Comparison

Simple Notes. vs a 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

a Notepad

Capture your thoughts and ideas effortlessly on the go. This app offers both offline and cloud-synced note-taking, allowing you to access your notes from any device. Share your notes as plain text or as a web page with customizable privacy settings.

Highlights
  • Standalone mode (no login)
  • Cloud synchronization
  • Cross-device access
  • Note sharing as text or web page
  • Private, public, and password-protected notes
  • Guest editing options
Features
Read full description

Take notes on the go and share notes online with aNotepad mobile app. aNotepad can be used in either Standalone mode or Connected mode. Standalone mode - No login required. Notes will only be stored on your mobile device. If you later decide to login with an anotepad.com account, your local notes will be uploaded to that account as well. Connected mode - If you login with an anotepad.com free account, notes will be synchronized with anotepad.com cloud server. You can access your notes from multiple devices. You can also access your notes at anotepad.com website with a web browser. Note Sharing Notes can be shared either as Text or as online Web page. User in standalone mode can only share notes as Text. Logged in user can get an instant note web page and share note URL with others. Note Permission When you share your note as an online web page with others. You can set note permission to control who can see your note. Private Note - Only you can read and edit Public Note - Everyone who knows the URL can read Password Protected Note - Only people with password can read If you enable Guest Editing on your note, people with note editing password can also edit your note at anotepad.com website. Contact us at support@anotepad.com if you have any additional questions or any feedback.

Screenshots

Simple Notes.4 screens
a Notepad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Notes. at 4.7 against a Notepad's 4.1. Simple Notes. also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 49%). a Notepad's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Notes. holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 40 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Simple Notes.'s written reviews are positive against 49% of a Notepad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Notes. ships an update every 2 months, a Notepad every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Simple Notes. versus a Notepad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Notes.a Notepad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (65 ratings) — better4.1 (40 ratings)
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews — better48.6% of reviews
Number of ratings65 — better40
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS1511.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuto IwakamiJia Qing Song

Customer experience

Simple Notes.

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

a Notepad

All ratings38 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral7.9%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive48.6%
Neutral2.7%
Negative48.6%

In-app purchases

None

Simple Notes.

No in-app purchases

None

a Notepad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Notes. free?
Simple Notes. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is a Notepad free?
a Notepad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Notes. or a Notepad?
Simple Notes. is rated higher. Simple Notes. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while a Notepad averages 4.1 from 40 ratings.
Do Simple Notes. or a Notepad have ads?
Neither Simple Notes. nor a Notepad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Notes. or a Notepad?
Simple Notes. ships an update every 2 months, and a Notepad every 3 months. Most recently, Simple Notes. was updated on November 2, 2026 and a Notepad on November 3, 2026.

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