# Decision vs Side Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Side Notes at 3.9 against Decision's 3.0. Side Notes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (22 vs 4). Decision's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Decision sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Side Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Side Notes holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Side Notes has 22 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Decision's written reviews are positive against 57% of Side Notes's.

Decision ships an update every 4 weeks, Side Notes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Decision | Side Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decision/id1000363814/reviews) | **[3.9 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 31 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Glanville](https://appshunter.io/developer/563277379) | [Straw Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1120982866) |

## What reviewers say

### Decision

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decision/id1000363814)

This app helps you make better choices by using a weighted-average formula. It allows you to evaluate multiple options against various factors and their importance to calculate a final score for each choice.

**Highlights:** Weighted-average formula for calculations, Evaluate job offers, purchases, and business decisions, Define factors and their importance, Score options against weighted and binary factors, Rank options with overall scores, Delete unwanted decisions and factors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade App | $0.99 | one-time |


### Side Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224)

This app helps you organize thoughts by viewing multiple notes simultaneously. It offers layouts for comparing options, conducting analyses, or structuring complex ideas. Focus on your thinking with a clean, intuitive interface and privacy-focused design.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Decision free?

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

### Is Side Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Decision or Side Notes?

Side Notes is rated higher. Decision averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Side Notes averages 3.9 from 22 ratings.

### Do Decision or Side Notes have ads?

Neither Decision nor Side Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Decision or Side Notes?

Decision ships an update every 4 weeks, and Side Notes every 2 months. Most recently, Decision was updated on October 5, 2026 and Side Notes on October 11, 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.*