Comparison

Map Note vs NotePlan

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Map Note

Organize your thoughts on an infinitely expanding canvas. This app is designed for non-linear thinking, allowing you to freely expand ideas radially for brainstorming and mind mapping.

Highlights
  • Infinitely expanding canvas
  • Radial idea expansion
  • Mind mapping
  • Brainstorming
  • Idea sketching
  • Non-linear note-taking
Features
Read full description

Using map notes, you can spread your ideas anywhere on an infinitely spread canvas. I think the brain's work when considering ideas is a random and radial working image rather than linear. Traditional notes that need to be written sequentially from left to right are not very suitable for this process. If you use this infinite size notebook application, you can freely expand ideas from the center of the page, so you can make ideas more natural. Ideal for creating rough mind maps, brainstorming and idea sketches. * Please check out MapNote 2 that can add images, add folders, and sync with iCloud.

About

NotePlan

Organize your tasks, notes, and calendar in one unified app. Quickly plan your day with Markdown, link notes bi-directionally, and stay on top of your to-dos with powerful review and search features. Seamlessly integrates with your existing calendars and syncs across all your Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Unified task, note, and calendar view
  • Markdown for quick task and note creation
  • Bi-directional note linking
  • Calendar integration (iCloud, Google, Exchange)
  • Flexible recurring tasks
  • Global Command Bar for fast navigation
  • Plaintext note storage
Features
Read full description

Having trouble planning your day, managing your to-do list, and organizing your notes? Always jumping between apps and losing track of what to do and where you put things? Say hello to NotePlan! NotePlan lets you manage everything in one place: your tasks, notes, and calendar. Perfect for project managers, designers, researchers, writers, students, or anyone who wants to be organized and efficient. QUICKLY PLAN YOUR DAY WITH MARKDOWN • Plan your day by seeing your calendar, notes, and tasks in a single view • Create tasks and notes quickly with Markdown • Add #tags to organize tasks and notes • Use @mentions to find people • Reschedule to-do items easily • Create flexible recurring tasks • Work faster with autocomplete BUILD YOUR NETWORK OF NOTES • Create your own network of notes • Organize any way you want to: from simple folders over P.A.R.A. to a Zettelkasten system • Bi-directional notes: link your calendar and your notes in any direction, automatically • Cross-reference and link notes easily STAY ON TOP OF THINGS WITH REVIEW • Search all tasks and notes, instantly • See all open tasks with the click of a button • Get a list of overdue to-do items • See upcoming tasks at a glance • Create custom filters with your own queries using status, #tags, @mentions, or even text SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH YOUR CALENDAR • Create events and reminders right in NotePlan • Support for iCloud, Google, and Exchange calendars • Time-block tasks on your calendar simply by typing AVAILABLE ON MAC, IPHONE & IPAD • Sync everything between your Apple devices • Use any sync method you like: CloudKit or iCloud Drive • A single subscription for all your devices OPEN, PRIVATE & FAST • All your notes are stored in plaintext so you're never locked in • Your information is private and cannot be accessed • Enjoy lightning speed thanks to local files and native apps ANY THEME YOU WANT • Choose from a variety of built-in themes • Work with light or dark versions • Create your own custom theme SHORTCUTS FOR MAXIMUM SPEED • Extended Markdown syntax support with customization options • Move around without ever leaving the keyboard • Find everything with the Global Command Bar NotePlan is developed independently and prioritizes user features and requests. We have long-term roadmaps and listen to customers to improve the apps. - - - - - Price may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. After purchase, manage your subscriptions in App Store Account Settings. - - - - - Email: hello@noteplan.co Web: noteplan.co Discord: https://discord.gg/D4268MT Twitter: NotePlanApp Reddit: reddit.com/r/NotePlanApp Learn NotePlan course: https://noteplan.eo.page/newsletter Terms of use: http://noteplan.co/tos/ Privacy policy: https://noteplan.co/privacy/

Screenshots

Map Note3 screens
NotePlan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NotePlan at Free against Map Note's $2.99. NotePlan also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 56%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Map Note's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

NotePlan is free to download; Map Note costs $2.99 up front. NotePlan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Map Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NotePlan holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NotePlan has 1.5K ratings behind it against 69, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Map Note's written reviews are positive against 85% of NotePlan's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Map Note ships an update every 4 weeks, NotePlan monthly. The most recent releases landed on August 29, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Map Note versus NotePlan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap NoteNotePlan
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (69 ratings)4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews85.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings691.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB210 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNaoya EnokidaNotePlan LLC

Customer experience

Map Note

All ratings69 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral7.2%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral16.0%
Negative28.4%

NotePlan

All ratings1,506 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews474 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral4.6%
Negative10.3%

Bugs and requests

Map Note

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

NotePlan

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inconsistent sync between devices
  • Crashes when opening certain files

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved iPad and mobile app experience
  • Better integration with other productivity apps
  • More automation and scripting capabilities
  • Weekly or monthly calendar view

In-app purchases

None

Map Note

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

NotePlan

Subscriptions8
  • Personal Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Personal Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Personal Monthly1 Month trial$11.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Personal Monthly2 variants$12.001 Month
  • Personal Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Personal Annual7 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Year
  • Personal Annual1 Month trial$119.991 Year
  • Business Class1 Month trial$199.991 Year

Questions

Is Map Note free?
Map Note costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NotePlan free?
NotePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Map Note or NotePlan?
NotePlan is rated higher. Map Note averages 4.5 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while NotePlan averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Map Note or NotePlan have ads?
Neither Map Note nor NotePlan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map Note or NotePlan?
Map Note ships an update every 4 weeks, and NotePlan monthly. Most recently, Map Note was updated on August 29, 2026 and NotePlan on September 30, 2026.

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