# Notes and Folders vs Simple Notes

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes and Folders | Simple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (300 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-and-folders/id1126289455/reviews) | **[4.7 (790 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 300 | **790** |
| Positive reviews | 80.4% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KinkumaDesign](https://appshunter.io/developer/385697725) | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes and Folders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-and-folders/id1126289455)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


### Simple Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $14.99 | per year |
| Premium Service | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📁 Folder organization and color-coding
- 🔒 Password protection
- 💡 Useful for school and work notes
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Lack of iCloud sync
- 📐 Limited formatting options (no bold, italics, etc.)
- 🎨 Default folder color cannot be changed
- 🔍 No alphabetical sorting for folders

**Reported bugs**

- No local PC backup and restore feature
- UI looks outdated and childish

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*