Comparison

Split Notes vs Side 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

Side Notes

This app helps you organize thoughts by viewing multiple notes simultaneously. It offers layouts for comparing options, conducting analyses, or structuring complex ideas. Focus on your thinking with a clean, intuitive interface and privacy-focused design.

Highlights
  • Side-by-side note viewing
  • Multiple layout options (Dual, Four, Single)
  • Visual comparison of ideas
  • SWOT analysis and Eisenhower Matrix support
  • Rich text editing
  • Offline functionality
  • Export notes as PDF or text
Features
Read full description

Think Better with Side-by-Side Notes Side Notes revolutionizes how you organize your thoughts by letting you view multiple notes simultaneously. Perfect for making decisions, comparing options, and structuring complex ideas. WHY SIDE NOTES? Traditional note apps force you to think linearly, one note at a time. But real thinking isn't linear-it's multidimensional. Side Notes embraces this by giving you three powerful layouts: - Dual Layout - Two notes side by side Perfect for: Pros vs Cons, Before vs After, Option A vs Option B - Four Layout - Four notes in a 2x2 grid Perfect for: SWOT Analysis, Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent/Important), Comparison tables - Single Layout - One full note Perfect for: Meeting notes, Journaling, Quick captures REAL-WORLD USE CASES - Career Decisions - Compare job offers with pros, cons, and decision notes side by side - Vacation Planning - Evaluate destinations with budget, highlights, and itineraries - Project Management - Use Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks - Business Strategy - Conduct SWOT analysis with all four quadrants visible - Home Projects - Plan renovations with before/after comparisons and budgets - Product Research - Compare features, prices, and reviews across options - Learning - Study with questions on one side, answers on the other - Budget Planning - Track planned vs actual spending KEY FEATURES Simple & Intuitive Clean, minimalist design that gets out of your way. Focus on thinking, not on learning complex features. Beautiful Themes Choose from 5 carefully crafted themes: Classic, Ocean, Sunset, Forest, and Midnight. Fast & Lightweight Instant launch, smooth performance. No bloat, no lag. Privacy First Your notes stay on your device. No cloud sync means no data collection, no tracking, no privacy concerns. Works Offline Full functionality without internet. Your thoughts are always accessible. No Subscription One-time purchase. No recurring fees, no feature paywalls. Rich Text Editing Format your notes with bold, italic, lists, and more. Smart Search Find any note or board instantly with powerful search. Easy Export Share your boards as PDF or plain text whenever you need. Multilingual Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Hindi. PERFECT FOR - Students analyzing study materials - Professionals making business decisions - Entrepreneurs conducting market research - Project managers prioritizing tasks - Anyone who thinks visually - People who compare options before deciding THE SIDE NOTES DIFFERENCE While other apps focus on endless features and complexity, Side Notes does one thing exceptionally well: helping you think clearly by organizing information spatially. It's the difference between reading a list and seeing a comparison. GET STARTED IN SECONDS 1. Create a new board 2. Choose your layout (Dual, Four, or Single) 3. Start writing 4. Switch between notes with a tap 5. See your thoughts organized clearly No tutorials needed. No learning curve. Just open and start thinking better. WHAT USERS SAY "Finally, an app that matches how I actually think!" "Perfect for my daily pros/cons lists" "The SWOT analysis layout is brilliant" "So simple, yet so powerful" TRY IT TODAY Transform how you make decisions, compare options, and organize complex thoughts. Download Side Notes and experience the power of multidimensional thinking.

Screenshots

Split Notes4 screens
Side Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Split Notes at 4.9 against Side Notes's 3.9. Split Notes also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 57%). Side Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement 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. Side Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Split Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Split Notes's written reviews are positive against 57% of Side Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Split Notes ships an update every 4 months, Side Notes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Split Notes versus Side Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSplit NotesSide Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (11 ratings) — better3.9 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1122 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKAZUTERU YOKOIStraw Technologies

Customer experience

Split Notes

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

Side Notes

All ratings22 ratings
Positive68.2%
Neutral9.1%
Negative22.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral28.6%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Split Notes

One-time1
  • Remove ads$1.99
None

Side Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Split Notes free?
Split Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Side Notes free?
Side Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Split Notes or Side Notes?
Split Notes is rated higher. Split Notes averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Side Notes averages 3.9 from 22 ratings.
Do Split Notes or Side Notes have ads?
Split Notes shows ads; Side Notes does not.
Which is updated more often, Split Notes or Side Notes?
Split Notes ships an update every 4 months, and Side Notes every 2 months. Most recently, Split Notes was updated on September 15, 2026 and Side Notes on August 14, 2026.

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