Comparison

MindNode vs Notes Writer

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

Head to head
About

MindNode

Capture, organize, and visualize your thoughts and ideas. This app allows you to brainstorm, structure complex projects, and share your vision in various formats. Stay productive across all your devices with seamless iCloud integration.

Highlights
  • Capture thoughts as text, images, links, or tasks
  • Organize ideas with hierarchical outlines and mind maps
  • Style mind maps with themes and stickers
  • Export ideas to various formats
  • Cross-platform productivity with iCloud sync
  • Focus Mode and foldable branches for organization
Features
Read full description

Every great idea starts with a single thought. And another. And then a million more. MindNode is the most delightful brainstorming app for Mac and iOS. It helps you capture your thoughts and create a clear picture of your idea. Featured as Apple’s “App of the Day” & “Editors’ Choice” WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? • Capture Your Thoughts Whether as words, images, links, tasks, or notes, capture your thoughts in any form. Create an outline for an organized, hierarchical view, and observe how it grows as a mind map. Use the mind map to visually rearrange nodes and add new thoughts. MindNode is the right tool to get your ideas out of your head the way you want to. • Organize Your Idea Your document reflects your ever-changing understanding of an idea as you add and adjust thoughts. Move, tag, connect, detach, and reconnect as often as you like. Mind map and outline side-by-side. Concentrate on one thought at a time with Focus Mode, Visual Tags, and foldable branches. • Style Your Mind Map Personalize your document with beautiful out-of-the-box themes and custom stickers. Make your mind map look just right by styling every detail. With Smart Layout your idea will always look fantastic. • Share Your Vision Easily share your documents with others or move them one step further in your creative process. Send tasks to Apple Reminders, Things, or OmniFocus. Export your idea as text, image, and to many other file formats. STAY PRODUCTIVE WHEREVER YOU GO Whether it’s on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, with MindNode, you stay productive wherever you are. Store your files on iCloud Drive and access them on all your devices. FREE EDITOR Use MindNode for free to capture your ideas with actions like editing, rearranging, and folding nodes, as well as importing and exporting files. • Capture: grow your thoughts into fully-fledged ideas • Fold branches: keep your documents organized • Import: FreeMind, MindManager, iThoughts, plain text, RTF, CSV, OPML, Markdown, TextBundle • Export: plain text, RTF, CSV, OPML, PDF, PNG image, Markdown, TextBundle, TaskPaper, FreeMind MINDNODE PLUS MindNode Plus is a cross-platform subscription for your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It unlocks all of MindNode’s features like Outlining, Visual Tags, Focus Mode, Notes, Themes, Stickers, Connections, and much more. MindNode Plus is available as a monthly and a yearly subscription. Try out all of MindNode’s features with a free 14-day trial. • Collect everything: add text, images, and links to nodes • Outlining: create your document using a hierarchical, organized approach • Visual Tags: tag your thoughts for more context, highlight tags to see new relationships • Notes: keep your mind map easy to read without losing a single detail • Connections: connect nodes on different branches • Tasks: turn your thoughts into actions • Quick Entry: just start typing to collect thoughts • Themes: beautiful out-of-the-box themes and unlimited personal themes • Images: insert your own images and annotate them • Stickers: 260+ hand-crafted stickers with adjustable colors • Styling: rich styling options for every single part of your mind map • Layouts: top-down and horizontal • Focus Mode: put a spotlight on a single branch • Dark Mode: for when your thoughts come at night • Share Tasks: to Apple Reminders, Things, and OmniFocus WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT MINDNODE “The app keeps out of your way, so it doesn’t interrupt your thought processes.” – New York Times “An app on the cutting edge of iOS design and technologies.” – MacStories “Slowly grow and track your ideas, connecting nodes to help you better conceptualize your idea or thoughts.” – BusinessInsider QUESTIONS? Reach out to us at support@mindnode.com and on Twitter (@mindnode). Let us know if you have any questions or issues. We’re always glad to help. Terms of Service: https://mindnode.com/terms

About

Notes Writer

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF editing solution for mobile devices. It allows users to write, format, and organize notes, annotate PDFs, fill forms, and scan documents. The app offers advanced editing tools, powerful search, and seamless sharing and export options.

Highlights
  • Write and format notes
  • Annotate PDFs and fill forms
  • Organize with unlimited notebooks
  • Powerful full-text search
  • Document scanning
  • Sync with cloud services
  • Export to multiple formats
Features
Read full description

