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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Paper vs Drawing Pad -

Paper 4.6★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Paper
Drawing Pad - 4.3★ · Free + IAP 30

Paper is the better choice for users seeking a more established and feature-rich drawing and journaling app, despite its high subscription cost, while Drawing Pad - struggles with basic functionality and aggressive paywalls.

Full reviews: Paper · Drawing Pad -

Paper offers a more robust experience for sketching, drawing, and journaling, though recent price increases and subscription requirements have frustrated many long-time users. Drawing Pad - is plagued by critical bugs that prevent users from even accessing drawing tools without paying, making it a frustrating and often unusable option.

Head to head

Features edge: PaperR3R5R12R15
Paper Paper is praised for its range of tools, including various markers, brushes, and pencils, and its ability to create collages and journals . Users appreciate features like custom book covers and the cut tool . However, many advanced features like adding multiple photos, specific art tools, and text input are locked behind a Pro subscription R3R5R12. Some users also report missing basic functionalities like copy and paste or adjustable pen sizes R15.
Drawing Pad - Drawing Pad - users report a very limited free experience, with many basic drawing tools and features locked behind a paywall or subscription R67R79. Some users mention stamps and rulers as premium features . The app is described as good for 'messing around with colors' or for children, but not for professional art .
Ease of Use edge: PaperR8R21R28R33
Paper Paper is generally considered easy to use, with an intuitive interface and good design R8R36. Users find it simple for quick sketching and capturing ideas R33. However, some users find the tutorial too long R21 and mention that icons can get in the way R28.
Drawing Pad - Drawing Pad - is criticized for being difficult to use due to pervasive bugs and aggressive paywall pop-ups that prevent access to the drawing canvas . Many users report being unable to get past the subscription page or dealing with a 'white screen popping up and down' . Some users also request tutorials .
Reliability edge: PaperR2R18R33R36
Paper Paper users report significant reliability issues, including frequent glitches, crashes, and a lack of auto-saving, leading to lost work R2R33. Syncing is also a major problem, with journals constantly needing to re-download and issues with iCloud storage after updates, sometimes resulting in lost journals R18R33R36.
Drawing Pad - Drawing Pad - suffers from severe reliability problems, with numerous reports of bugs preventing users from even starting to draw. Common complaints include a 'white screen popping up and down' that blocks the interface and an inability to dismiss subscription prompts . These issues make the app unusable for many.
Price/Value edge: PaperR1R3R4R5
Paper Paper faces overwhelming criticism for its pricing, with many users expressing shock and anger over recent price increases. The annual subscription has reportedly jumped from around $11-12 to $70-100 per year, and a weekly option of $5-10 is also available R1R4R10R15. Users feel the price is exorbitant for the features offered, especially since many core tools and functionalities are locked behind the paywall R3R5R28. Long-time paying users feel betrayed by the shift from a one-time purchase to a recurring subscription R4.
Drawing Pad - Drawing Pad - is widely criticized for its aggressive monetization strategy, with users feeling misled by its 'free' label. Many reviews indicate that the app immediately pushes a paid subscription or trial, preventing users from accessing any drawing functionality without payment R61R67R68. The pricing is perceived as a 'scam' and 'greedy' R61.
Support edge: PaperR13R18R31R33
Paper Paper users express concerns about a lack of maintenance and development since the app was sold to Evernote, with claims of 'zero engineers or designers on the Paper team' R13. This perceived lack of support contributes to ongoing issues with glitches, crashes, and syncing problems R33. Users also dislike the forced integration with Evernote R18R31.
Drawing Pad - Drawing Pad - users frequently appeal to developers to fix critical bugs that prevent app usage, such as the 'white screen popping up and down' . The prevalence of these unaddressed issues suggests a lack of effective support or maintenance for the app.
Pick Paper if

You are looking for a digital journaling and sketching app with a good user interface and a decent set of tools, and you are willing to pay a premium annual subscription for the full feature set R8. You prioritize a more established app over a cheaper or free alternative, and you can tolerate some glitches and syncing issues R2R33.

Pick Drawing Pad - if

You are looking for a very basic drawing app for children or casual doodling and are prepared to encounter significant bugs and immediate paywalls that may prevent you from using the app at all R61.

Evidence note: Reviews for both apps are heavily skewed towards negative experiences related to pricing and paywalls, especially for Paper due to recent price hikes and for Drawing Pad - due to its aggressive monetization and critical bugs. Drawing Pad - has a disproportionate number of reviews citing inability to use the app at all.

