Comparison

Split Notes 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

Split Notes

A versatile text editor that allows for split-screen viewing in both vertical and horizontal orientations, along with tabbed interfaces. It offers automatic saving, folder management, and advanced search capabilities. Users can also synchronize scrolling between panes and export notes to CSV.

Highlights
  • Split-screen editing (vertical/horizontal)
  • Tabbed interface
  • Synchronized scrolling
  • Automatic saving
  • Folder management
  • Character and regex search
  • Export to CSV
Features
Read full description

This is a simple notepad which can switch between vertical and horizontal screen division, tab use screen. You can synchronize the scrolling of each text view by enabling the magnet button. Notes is saved automatically. Others - Folder management. - Character search, regular expression search. - Undo/Redo - Character count display. - Change font size. - Export to CSV file. - Backup/Restore with iCloud.

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 inside notes or audio recording (write on exported images and PDFs) [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

Split Notes4 screens
Simple Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Simple Notes at 791 against Split Notes's 11. Split Notes's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. Split Notes 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

Split Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 791 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Split Notes's written reviews are positive against 87% of Simple Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Split Notes ships an update every 4 months, Simple Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Split Notes versus Simple Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSplit NotesSimple Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (11 ratings) — better4.7 (791 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews87.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11791 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
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
Size20 MB216 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKAZUTERU YOKOIKomorebi Inc.

Customer experience

Split Notes

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Simple Notes

All ratings791 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive87.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative7.2%

Bugs and requests

Split Notes

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

Split Notes

One-time1
  • Remove ads$1.99
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 Split Notes free?
Split Notes 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, Split Notes or Simple Notes?
Split Notes is rated higher. Split Notes averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Simple Notes averages 4.7 from 791 ratings.
Do Split Notes or Simple Notes have ads?
Both Split Notes and Simple Notes show ads.
Which is updated more often, Split Notes or Simple Notes?
Split Notes ships an update every 4 months, and Simple Notes every 3 months. Most recently, Split Notes was updated on September 28, 2026 and Simple Notes on October 11, 2026.

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