Comparison

Simple Notepad vs Plain Note

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Simple Notepad

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
Read full description

"BestNote" is a memo pad application aimed at the highest. As a characteristic feature of "BestNote", the memo creation page is divided into three tabs. It is "memo" "remarks" "history". "Memo" tab is the same function as normal memo pad. "Remarks" "History" is a feature of this application's commitment. In the "Remarks" tab, there is another character input field in addition to the memo, so you can use it in various ways, such as writing a simple draft when writing a note or using it as a remarks column. In addition, it is also possible to attach images on the "Remarks" tab, and it is possible to use it beyond the frame of Notepad depending on the ingenuity. Although it is the "history" tab, contents written in the "memo" tab are accumulated in the history as the name does. (It will be written to the history when you press save button on memo page) With this function, it is possible to recover promptly even in unforeseen circumstances such as mistakenly editing important information accidentally. In addition to the security lock password function. Various functions such as folder division function to make memo easier to manage are carried. Please try downloading it once by all means. ・Terms of Use https://eeggs.jp/terms-of-use-en

About

Plain Note

A straightforward, text-only notepad for quickly capturing thoughts, memos, and drafts. Organize notes with customizable tags and access them easily via home and lock screen widgets. Offers optional iCloud sync and extensive customization through in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Text-only note-taking
  • Customizable tags with icons
  • Lock screen and home screen widgets
  • Character and line count
  • Note archiving and organization
  • Theme, icon, and font customization
Features
Read full description

Plain Note is a simple, text-only notes app that makes it easy to capture ideas, jot down everyday notes, and draft social media posts and emails. No ads. No sign-up required. Notes are stored on your device and, if you use iCloud sync, in your own iCloud account as well. The developer does not collect the contents of your notes. It's a good fit for people who want to jot things down and quickly refer back to them, rather than use a notes app with lots of features. You can organize your notes by adding tags, and it supports lock screen and home screen widgets. It can be used on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features • You can categorize your notes with tags. • Customize tag icons and colors. • You can count the number of characters and lines. • Archive and organize your notes. • Widgets can be added to the lock screen and home screen. • Customize themes, app icons, and fonts. (Some features are available for a fee.) Premium (in-app purchase) • Sync data across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. • All themes and app icons are available. • All tag icons are available. • All font customizations are available. *Prices may vary by country or region. Please check in the app. *Some features may not be available in all languages or regions. Terms of Use: https://monelyze.app/en/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://monelyze.app/en/privacy

Screenshots

Simple Notepad4 screens
Plain Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Simple Notepad's shown. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). Simple Notepad's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Simple Notepad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Simple Notepad against 4.6 for Plain Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Simple Notepad's written reviews are positive against 63% of Plain Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Notepad ships an update every 3 weeks, Plain Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Simple Notepad versus Plain Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple NotepadPlain Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.8K ratings) — better4.6 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews68.5% of reviews — better62.6% of reviews
Number of ratings2.8K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEasterEggsMonelyze Inc.

Customer experience

Simple Notepad

All ratings2,818 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews168 reviews
Positive68.5%
Neutral10.1%
Negative21.4%

Plain Note

All ratings1,090 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive62.6%
Neutral14.0%
Negative23.4%

User reviews

Simple Notepad

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Plain Note

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Bugs and requests

Simple Notepad

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Plain Note

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
  • Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

Requested features

7 requests
  • 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
Show 2 more
  • Text formatting options (bold, italics, headings)
  • Ability to insert photos and videos

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Notepad

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Plan$3.991 Month
3 purchases

Plain Note

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium - Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Simple Notepad free?
Simple Notepad 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, Simple Notepad or Plain Note?
Simple Notepad is rated higher. Simple Notepad averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Plain Note averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Simple Notepad or Plain Note have ads?
Simple Notepad shows ads; Plain Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Notepad or Plain Note?
Simple Notepad ships an update every 3 weeks, and Plain Note every 9 days. Most recently, Simple Notepad was updated on November 6, 2026 and Plain Note on November 7, 2026.

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