Frequently asked

How much does Paper cost?
Paper's Pro subscription currently costs around $70-100 per year or $5-10 per week, a significant increase from its previous annual price of $11-12 R1R10R15R19.
Can I use Drawing Pad - for free?
While Drawing Pad - is listed as free, many users report that the app immediately prompts for a paid subscription or a free trial that requires payment information, preventing access to drawing tools without paying R61R67R68R79.
Does Paper have syncing issues?
Yes, many Paper users report significant syncing issues, including journals constantly needing to re-download, problems with iCloud storage after updates, and a forced integration with Evernote that some find inconvenient R18R33R36R48.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] Paper 3/5 · US Good but could be better: The app overall is good, but my only thing is that most of the tools require pro or a subscription to certain parts. Most things I can’t use, like adding multiple photos to each page, using art tools, etc. Would be so much better if it didn’t all require pro.
  2. [R5] Paper 4/5 · US Amazing but not that great: I love this app so much but it doesn’t make it very fun when you have to get something that cost money just so you can add more photos. I could make something like a journal without it being money. 4 stars
  3. [R12] Paper 3/5 · US That’s crazy: You have to pay money just to have more than one picture on the paper. And they should add any update where you can actually type in this so I don’t always have to write everything. it gets a little irritating.😅
  4. [R15] Paper 3/5 · US Where’s the monthly subscription?: I love using this app for journaling but having to choose between $5 a week or $70 a year when I’ve only been given a week for free to explore all the functions and so on. Their journaling options are very limited when it comes to writing utensils as well. There’s only about 5 options to choose from and within those five options, there are set sizes to each pen.
  5. [R8] Paper 5/5 · US Friendly: Easy to use, colors are awesome , tools are flawless
  6. [R21] Paper 3/5 · US Great but a few things: Great and fun but the tutorial is to looooonnnggg and most things are for paper pro so yea great tho
  7. [R28] Paper 1/5 · US impossible to use: all the things you need cost money, and the icons get in the way and you can’t move them or anything! it’s very annoying and not worth it.
  8. [R33] Paper 3/5 · US It was good til it wasn’t: I LOVE this app for collage journals. I use the pro version on my iPad and it is so easy to use. In the past two years, the app crashes so much and often it takes multiple loads to sync all my notebooks. What happened? Please keep updating and fixing these issues. I’m happy to pay for this app, it just needs to be improved
  9. [R2] Paper 5/5 · US I love this app: I love this app been using it for years!! But it’s so glitchy!! It used to not be so glitchy and I wish it had better features and more tools!
  10. [R18] Paper 3/5 · US Cloud, Flow, Syncing Needs a Major Revision: This app is ideal to capture ideas and bring your vision to life, however, syncing is so limited and nudges the EverNote system on you. That’s not a good look. Syncing should be streamline without downloading any other app.
  11. [R36] Paper 3/5 · US Once Simple & Great: The app design is great. It is simple. And I LOVE skeuomorphic design. Since the first sellout from the original developer, though, we got things like pay-for-tools and sync, etc. But what is really killing the app is the sync feature. I am glad there is cloud backup, but journals constantly have to re-download, requiring a wait time and internet connection for what used to b
  12. [R1] Paper 1/5 · US I used to love this app and decided to try it again: Originally in 2021 it was 11ish for a whole year of pro, which was reasonable bc most people will buy physical journals of the same price yearly. I was so disappointed to find out that the app is now 100 for the year. I don’t have that kind of money it’s honestly such a slap to the face as a consumer
  13. [R4] Paper 1/5 · US Greedy: I have paid and used this app for years with a single charge and years later they decided to charge monthly… greedy. If I knew I would be able to export years of work, I would have never stored my creations here
  14. [R13] Paper 2/5 · US No one maintains it: This was one of the greatest apps for iPad. But since it was sold to Evernote they charge $100/year and have zero engineers or designers on the Paper team. A complete hustle.
  15. [R31] Paper 1/5 · US Need an EVERNOTE account to use anything?!: Why Evernote? I have no interest in Evernote. How is it related to this app? Also, at $10 a WEEK(!) it’s ridiculously overpriced. I can’t believe the high(ish) ratings this app garners. Hard pass. Deleted.
  16. [R10] Paper 1/5 · US Insane prices: The yearly price increase is crazy for this app. Especially in comparison to the yearly payment 3 years ago. Not much has changed in the app services to be charging this much.. I’ve been paying for this app for 5 years and I probably won’t keep paying for it anymore. I like the app but not convinced it’s worth the increased price.
  17. [R19] Paper 1/5 · US evernote corporation should die: the audacity to buy this app and make it 99 dollars per year or 9.99 dollars per week which is 40 A MONTH is insane, especially when it was originally 12 a years with the original developers. istg cant have NOTHING NICE.
  18. [R61] Drawing Pad - 1/5 · US IT IS A SCAM do not download 😡: I am just looking for a free app to draw on is that so much to ask? Either the apps I download are way too complicated and I cannot figure out what all the buttons dog OR it's like this one. A "free" app that will make your drawing skills so much better! NO when you go in it asks you to tell it about yourself to personalize the app for you so I did it right,and then
  19. [R67] Drawing Pad - 1/5 · US Horrible: It giving me to pay just to draw this take 1 star
  20. [R68] Drawing Pad - 4/5 · US So annoying: I can’t even get in the app because I can’t do an app purchases, but I have to do the trial
  21. [R79] Drawing Pad - 1/5 · US Ugh: Yes it does say it is free but even though it says there is an option, there is not 0/10 do not recommend.
  22. [R48] Paper 3/5 · US $10 a month so my ipad syncs w my phone?…🤡: We are in the big 25, there is no justified reason why I should have to pay for my devices to talk to each other. They suggest an app so you can “do notes on the go” but they don’t sync at all so essentially it’s an ad for a notes app with a notes app…

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store