Every note. Every format. Unlimited Digital Notebooks. Like paper, but better. Take lecture notes, prepare for exams and develop your research. Bring the same tools to manuscripts, interviews, lesson plans, meetings and creative projects. Notes Writer keeps your work together on iPad, iPhone and compatible Apple silicon Macs. Designed for students and anyone who wants to learn, create and stay organized—including teachers, writers, journalists, doctors, architects, illustrators, mathematicians, researchers and business professionals. WRITE & CAPTURE • Handwriting, sketching & painting Take handwritten notes with Apple Pencil, type a document or explore a concept through drawing. Use dedicated sketching, watercolor and oil painting tools for illustrations and creative work. • PDF annotation Review lecture slides, medical literature and professional reports. Highlight PDFs, add comments, images and shapes, fill forms and sign documents. Keep your annotations beside the source material. • Recording & transcription Record lectures, business meetings and interviews, transcribe the audio and search the transcript for the detail you need. Add recordings to PDF notes and whiteboards, then listen back at your own pace. STUDY & RESEARCH • Courses, manuscripts & research projects Choose an optional project tree to arrange topics, sources and drafts in a Study Project. Use the Binder for structure, the Corkboard to plan sections and compilation to assemble a document or ebook. • Whiteboards, diagrams & outlines Create whiteboards with notes, images, recordings and tables. Build flowcharts and diagrams to explain a process, compare findings or plan a lesson or project. Use Outline Notes when your ideas need a hierarchy. • Flashcards & review Create flashcards with text, handwriting and images, or generate them from notes and PDFs with optional AI tools. Review with spaced repetition, answer by typing or speaking, and track your progress. MATH & SCIENCE • Calculations, Python & charts Math Notebooks combine written reasoning, symbolic calculations and Python cells. Plot results, explore a model and present your data in editable Chart documents. • LaTeX & technical PDFs Write technical papers in LaTeX and compile them to PDF with a preview of the result. For plans and technical drawings, set a scale and measure distances, perimeters and areas directly on the PDF. ORGANIZE & SHARE • Notebooks, folders & templates Create and customize folders, subfolders and notebooks. Choose names, covers and paper templates that suit each course or project. Scan handouts, search your collection and manage documents with sorting, moving and grouping tools. • Documents side by side Open documents in tabs and work with your reading and draft side by side. Create a study planner, lesson plan, research journal or manuscript within the same library. • Formats for your work Work across PDF, Microsoft Word (DOCX), EPUB, RTF, Markdown, plain text (TXT), HTML, LaTeX and OPML outlines. Edit formatted documents, read ebooks and export supported documents as PDF, DOCX, RTF, HTML or EPUB. Export options vary by document type. • Sync, backup & privacy Sync with iCloud and work with Dropbox and Google Drive files through the Files app, with changes synced by your provider. Set up automatic document backups, use autosave and recovery, and protect the app and folders with a passcode. OPTIONAL AI ASSISTANT Ask questions about your notes and documents, simplify an explanation, summarize a reading or refine your writing. Use translation, grammar and tone tools when they help. Review every suggestion and decide what belongs in your work. Start a notebook. Study, create and work your way. Privacy Policy http://www.noteswriter.com/Kairoos_Privacy_Policy.html Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MindNode4 screens
Notes Writer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Notes Writer at none against MindNode's shown. Notes Writer also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 1.9K). MindNode's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 45%) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. MindNode sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Notes Writer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. 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 — 4.5 for MindNode against 4.5 for Notes Writer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 7.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of MindNode's written reviews are positive against 45% of Notes Writer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MindNode ships an update every 6 weeks, Notes Writer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MindNode versus Notes Writer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindNodeNotes Writer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.9K ratings) — better4.5 (7.3K ratings)
Positive reviews59.0% of reviews — better45.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K7.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size390 MB660 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIdeasOnCanvas GmbHKairoos Solutions SL

Customer experience

MindNode

All ratings1,897 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive59.0%
Neutral11.5%
Negative29.5%

Notes Writer

All ratings7,332 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral5.1%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews963 reviews
Positive45.0%
Neutral15.1%
Negative40.0%

User reviews

MindNode

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth and intuitive interface
  • 🧠 Excellent for organizing thoughts and ideas
  • 🌐 Seamless sync across devices
  • 💻 Great for both personal and professional use
  • 🎨 Beautiful and customizable themes

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model frustrates some users
  • 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
  • 🐛 Occasional sync and stability issues
  • 🔀 Limited layout and connection options

Notes Writer

From 7.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth writing experience
  • 💡 Versatile note-taking features
  • 🔒 Good privacy
  • 👍 Useful for various purposes (notes, PDF annotations, etc.)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔒 Limiting free version with paywalls
  • 🐛 Bugs with erasing, page management, and file corruption
  • 🐛 Laggy performance and slow loading times

Bugs and requests

MindNode

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Files disappearing or becoming corrupted
  • App crashing after recent updates
  • Inability to restore previous purchases

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add audio recording capability
  • Improve handwriting and Apple Pencil support
  • Allow more flexible node connections and layouts
  • Provide a one-time purchase option

Notes Writer

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Notes randomly disappearing or getting corrupted
  • Inability to recover deleted documents
  • Unexpected behavior when adding/deleting pages
  • Syncing issues and broken links between documents

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more brushes and pen customization options
  • Improve the clipping/selection tool
  • Implement OCR and handwriting search
  • Provide a Mac version

In-app purchases

4 purchases

MindNode

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription6 Months trial$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$24.991 Year
4 purchases

Notes Writer

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Notes Writer Unlock All and AI3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Notes Writer Unlock All and AI3 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro Full Unlock$14.99

Questions

Is MindNode free?
MindNode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notes Writer free?
Notes Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MindNode or Notes Writer?
MindNode is rated higher. MindNode averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Notes Writer averages 4.5 from 7.3K ratings.
Do MindNode or Notes Writer have ads?
MindNode shows ads; Notes Writer does not.
Which is updated more often, MindNode or Notes Writer?
MindNode ships an update every 6 weeks, and Notes Writer every 4 days. Most recently, MindNode was updated on November 2, 2026 and Notes Writer on November 4, 2026.

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