checklists, and even sketch directly within your notes. Organize with folders, tags, and smart searches, and collaborate with others on shared notes.

**Highlights:** Add attachments (PDFs, images, links), Scan paper documents, Create checklists, Sketch with finger or stylus, Search text in notes and handwriting, Collaborate on shared notes, Quick Note feature

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Versatile note-taking app
- 🔒 Secure with password/biometric lock
- 🌐 Seamless sync across devices
- 🚀 Quick and responsive
- 📂 Organized with folders and tags

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/retrieving notes
- 🔋 High battery drain when using Apple Pencil
- 📝 Limited formatting options (font, color, etc.)
- 🔒 Password reset issues with locked notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing or not syncing
- Cursor jumping around when editing text
- Typing lag and performance issues
- Inconsistent behavior when adding images
- Formatting problems when pasting content

**Requested features**

- Add undo/redo functionality
- Improve table formatting and calculations
- Allow custom folder colors and icons
- Implement a page view for longer notes
- Integrate with Reminders app for to-do lists


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notebook free?

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

### Is Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notebook or Notes?

Notes is rated higher. Notebook averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Notes averages 4.8 from 641K ratings.

### Do Notebook or Notes have ads?

Neither Notebook nor Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notebook or Notes?

Notebook ships an update every 6 days, and Notes every 9 months. Most recently, Notebook was updated on September 30, 2026 and Notes on September 30, 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.*