# iNote vs Plain Note

The clearest difference is rating: Plain Note at 4.6 against iNote's 4.1. Plain Note also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (62% vs 49%). iNote's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Plain Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.4K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of iNote's written reviews are positive against 62% of Plain Note's.

iNote ships an update every 2 weeks, Plain Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iNote | Plain Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inote-sticky-note-by-color/id1148660096/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | 49.1% of reviews | **62.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CONG DUC TRAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/596643264) | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) |

## What reviewers say

### iNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inote-sticky-note-by-color/id1148660096)

Organize your thoughts, tasks, and lists using a vibrant color-coding system.  Add images, set reminders, and sync across devices with iCloud.  View notes in various layouts and even pin them to your Today Board widget.

**Highlights:** Organize notes by color, Attach photos to notes, iCloud sync and backup, Checklist notes for to-do lists, Reminders and calendar view, Pin notes to Today Board widget

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ColorNote Premium | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Color-coded notes for organization
- 🔒 Ability to lock individual notes
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty finding and editing notes
- 💸 Excessive ads in free version
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing after updates
- White text on white background making notes unreadable
- Inability to rearrange items in checklists

**Requested features**

- Add undo/redo functionality
- Improve search and filtering options
- Allow custom font and text formatting
- Provide backup and restore options


### Plain Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921)

This app allows you to create and organize notes with customizable tags and icons. It offers lock screen and home screen widgets for quick access and supports character/line counting. Personalize your experience with themes, app icons, and fonts.

**Highlights:** Organize notes with tags, Customizable tag icons and colors, Character and line counting, Lock screen and home screen widgets, Customizable themes, app icons, and fonts, Archive and organize notes

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium - Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean design
- 💡 One-time payment model
- 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable tags and icons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notes sometimes don't save properly
- 🐛 Slow and unreliable synchronization
- ❌ No text formatting options (bold, italics, etc.)
- ❌ No ability to insert photos or videos
- ❌ No option to export notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
- Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

**Requested features**

- Ability to swipe widget to display another note
- Subfolders for better organization
- Export function to backup notes
- Option to change app colors
- Support for multiple notes in one widget


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iNote free?

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

### Is Plain Note free?

Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iNote or Plain Note?

Plain Note is rated higher. iNote averages 4.1 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Plain Note averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do iNote or Plain Note have ads?

iNote shows ads; Plain Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, iNote or Plain Note?

iNote ships an update every 2 weeks, and Plain Note every 9 days. Most recently, iNote was updated on September 28, 2026 and Plain Note on October 1, 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.*