Handwrytten vs Simply Noted: cost, API and plans
Handwrytten vs Simply Noted compared: all-in cost at 100, 500, 2,500 and 10,000 cards a month, which plan unlocks the API, and credits vs monthly plans.
Handwrytten and Simply Noted are two of the largest services that write cards with robots holding pens. They look similar from the outside and charge in very different ways. Handwrytten sells monthly plans with a per-card fee. Simply Noted sells prepaid credits, plus a flat monthly plan for API users. Which one costs less depends almost entirely on how many cards you send.
We run notecardHQ, a third service in this space, so we have kept this comparison to published facts, with a short note about us at the end. Every figure below links to its source and was checked on October 25, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you commit.
How each one writes
Both use robots. Handwrytten designs and builds its own writing robots in Tempe, Arizona, according to its robots page, and its FAQ says envelopes go out with real stamps. Simply Noted says it writes with a "real ballpoint pen" and that folded cards are hand-addressed in stamped envelopes, per its pricing page. Neither is a font printer.
How each one charges
Handwrytten: retail price or a monthly plan
Handwrytten's pricing page lists a retail price of $3.75 per card, with postage billed at the USPS rate. Its FAQ says pricing starts at $3.25, so the retail figure depends on which page you read. Bulk discounts exist but are shown only after signup.
Business plans add a monthly fee and lower the per-card price:
- Pro: $449 a month plus $1.99 per card
- Enterprise: $649 a month plus $1.49 per card
- Elite: $849 a month plus $1.29 per card
- Agency: $2,499 a month plus $1.19 per card
Monthly plans are billed every four weeks, which means 13 bills a year rather than 12. Annual billing lowers the monthly fee.
Simply Noted: credits or Unlimited
Simply Noted's pricing page sells folded note card credits in packs: $2.80 each at 100, $2.39 at 500, $1.99 at 1,000, $1.59 at 5,000, $1.25 at 10,000, $1.05 at 25,000, and $0.90 at 50,000. Postage is $0.82 per card, and the listed totals show it is added on top. Its own 2026 cost guide confirms the all-in price: $3.62 at 100 credits and $1.72 at 50,000. Credits expire after 12 months. There are no minimums or contracts.
The Unlimited plan is $497 a month, then $0.99 per note plus postage. It is also the plan that includes the API, Zapier, Shopify, and webhook integrations.
All-in cost at four volumes
Here is what a single folded card costs, all-in, at each monthly volume. We used these assumptions:
- Monthly plan fees are divided across that month's cards, at the monthly (not annual) rate.
- Handwrytten postage is $0.78, the 2026 First Class figure its CEO gave in an April 2026 interview. Simply Noted postage is its listed $0.82.
- Simply Noted credits are bought each month at the pack tier that month's volume reaches.
- Costs exclude inserts, gift cards and custom fonts.
| Cards a month | Handwrytten, cheapest option | Simply Noted credits | Simply Noted Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $4.53 (retail) | $3.62 | $6.78 |
| 500 | $3.57 (Enterprise) | $3.21 | $2.80 |
| 2,500 | $2.41 (Elite) | $2.81 (1,000 tier) | $2.01 |
| 10,000 | $2.15 (Elite) | $2.07 (10,000 tier) | $1.86 |
A few things stand out. At 100 cards a month, a monthly plan does not pay off on either service: Handwrytten's Pro plan works out to about $7.26 a card and Simply Noted's Unlimited to $6.78. From 500 cards up, Simply Noted's Unlimited plan is the lowest figure in the table. Handwrytten's Elite plan is its best value from roughly 2,500 cards a month.
Two caveats cut the other way. Simply Noted credits last 12 months, so a buyer who prepays a year at once reaches bigger packs and lower prices than the monthly figures above. And Handwrytten's retail bulk discounts are not public, so its true small-volume price may be lower than $4.53.
API access
Handwrytten includes API access in every business plan. Its pricing page does not say whether retail accounts get it. The API itself is mature: an OpenAPI spec (v3.15.0), a test mode in which orders are accepted but not fulfilled, official Python and npm SDKs, and an optional per-order webhook_url. The docs do not list webhook events or a signature scheme.
Simply Noted puts its API on the Unlimited plan. Its API page describes a REST API using x-api-key and x-user-id headers, with docs hosted on Postman. No sandbox or SDK is mentioned.
So if you need the API, the realistic comparison is Handwrytten's cheapest fitting plan against Simply Noted Unlimited, the last column above.
Other differences
- Integrations. Handwrytten lists native apps for Salesforce, HubSpot, and Shopify, plus Blackbaud, CDK/Fortellis, Tekion, Zapier, Make, and a Claude connector on its homepage. Simply Noted connects to HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive "via Zapier or direct API," per its llms.txt.
- Handwriting. Handwrytten's Shopify listing claims 35 styles. A custom font costs $1,500 to $2,000 and a signature $250, per its FAQ.
- Inserts and gift cards. Handwrytten charges $50 setup, $20 a month storage, and $0.50 per insert, and sells gift cards from $5 to $100 (FAQ). Simply Noted's pricing page does not mention either.
- Turnaround. Handwrytten aims to finish orders in 1-2 business days, then 2-7 business days in USPS First Class (FAQ). We did not find a stated window for Simply Noted.
- International. Handwrytten adds a $0.10 per card handling fee to international postage (pricing). Simply Noted does not publish international pricing.
Which one fits
Choose Handwrytten if you need native CRM apps, several handwriting styles, a custom font, or inserts, and you send enough to justify a plan. Choose Simply Noted if price at volume is the deciding factor, or if you want prepaid credits with no monthly fee and do not need the API.
A third option
notecardHQ is a smaller service. Robots holding real pens write every card in our New York studio, and OCR reads every word back before the pen touches the card. Our prices are all-in, with no monthly fee, and the API comes with every account: $3.25 a card at 100 a month, $2.95 at 500, $2.35 at 2,500, and $1.95 at 10,000. International cards are $1.00 more at each tier.
Against the table above, we are the lowest at 100 cards a month and not the lowest at higher volumes, where Simply Noted Unlimited costs less. Our edge is a public price that includes postage, the API, and international mail, with no monthly fee. Our gaps: four handwriting styles (not dozens), no custom fonts and no native CRM apps yet. Each service's pricing is broken down in Handwrytten pricing explained and Simply Noted pricing explained. For more on fit, see the best handwritten note services roundup, our API comparison, and the compare page.
See all four notecardHQ tiers, US and international, on the pricing page.