# Memo Pad vs Plain Note

The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Memo Pad's shown. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks). Memo Pad's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 62%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 — 427 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Memo Pad's written reviews are positive against 62% of Plain Note's.

Memo Pad ships an update every 6 weeks, Plain Note every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Memo Pad | Plain Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (427 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-pad-simple-note-pad/id1078142918/reviews) | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 427 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.3% of reviews** | 62.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 46 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [woodsmall inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/708077492) | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) |

## What reviewers say

### Memo Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-pad-simple-note-pad/id1078142918)

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.

**Highlights:** Easy note search, Customizable themes and fonts, Sort notes by date, Share notes to other apps, Tablet optimized design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly plan | $0.49 | per month |
| 6 months plan | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual plan | $5.99 | per year |
| Pay in full | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient for quick notes
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 📝 Helpful for reminders and to-do lists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty locating specific notes
- 💰 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🔒 Lack of sync between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes disappearing after updates
- Password/fingerprint login not working consistently

**Requested features**

- Add ability to add photos or files
- Implement alphabetical sorting of notes
- Improve cursor control for editing
- Provide cloud sync across devices


### Plain Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921)

This app allows you to create and organize notes with customizable tags and icons. It offers lock screen and home screen widgets for quick access and supports character/line counting. Personalize your experience with themes, app icons, and fonts.

**Highlights:** Organize notes with tags, Customizable tag icons and colors, Character and line counting, Lock screen and home screen widgets, Customizable themes, app icons, and fonts, Archive and organize notes

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium - Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean design
- 💡 One-time payment model
- 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable tags and icons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
- Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Memo Pad free?

Memo Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Plain Note free?

Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Memo Pad or Plain Note?

Memo Pad and Plain Note are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 427 and 1.1K ratings respectively.

### Do Memo Pad or Plain Note have ads?

Memo Pad shows ads; Plain Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Memo Pad or Plain Note?

Memo Pad ships an update every 6 weeks, and Plain Note every 10 days. Most recently, Memo Pad was updated on September 24, 2026 and Plain Note on September 22, 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.*