Comparison

Notes and Folders vs Simple Notes

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

Head to head
About

Notes and Folders

Organize your thoughts and memories with this app. Create folders for notes, attach photos, and even keep a dated diary. Secure your entries with password protection and access them easily with widgets and search functionality.

Highlights
  • Organize notes with folders and subfolders
  • Attach photos to notes
  • Dated diary entries
  • Password lock (Passcode, Touch ID, Face ID)
  • Widgets for quick access
  • Search notes
  • Backup to Dropbox, PC, or Mac
Features
Read full description

180,000 downloads worldwide! Organize texts and photos with folders. FOLDERS - You can use folders to organize notes - Support subfolders NOTES - Attach photos to the note - Letter count - Auto save in editing - Internal browser that can easily link with notes DIARY - Diary that set date - Read monthly diaries at once OTHERS - Widget - Password lock (Passcode, Touch ID and Face ID) - Search notes - Share notes to other apps - Share texts and images from other apps - Theme color - Text size change - iPad support - Backup by Dropbox - Backup by PC or Mac URL Scheme notesandfolders:// About Backup by PC or Mac There is a backup support using PC or Mac. Please read FAQ "About backup" section in preferences screen. Full screen advertisement will come out only once a day (24 hours). (It will not come out if you charge for remove ad)

About

Simple Notes

This app offers a clean and efficient way to organize your thoughts and ideas. Easily add images, organize notes into colored folders, and secure your entries with a passcode. Customize the look with various themes and fonts, and back up your data to iCloud.

Highlights
  • Add photos to notes
  • Organize with colored folders
  • Calendar view for notes
  • Passcode and biometric lock
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • iCloud backup and sync
  • Smart search with tags
Features
Read full description

Simple Notes is an easy-to-use notes app that leaves out the extras, so writing, organizing, and finding notes stay simple. Notes go into color-coded folders, and you can find them using the calendar or photo album. No account or setup is required, and the app works offline. Core features are free. Keep everything in one place, from class notes and work memos to a diary or baby journal. [Features] ■ Add Photos to Notes - Attach images to any note - Insert pictures from your photo library, or take a photo on the spot ■ Folder Organization - Create folders to keep your notes organized - Choose from 24 folder colors to tell categories apart at a glance ■ Calendar View - View notes by date using the built-in calendar - Tap any date to see notes for that date — perfect for locating past entries ■ Photo Album - Browse all images added to notes in one place - Tap a photo to jump to its note ■ Home Screen & Lock Screen Widgets - Keep a note on your Home Screen like a sticky note — no need to open the app - Lock Screen widgets let you see a note without unlocking your iPhone - Choose which note to display and its text size *Widgets are part of the Premium Service* ■ Sort Notes & Bullet Lists - Sort by note date, date edited, date created, or title, ascending or descending - Bullet lists make it easy to write shopping and packing lists ■ Passcode Lock - Protect your notes with a passcode - Supports Face ID and Touch ID for quick and secure access ■ Font Styles - Choose from 12 font styles - Choose a playful, elegant, or professional look for your notes ■ Themes and App Icons - Pick from 23 theme colors and matching app icons - Customize the look of the app and even the Home Screen icon ■ Full-Note Image & PDF - Turn an entire note, even a long one with photos, into a single image to share - Export notes as PDFs for work or school ■ Data Backup & Export - Back up your notes to iCloud or export them to your computer - Hand exported notes to AI apps for summaries, or save them to Notion or Google Drive - Export formats: HTML (for Windows), RTFD (for Mac, keeps images), PDF, and TXT *Data export and iCloud backup are part of the Premium Service; notes are also included in your iPhone’s device backup* ■ iCloud Sync - Use iCloud to sync notes across your iPhone and iPad (Premium Service) - Restore your notes on a new device if yours is lost or broken ■ Smart Search - Use the built-in search to quickly find notes - Add text tags like “#Important” to make key notes easier to locate ■ Character Count - Check the character count as you write reports, essays, or fiction - Each note can hold up to 100,000 characters ■ Text Display Settings - Adjust text size, contrast, and line spacing - Ideal if you prefer larger text or need better readability - Dark Mode is supported for nighttime use ■ Remove Ads - The Premium Service hides all ads - Enjoy a clean, distraction-free screen for your notes [Great For] - Students: class and lecture notes with photos, one folder per course — export notes as PDF or text and hand them to AI apps for exam prep - Parents: a baby journal with photos, growth records, and family memos in folders - Work: meeting notes, ideas, and memos in one place — tap the mic on the iOS keyboard to dictate notes, handy for transcripts and meeting minutes - Writers: novels, blog drafts, and reports — live character count and PDF sharing [Good to Know] - Works on iPhone and iPad (iOS/iPadOS 14 or later) - Works offline — create and view notes even in Airplane Mode - No handwriting or audio recording — the focus is simple text-and-photo notes [Help & Contact] - For help, go to “Help / FAQ” in the app settings - If you still have questions, tap “Contact Us” on the help screen - For faster support, contact us through the app rather than leaving an App Store review 【Terms of Service】 https://komorebi-studio.com/tos_en.html 【Privacy Policy】 https://komorebi-studio.com/policyredirect.html

Screenshots

Notes and Folders4 screens
Simple Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Notes and Folders at every 3 weeks against Simple Notes's every 3 months. Simple Notes's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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. Notes and Folders sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 300 and 790 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Notes and Folders's written reviews are positive against 88% of Simple Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notes and Folders ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Notes and Folders versus Simple Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotes and FoldersSimple Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (300 ratings)4.7 (790 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings300790 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB206 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperKinkumaDesignKomorebi Inc.

Customer experience

Notes and Folders

All ratings300 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral6.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral12.4%
Negative7.2%

Simple Notes

All ratings790 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral5.8%
Negative6.7%

Bugs and requests

Notes and Folders

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Simple Notes

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • No local PC backup and restore feature
  • UI looks outdated and childish

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to pin notes at the top of a folder
  • Implement iCloud sync between devices
  • Introduce more text formatting options (bold, italics, underline, etc.)
  • Allow changing folder colors

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Notes and Folders

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99
3 purchases

Simple Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Service$39.99

Questions

Is Notes and Folders free?
Notes and Folders is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Notes free?
Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notes and Folders or Simple Notes?
Simple Notes is rated higher. Notes and Folders averages 4.5 out of 5 from 300 ratings, while Simple Notes averages 4.7 from 790 ratings.
Do Notes and Folders or Simple Notes have ads?
Both Notes and Folders and Simple Notes show ads.
Which is updated more often, Notes and Folders or Simple Notes?
Notes and Folders ships an update every 3 weeks, and Simple Notes every 3 months. Most recently, Notes and Folders was updated on September 21, 2026 and Simple Notes on September 23, 2026.

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