# Instrument Connect vs CommonNote

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.

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

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Instrument Connect | CommonNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instrument-connect/id1042301575/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **11** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 72 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thermo Fisher Scientific](https://appshunter.io/developer/407517076) | [JAE YOON SUNG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6807702178) |

## What reviewers say

### Instrument Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instrument-connect/id1042301575)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### CommonNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/commonnote/id6807702176)

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*