Memo Pad vs Plain Note
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Memo Pad
This is a straightforward and visually appealing notepad application. It allows users to quickly jot down ideas, tasks, or lists and find them later with a search function. Users can also customize the appearance and share content with other applications.
- Easy note search
- Customizable themes and fonts
- Sort notes by date
- Share notes to other apps
- Tablet optimized design
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A simple and easy to use notepad. - Find notes easily using the search function - Easily sort information according to conditions of your choosing - Customize theme colors and font size - Link to other apps easily with a single tap Ideas, tasks, shopping list, e-mail, please use such as in the message. Facebook, it can be shared Twitter, such as e-mail. Creation date, you can sort by modified date. Also I can easily search past notes. [Main Functions] - Search - Share - Display Order - Designed for tablets URL Scheme: woodsmall-memopad:// Made in Japan. © woodsmall inc.
Plain Note
A straightforward, text-only notepad for quickly capturing thoughts, memos, and drafts. Organize notes with customizable tags and access them easily via home and lock screen widgets. Offers optional iCloud sync and extensive customization through in-app purchases.
- Text-only note-taking
- Customizable tags with icons
- Lock screen and home screen widgets
- Character and line count
- Note archiving and organization
- Theme, icon, and font customization
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Plain Note is a simple, text-only notes app that makes it easy to capture ideas, jot down everyday notes, and draft social media posts and emails. No ads. No sign-up required. Notes are stored on your device and, if you use iCloud sync, in your own iCloud account as well. The developer does not collect the contents of your notes. It's a good fit for people who want to jot things down and quickly refer back to them, rather than use a notes app with lots of features. You can organize your notes by adding tags, and it supports lock screen and home screen widgets. It can be used on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features • You can categorize your notes with tags. • Customize tag icons and colors. • You can count the number of characters and lines. • Archive and organize your notes. • Widgets can be added to the lock screen and home screen. • Customize themes, app icons, and fonts. (Some features are available for a fee.) Premium (in-app purchase) • Sync data across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. • All themes and app icons are available. • All tag icons are available. • All font customizations are available. *Prices may vary by country or region. Please check in the app. *Some features may not be available in all languages or regions. Terms of Use: https://monelyze.app/en/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://monelyze.app/en/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Memo Pad's shown. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). Memo Pad's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Memo Pad sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month and Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Memo Pad against 4.6 for Plain Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 436 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Memo Pad's written reviews are positive against 63% of Plain Note's.
Memo Pad ships an update every 6 weeks, Plain Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Memo Pad | Plain Note |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (436 ratings) | 4.6 (1.1K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews — better | 62.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 436 | 1.1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | woodsmall inc. | Monelyze Inc. |
Customer experience
Memo Pad
Plain Note
User reviews
Memo Pad
From 436 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient for quick notes
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 📝 Helpful for reminders and to-do lists
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty locating specific notes
- 💰 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🔒 Lack of sync between devices
Plain Note
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and clean design
- 💡 One-time payment model
- 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable tags and icons
Room to improve
- 🐛 Notes sometimes don't save properly
- 🐛 Slow and unreliable synchronization
- ❌ No text formatting options (bold, italics, etc.)
- ❌ No ability to insert photos or videos
- ❌ No option to export notes
Bugs and requests
Memo Pad
Reported bugs
2 issues- Notes sometimes disappearing after updates
- Password/fingerprint login not working consistently
Requested features
4 requests- Add ability to add photos or files
- Implement alphabetical sorting of notes
- Improve cursor control for editing
- Provide cloud sync across devices
Plain Note
Reported bugs
2 issues- Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
- Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note
Requested features
7 requests- Ability to swipe widget to display another note
- Subfolders for better organization
- Export function to backup notes
- Option to change app colors
- Support for multiple notes in one widget
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Text formatting options (bold, italics, headings)
- Ability to insert photos and videos
In-app purchases
Memo Pad
- Monthly plan$0.491 Month
- 6 months plan$2.996 Months
- Annual plan$5.991 Year
- Pay in full$7.99
Plain Note
- Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium - Lifetime$29.99
Questions
Is Memo Pad free?
Is Plain Note free?
Which has better reviews, Memo Pad or Plain Note?
Do Memo Pad or Plain Note have ads?
Which is updated more often, Memo Pad or Plain Note?
Other comparisons
