# FocusList vs The Simplest Note

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Simplest Note at 100% against FocusList's 52%. The Simplest Note also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). FocusList's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and ratings volume (31 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

FocusList is free to download; The Simplest Note costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Simplest Note holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FocusList has 31 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of FocusList's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Simplest Note's.

FocusList ships an update monthly, The Simplest Note every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FocusList | The Simplest Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [3.4 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focuslist-focus-timer/id1083376166/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-simplest-note/id6504703883/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **31** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 35 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Median Tech, s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1177928204) | [Megumi Hattori](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731553046) |

## What reviewers say

### FocusList

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focuslist-focus-timer/id1083376166)

Plan your day and boost productivity with timed work intervals and breaks. Track your progress, analyze estimates, and identify your peak work times.

**Highlights:** Daily planning with task estimation, 25-minute work intervals with 5-minute breaks, Timeboxing for focused work sessions, Retrospective analysis of estimates and time spent, Real-time sync with Mac app, Productivity statistics

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Simplest Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-simplest-note/id6504703883)

This app helps you focus on essential information by providing a clean interface for notes, to-do lists, and planners. It features widgets for home and lock screens, iCloud sync, and supports light and dark modes for a better user experience.

**Highlights:** Minimalist UI, All information on one screen, Home and lock screen widgets, iCloud synchronization, Light and dark appearance support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FocusList free?

FocusList is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Simplest Note free?

The Simplest Note costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FocusList or The Simplest Note?

The Simplest Note is rated higher. FocusList averages 3.4 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while The Simplest Note averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do FocusList or The Simplest Note have ads?

Neither FocusList nor The Simplest Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FocusList or The Simplest Note?

FocusList ships an update monthly, and The Simplest Note every 3 days. Most recently, FocusList was updated on October 7, 2026 and The Simplest Note on October 3, 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.*