Comparison

Simple Notes. vs Notepad

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

Head to head
About

Simple Notes.

This app offers a straightforward way to create, manage, and share text-based notes. It focuses on essential features like character counting and sorting, with seamless integration for sharing via messaging apps.

Highlights
  • Create text notes
  • Character count display
  • Sort notes
  • Widget support
  • Instant sharing via Messages
  • Automatic saving
Features
Read full description

Simple Notes. is exactly what it sounds like: a simple app for taking notes. It focuses on everyday essentials. No grids, camera, or audio—just text, with easy ways to organize and share it. Write a note and it saves automatically as you type. The first line becomes its title. Search your notes, star favorites, sort by favorites, date, or title, and tap the counter to switch between character and word counts. Keep notes close with widgets. Show a note you choose or browse a list of recent notes. Tap a note in a widget to open it in the app. FEATURES - Create and automatically save text notes - Count characters or words - Search, star, and sort notes - View a selected note or recent notes with widgets - Share notes as text or as a .txt file - Add a note to a Messages conversation, with the option to include its title - Create or retrieve notes with Shortcuts app - Create note or search using Siri HOW TO USE Create a note: Tap “Create New Note” and start typing. Your changes save automatically. Delete a note: Swipe left on it and tap Delete. Sort notes: Tap the menu button and choose Favorites, Date, or Title. Share in Messages: Open Simple Notes. from the Messages app drawer, choose a conversation and a note, then tap Send. Use the switch at the top to include or leave out the title. Have a suggestion? Please leave a review on the App Store or send feedback through the app.

About

Notepad

A straightforward writing application that allows for easy note-taking and sentence composition. It offers robust editing tools like undo/redo and a keyboard toolbar for efficient text manipulation. The app is designed for one-handed operation and includes features for organizing notes with folders and backups.

Highlights
  • Note and folder management
  • Undo/Redo editing
  • Keyboard toolbar for text manipulation
  • One-handed operation design
  • Startup lock with iOS authentication
  • Dark mode support
  • iCloud backup
Read full description

This is a simple notepad app that has useful features not only to take notes but also to write sentences. Mistakes of editing can be fixed easily by undo/redo feature. If you want to restore a note to previous content, you will be able to restore from update history. On keyboard toolbar, There is convenient features such as moving cursor up/down/left/right and select/copy/cut/paste. In addition, This app is made to make it easy to operate with one hand. ------ This is a notepad app that implements convenient features while being careful not to impair the simple operation feeling. The features of this app is below. Notes management features: - Manage notes by folders - Sort notes and folders freely - Manage update and delete history of notes Notes editing features: - Store a note at real time - Change font size while viewing a note - Show character, word, line count - Link text to other app such as Email and SNS - keyboard toolbar --> Select/Copy/Cut/Paste --> Move cursor up/down/left/right by one character --> Move cursor to start or end of note --> Move cursor to start or end of line --> Undo and Redo of editing Other features: - Startup lock - Use iOS authentication (Face ID, Touch ID, Passcode) - Mini note - Ancillary note when creating notes - Change color setting to dark mode - Export and Import backup files - iCloud backup

Screenshots

Simple Notes.4 screens
Notepad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Notepad at none against Simple Notes.'s 3. Notepad also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15). Simple Notes.'s advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Simple Notes. sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Notepad asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 30 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 79% and 79% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Notes. ships an update every 2 months, Notepad monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Simple Notes. versus Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Notes.Notepad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (64 ratings)4.9 (30 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews78.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings64 — better30
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS1512.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuto IwakamiMakoto Yamabayashi

Customer experience

Simple Notes.

All ratings64 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral4.7%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative7.1%

Notepad

All ratings22 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral15.8%
Negative5.3%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Simple Notes.

One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$2.99
  • Large Tip$5.99
None

Notepad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Notes. free?
Simple Notes. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notepad free?
Notepad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Notes. or Notepad?
Notepad is rated higher. Simple Notes. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while Notepad averages 4.9 from 30 ratings.
Do Simple Notes. or Notepad have ads?
Notepad shows ads; Simple Notes. does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Notes. or Notepad?
Simple Notes. ships an update every 2 months, and Notepad monthly. Most recently, Simple Notes. was updated on October 29, 2026 and Notepad on October 24, 2026.

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