Comparison

Simple Notes. vs Shared Notes

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

Shared Notes

This app helps couples and friends stay organized with shared lists and notes. It features AI tools to summarize, format, and correct text, along with private, password-protected notes and offline functionality.

Highlights
  • Shared grocery and to-do lists
  • AI summarization and grammar correction
  • Password-protected private notes
  • Offline note-taking and syncing
  • Real-time synchronization
  • Cross-platform compatibility
Features
Read full description

Shared Notes is the simple, secure way to keep your relationship and daily life in sync. Whether it’s a shared grocery list with your partner, a travel plan with friends, or private thoughts you want to lock away, everything is safe here. Now powered by Smart AI, you can tidy up messy notes, fix grammar, and summarize long texts in seconds. WHY COUPLES & FRIENDS LOVE SHARED NOTES: [+] Shared Grocery & To-Do Lists Stop asking "Did you buy the milk?" Create a shared list with your partner or flatmate. When you cross off an item, it syncs instantly to everyone’s phone. Perfect for groceries, household chores, and packing lists. [+] Smart AI Assistant (NEW) Turn messy thoughts into clear plans. • Summarize: Turn long notes into short, clear summaries. • Fix Grammar: Polish your spelling and sentences automatically. • Auto-Format: Convert a rough paragraph into a clean checklist with one tap. [+] Private & Password Protected Your thoughts belong to you. Lock sensitive notes or journals with a secure password so only you can access them. We prioritize privacy with offline-first storage and secure cloud syncing. [+] Works Offline Capture ideas on a plane or in the subway. Write offline, and the app will automatically sync your changes to the cloud the moment you are back online. KEY FEATURES: • Real-Time Sync: See changes as your partner types. • AI Tools: Summarize, spell-check, and format instantly. • Dark Mode: A beautiful interface that’s easy on the eyes. • Cross-Platform: Syncs seamlessly between iPhone, iPad, and Android. Simple. Secure. Shared. Download Shared Notes today and get in sync.

Screenshots

Simple Notes.4 screens
Shared Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Notes. at none against Shared Notes's 5. Simple Notes. also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (79% vs 50%). Shared Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement 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. Shared Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Simple Notes. asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Simple Notes. against 4.6 for Shared Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 17 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Simple Notes.'s written reviews are positive against 50% of Shared Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Notes. ships an update every 2 months, Shared Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Simple Notes. versus Shared Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Notes.Shared Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (65 ratings) — better4.6 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings65 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB86 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuto IwakamiJuanma Del Boca

Customer experience

Simple Notes.

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

Shared Notes

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Simple Notes.

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Shared Notes

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Half Year Subscription7 Days trial$4.996 Months
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Pro + AI$29.99
  • Lifetime Pro + AI$59.99

Questions

Is Simple Notes. free?
Simple Notes. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shared Notes free?
Shared Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Notes. or Shared Notes?
Simple Notes. is rated higher. Simple Notes. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Shared Notes averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.
Do Simple Notes. or Shared Notes have ads?
Shared Notes shows ads; Simple Notes. does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Notes. or Shared Notes?
Simple Notes. ships an update every 2 months, and Shared Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Simple Notes. was updated on November 2, 2026 and Shared Notes on November 8, 2026.

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