# Simple Notes. vs Shared Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Simple Notes. at none against Shared Notes's shown. Simple Notes. also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 50%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Shared Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes. sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Shared Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Notes. holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes. has 61 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Simple Notes.'s written reviews are positive against 50% of Shared Notes's.

Simple Notes. ships an update every 2 months, Shared Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes. | Shared Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes/id1104759509/reviews)** | [4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **61** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuto Iwakami](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584545568) | [Juanma Del Boca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826820062) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Notes.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes/id1104759509)

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:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $5.99 | one-time |


### Shared Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Half Year Subscription | $4.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes. free?

Simple Notes. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### 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 61 ratings, while Shared Notes averages 4.4 from 11 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 September 28, 2026 and Shared Notes on September 24, 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.*