Comparison

Fast Notes vs Onlynote

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

Head to head
About

Fast Notes

This app offers a modern approach to note-taking and list-making using intuitive gesture controls. It aims to replace traditional pen and paper methods with a digital solution available on Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Gesture-based controls
  • Note-taking
  • To-do lists
  • Digital replacement for pen and paper
  • Available on iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

Fast Notes is the fastest way to write notes and to-do lists. Create a note in seconds and manage everything with simple, natural gestures: pull down to add a new note, swipe right to mark it as done, swipe left to delete it, and pinch two notes apart to insert one in between. WHAT'S NEW • Home Screen widget: see your notes at a glance and check them off without even opening the app • Search: find any note in an instant • Reminders: get a notification for a note at the time you choose • Quick action: start a new note right from the app icon AND MORE • 7 color themes to choose from • Icon badge showing how many things are left to do • Sounds and haptic feedback • Works offline: your notes stay on your device • Great on both iPhone and iPad Put down pen and paper — try Fast Notes now, it's free!

About

Onlynote

This productivity app helps users organize their thoughts and tasks. It allows for the simple creation, modification, and removal of notes, to-do lists, and memos directly from a mobile device.

Highlights
  • Create notes
  • Manage to-do lists
  • Write memos
  • Easy editing
  • Simple deletion
Features
Read full description

Onlynote is a simple, free note-taking and to-do list app. No account or sign-up required — everything is stored privately on your device. FEATURES - Home Screen widget: see pinned and recent notes without opening the app, and tap New to start writing - Folders: organize notes into folders, switch between them from the title bar, and manage them in Settings - Search: quickly find notes by title or content - Trash: recover deleted notes or delete them forever - Notes & checklists: write free-form notes or create to-do/checklist items - Photos: attach photos to any note - Reminders: set a reminder with a local notification so you never forget - Swipe to delete: swipe any checklist item to delete it, in any order - Auto-sort: checked items automatically move to the bottom of the list - Drag to reorder: long-press and drag notes on the home screen to reorder them - Share as image: export and share any note as an image - Customize: choose note colors, font style, font size, and card size in Settings - Privacy controls: read the privacy policy and change ad personalization any time in Settings - Fast & offline: works fully offline, with no internet connection required Whether you need a shopping list, a daily task manager, a quick memo, or a place to keep photos with notes, Onlynote keeps it simple and private.

Screenshots

Fast Notes4 screens
Onlynote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fast Notes at none against Onlynote's 1. Onlynote's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (93 vs 16). On price, rating, ads and monetization model 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. Onlynote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Fast Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Fast Notes against 4.8 for Onlynote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Onlynote has 93 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Fast Notes's written reviews are positive against 75% of Onlynote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fast Notes ships an update every 6 months, Onlynote fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Fast Notes versus Onlynote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFast NotesOnlynote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (16 ratings)4.8 (93 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1693 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEmanuele FlorisAPPS BAY LIMITED

Customer experience

Fast Notes

All ratings16 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Onlynote

All ratings93 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral18.8%
Negative6.3%

In-app purchases

None

Fast Notes

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Onlynote

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Fast Notes free?
Fast Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Onlynote free?
Onlynote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Fast Notes or Onlynote?
Onlynote is rated higher. Fast Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Onlynote averages 4.8 from 93 ratings.
Do Fast Notes or Onlynote have ads?
Both Fast Notes and Onlynote show ads.
Which is updated more often, Fast Notes or Onlynote?
Fast Notes ships an update every 6 months, and Onlynote fortnightly. Most recently, Fast Notes was updated on October 21, 2026 and Onlynote on October 25, 2026.

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