# Side Notes: Pros & Cons List — Decision Matrix, SWOT Analysis > Multidimensional note-taking app for organizing and comparing information spatially. (iPhone/iPad app by Straw Technologies.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Straw Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1120982866) - Category: Productivity, Utilities - Price: Free - Rating: 3.90/5 from 22 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 12 MB - Languages: Korean, Greek, Dutch, Danish, German (Germany), Russian, Romanian, Malay, Vietnamese, Norwegian Bokmål and 23 more - Released: 2021-02-27 - Data updated: 2026-10-11 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224/reviews.md ## What is Side Notes? See both sides of every decision at once. Side Notes shows several notes on one screen, so your pros and cons, two options or a SWOT analysis sit side by side instead of hiding in separate lists. Pick a template, start typing, and compare at a glance. Free, with no ads and no account. START FAST WITH TEMPLATES • Pros & Cons: two columns, one clearer answer • Option A vs Option B: compare two choices side by side • SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in one grid • Eisenhower matrix: sort tasks by urgent and important • Retrospective: went well, to improve, ideas, actions • Blank board: any layout, your own structure THREE LAYOUTS FOR THE WAY YOU THINK • Dual: two notes side by side • Four: a 2x2 grid for matrices and frameworks • Single: one full note when you need room to write Tap any note to edit it full screen, then swipe to move to the next one. MADE FOR REAL DECISIONS Should you take the job offer? Which apartment, which laptop, which city? Put every argument where you can see it. Run a SWOT on a business idea or a career move, plan your week with the Eisenhower matrix, and close a project or a sprint with a retrospective. ON ALL YOUR DEVICES, NO SIGN UP Your boards sync with iCloud across iPhone, iPad and Mac. There is no account to create and nothing to log in to. WRITE, THEN FIND IT AGAIN • Rich text formatting such as bold and italic (iOS 26 and later) • Word count on every note • Search board titles and note content, filter by Today or This week • Swipe to duplicate or delete a board, or long press for more options SHARE YOUR THINKING Export any board as a PDF or share it as text, ready for a meeting, a teammate or your future self. MAKE IT YOURS Light or dark mode and the Ink accent color, with Brick, Forest and Ocean in Side Notes Plus. A calm, paper-like design with serif titles. GREAT ON IPAD AND MAC More room to see every note at once, plus keyboard shortcuts on iPad and Mac (Apple silicon). Fully translated into 34 languages and redesigned for the latest iOS with Liquid Glass. GO FURTHER WITH SIDE NOTES PLUS Everything above stays free. Side Notes Plus is an optional upgrade for when you want more: • Advanced templates: weighted decision matrix, OKR, weekly review, 5 whys • Your own templates: save any board as a template • Lock a board with Face ID or Touch ID • All accent colors: Brick, Forest and Ocean • Markdown export to Notion, Obsidian or any editor Choose a yearly plan with a 1-week free trial, a monthly plan, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Side Notes is free, with no ads and no account. Just a clear space to think things through. Side Notes Plus is an optional auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account; it renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://side-notes.app/en/privacy ## Key features - Side-by-side note viewing - Multiple layout options (Dual, Four, Single) - Visual comparison of ideas - SWOT analysis and Eisenhower Matrix support - Rich text editing - Offline functionality - Export notes as PDF or text ## Recent user reviews (7 of 7) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Genius *2026-04-24* This is a great app for thinking externally. ### 3/5 — Add notes? *2024-10-11* I like this app, but not able to make more than one note. **Developer response:** Hi russ81h 👋 Thanks so much for your message! Good news, the big new update is now live, and it fixes the issues you saw (blank settings, missing “new note” button) and brings a bunch of new features on top of that. Everything should be back to normal once you update. Thanks again for your patience and for sticking with us through the transition 🙏 If anything still looks off after updating, just let me know! ### 3/5 — Colour *2024-06-12* If it was more colourful then it would be best. ### 1/5 — Needs fixing *2023-11-27* This looks great and I love that you can change between 4 split or columns, but currently the app / interface is broken. The settings show an empty screen and there's no button to create new notes. All you get is a blank everything. Will edit this review once it's fixed :( **Developer response:** Hi Nayelianne 👋 Thanks so much for your message! Good news, the big new update is now live, and it fixes the issues you saw (blank settings, missing “new note” button) and brings a bunch of new features on top of that. Everything should be back to normal once you update. Thanks again for your patience and for sticking with us through the transition 🙏 If anything still looks off after updating, just let me know! ### 5/5 — Clean Interface *2022-11-29* Easy to use **Developer response:** Hi TheDean-EST 👋 Thanks so much for your message! Good news, a big new update is now live and brings a bunch of new features. If anything still looks off after updating, just let me know! ### 4/5 — Useful novel concept but needs customization *2021-07-21* I really enjoy using this app: the space may become cramped but the concept works really well / emulates paper much better when you note down into several categories you need. However, it seems the choice for layouts is only ‘dual, 4 panes, inline’ I’d love to create custom layouts (big area at the top, two columns beneath f ex) or being able to scroll across a layout. **Developer response:** Hi Mathieu 👋 Thanks so much for your message! Good news, a big new update is now live and brings a bunch of new features and board visualisation improvements. If anything still looks off after updating, just let me know! ### 5/5 — Awesome *2021-04-09* Really helpfull to write well detailled notes ## Frequently asked questions about Side Notes ### What is Side Notes? Side Notes is a productivity app designed to help you organize your thoughts by viewing multiple notes side-by-side. It offers different layouts to facilitate comparison, analysis, and structured thinking. ### Does Side Notes have ads? No, Side Notes is ad-free. The app is designed to provide a distraction-free environment for users to focus on their thinking and organization. ### How much does Side Notes cost? Side Notes is free to download and use. There are no recurring fees or feature paywalls, offering a one-time purchase model for full access. ### Can I use Side Notes offline? Yes, Side Notes works fully offline. Your notes are stored locally on your device, ensuring they are always accessible without an internet connection. ### What devices is Side Notes available on? Side Notes is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, allowing you to organize your thoughts across multiple Apple devices. ### How often is Side Notes updated? The latest version of Side Notes is 2.5.2, last updated on November 28, 2025. Updates typically focus on performance improvements and new features. ### Can I export my notes from Side Notes? Yes, you can easily export your boards from Side Notes as either a PDF document or plain text file, making it simple to share or back up your organized thoughts. ### What is the user sentiment for Side Notes? Side Notes has a rating of 3.7 stars from 19 ratings. This suggests a generally positive user experience, with room for improvement based on user feedback. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.1.0 — 2026-10-02 New in 3.1 • Side Notes Plus, an optional upgrade: advanced templates (weighted decision matrix, OKR, weekly review, 5 whys). • Your own templates: save any board as a template. • Lock a board with Face ID or Touch ID. • All accent colours: Brick, Forest and Ocean. • Markdown export to Notion, Obsidian or any editor. • Every template now comes with a guide: when to use it, a filled-in example and a tip. • Try Plus free for 1 week with the yearly plan. Everything you already use stays free. • The iPad and Mac sidebar is now translated into your language. • Stability improvements. Thanks for using Side Notes! A quick rating on the App Store helps a lot. ### 3.0.0 — 2026-09-30 New in 3.0 • Templates: start a board from Pros & Cons, Option A vs Option B, SWOT analysis, Eisenhower matrix or Retrospective, or go blank with any layout. • Your language: Side Notes is now fully translated into 34 languages. • A fresh design for the latest iOS, with Liquid Glass. • Fixed an issue where formatted text (bold, italic, colors) could fail to save. • Stability and performance improvements. Enjoying Side Notes? A quick rating on the App Store helps a lot. ### 2.5.2 — 2025-11-28 Minor bug fixes ### 2.5.1 — 2025-11-18 Small bug fixes and improvements to keep everything running smoothly. ### 2.5.0 — 2025-11-16 Welcome to Side Notes. Think in multiple dimensions with our unique side-by-side note layouts. What's New: - Compare options with Dual layout - 2 notes side-by-side - Analyze with Four layout - SWOT, Eisenhower matrix - Focus with Single layout - full-screen notes - 5 beautiful themes: Classic, Ocean, Sunset, Forest, Midnight - Rich text editing with formatting - Fast search across all boards - Export to PDF or text - Works offline, privacy-first Perfect for decisions, planning, and strategic thinking. ## Apps similar to Side Notes | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Split Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/split-notes/id1197340064) | 4.9 (11) | Free | Productivity | | [SideNotes Mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidenotes-mobile/id1607089308) | 4.2 (28) | $9.99 | Productivity | | [Mindz - Mind Map & Outline](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindz-mind-map-and-outline/id6504751858) | — | Free | Productivity | | [MindThread](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindthread/id1636726168) | 5.0 (10) | Free | Productivity | | [Daily Planner - Habit Builder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-planner-habit-builder/id6741144083) | 4.6 (37) | Free | Productivity | | [Thinkdrop: Drop your thoughts](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thinkdrop-drop-your-thoughts/id1584511088) | 4.3 (35) | Free | Productivity | ## More apps by Straw Technologies - [5 p.m](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5-pm/id1394923166) - [Lucky Wheel - Decision Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lucky-wheel-decision-maker/id1431265027) - [Dys Keyboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dys-keyboard/id1565523680) - [QRCard - Share by Scan](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qrcard-share-by-scan/id1595502502) - [Sutom - Word Game & Puzzles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sutom-word-game-and-puzzles/id1606876219) All apps by Straw Technologies: https://appshunter.io/developer/1120982866 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-11.*