Comparison

Instrument Connect vs CommonNote

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

Head to head
About

Instrument Connect

Monitor your cloud-enabled laboratory instruments remotely in real-time. Track run progress, view amplification plots, and ensure peace of mind by catching issues as they happen.

Highlights
  • Real-time instrument availability check
  • Monitor PCR run progress
  • View real-time amplification plots
  • Filter plots by sample or target
  • Remote access to cloud-enabled devices
Features
Read full description

Instrument Connect: Remote monitoring of instruments in real-time. Stay connected to cloud-enabled instruments and benchtop devices anytime, anywhere, using the Instrument Connect mobile app. With the Instrument Connect remote monitoring app powered by Thermo Fisher Cloud, you can stay connected to any Thermo Fisher Cloud-enabled instruments, including the Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ 3 and 5 real-time PCR instruments, and the ProFlex™ and SimpliAmp™ end-point PCR devices. Key features include: · Check the availability of your Thermo Fisher Cloud-enabled, network-connected device · Monitor run progress of a basic PCR run · View amplification plots in real time (available for QuantStudio 3 & 5 instruments) · View plots and filter by sample or target in real time (available for QuantStudio 3 & 5 instruments) Best of all, remote monitoring delivers peace of mind in knowing that you can monitor your runs and catch issues while they are in progress.

About

CommonNote

Features
Read full description

Bring your notes and your next steps together. Turn meeting notes into tasks, put deadlines on your calendar, and keep team discussions connected to the original work. CommonNote brings writing, planning, projects, and collaboration into one workspace for personal plans, study, creative work, and teams. WRITE THE WAY YOUR WORK NEEDS Capture a quick idea or build a detailed document with headings, checklists, tables, images, files, code, and equations. Organize your notes in nested notebooks, add tags, and keep frequently used notes in Favorites. GIVE EVERY TASK ITS CONTEXT Add an owner, due date, and status to the tasks in your notes. Follow the work in a list, on a board, or in a calendar, and open the original note when you need the details. Set up recurring tasks for work that comes around again. SEE THE PROJECT FROM MORE THAN ONE ANGLE Explore projects, notebooks, notes, and tasks in a hierarchy. Use relationship maps to connect ideas and references. Switch to structured tables to sort, filter, and group work with custom properties, formulas, and rollups. WORK TOGETHER ON THE SAME RECORD Edit shared notes at the same time and see your colleagues' cursors. Leave comments, assign work, request a review, or hand a task over with its background intact. Use personal and team conversations to coordinate without losing the record that started the discussion. KEEP GOING ON IPHONE AND IPAD Add updates and photos while you are away from your desk, check today's tasks, and continue with the same workspace on Mac or in a browser. Previously opened notes remain editable offline and synchronize after you reconnect. GO DEEPER WHEN THE WORK CALLS FOR IT Research notes can include figures, captions, mathematical expressions, and chemical formulas. Built-in tools help calculate molecular weights, moles, concentrations, and dilutions without leaving your notes. KEEP YOUR WORK ORGANIZED AND PORTABLE Find material across notes, tasks, projects, and attachments. Review saved versions and restore an earlier note when needed. Import existing Markdown files, export notes, and download a workspace backup. GET STARTED CommonNote is free to download and free to use. This version has no in-app purchases or paid plans. A CommonNote account is required. Support: https://commonnote.app/support Privacy: https://commonnote.app/privacy Terms: https://commonnote.app/terms

Screenshots

Instrument Connect4 screens
CommonNote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CommonNote at every 2 days against Instrument Connect's every 3 months. Instrument Connect's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Instrument Connect ships an update every 3 months, CommonNote every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Instrument Connect versus CommonNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstrument ConnectCommonNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (11 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThermo Fisher ScientificJAE YOON SUNG

In-app purchases

None

Instrument Connect

No in-app purchases

None

CommonNote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Instrument Connect free?
Instrument Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CommonNote free?
CommonNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Instrument Connect or CommonNote have ads?
Neither Instrument Connect nor CommonNote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Instrument Connect or CommonNote?
Instrument Connect ships an update every 3 months, and CommonNote every 2 days. Most recently, Instrument Connect was updated on November 9, 2026 and CommonNote on October 31, 2026.

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