# Simple Notepad vs PhotoNote

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PhotoNote at 100% against Simple Notepad's 68%. PhotoNote also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Simple Notepad's advantage is ratings volume (2.8K vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notepad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month and PhotoNote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PhotoNote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notepad has 2.8K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Simple Notepad's written reviews are positive against 100% of PhotoNote's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notepad | PhotoNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notepad-bestnote/id1207183021/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photonote-take-note-by-camera/id1465555338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 68.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EasterEggs](https://appshunter.io/developer/553389214) | [Satoshi Kobayashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/909987119) |

## 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


### PhotoNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photonote-take-note-by-camera/id1465555338)

Capture information visually by taking photos instead of typing. Organize your visual notes with tabs and colored tags. Photos are stored within the app, preventing clutter in your device's photo gallery.

**Highlights:** Capture notes via camera, Organize with tabs, Categorize with colored tags, Internal photo storage, Reorder notes and tags

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro plan | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notepad free?

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

### Is PhotoNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simple Notepad or PhotoNote?

PhotoNote is rated higher. Simple Notepad averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while PhotoNote averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Simple Notepad or PhotoNote have ads?

Both Simple Notepad and PhotoNote show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Notepad or PhotoNote?

Simple Notepad ships an update every 3 weeks, and PhotoNote every 3 weeks. Most recently, Simple Notepad was updated on September 25, 2026 and PhotoNote on September 7, 2026.

---

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