# Simple Notepad vs Standard Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Standard Notes at none against Simple Notepad's shown. Standard Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notepad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month and Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Simple Notepad against 4.7 for Standard Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 3.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Simple Notepad's written reviews are positive against 64% of Standard Notes's.

Simple Notepad ships an update every 3 weeks, Standard Notes every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notepad | Standard Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notepad-bestnote/id1207183021/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **68.5% of reviews** | 64.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EasterEggs](https://appshunter.io/developer/553389214) | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Notepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notepad-bestnote/id1207183021)

This app offers a unique note-taking experience with a three-tab system for memos, remarks, and history. Attach photos to your notes and secure them with a password. Organize your thoughts with folder division for efficient management.

**Highlights:** Three-tab note structure (Memo, Remarks, History), Attach images to notes, Password security lock, Folder division for organization, Revision history tracking, Additional remarks field

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan | $3.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🎨 Customizable colors and themes
- 🗂️ Folder organization
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 📝 Good for note-taking and journaling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Intrusive ads
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 📱 Not optimized for iPad
- 🖋️ No handwriting support
- 💾 No backup/sync options

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Notes disappearing after updates
- Vertical orientation not working
- Unable to recover lost notes

**Requested features**

- Option to remove ads
- Ability to sync notes across devices
- More font and formatting options
- Print functionality
- Improved iPad support


### Standard Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450)

Securely capture and sync your thoughts across all devices with end-to-end encryption. This app offers a simple, lasting place for all your notes, from personal thoughts to sensitive information, with robust privacy features.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encryption, Cross-device syncing, Offline access, Passcode and biometric lock, Tagging system, Open-source code, Optional productivity editors and themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable sync
- 🔒 Excellent privacy and security
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 📚 Great for organizing notes
- 💻 Cross-platform availability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔑 Frustrating login/authentication issues
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription
- 📱 Limited features in free version
- 🖍️ Lack of formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting deleted unexpectedly
- Sync issues between devices
- Keyboard and UI bugs on mobile
- Compatibility problems with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add support for images and attachments
- Implement a more robust search function
- Introduce a dark mode option
- Allow for better note organization (folders, nested tags)
- Add undo/redo functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notepad free?

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

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simple Notepad or Standard Notes?

Standard Notes is rated higher. Simple Notepad averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Standard Notes averages 4.7 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Simple Notepad or Standard Notes have ads?

Simple Notepad shows ads; Standard Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Notepad or Standard Notes?

Simple Notepad ships an update every 3 weeks, and Standard Notes every 5 weeks. Most recently, Simple Notepad was updated on October 20, 2026 and Standard Notes on October 19, 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.*