Comparison

Shortnotes vs WatchPad

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

Head to head
About

Shortnotes

Capture and organize small pieces of information like codes, names, or license plates. Access your quick references across all your Apple devices, with options to add tags, photos, and even import notes from your desktop.

Highlights
  • Simple note adding and deleting
  • Attach images to notes
  • Speech input for notes
  • Organize notes in folders
  • Filter notes by tags
  • iCloud synchronization
  • Today Widget and Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

Shortnotes is perfect for all the little stuff that is not a "real" note. Your colleague's name, license plate, codes, room numbers, medicine names etc. Just put them down in one place and access them on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Organize your notes in folders, attach tags and photos. View your favorite notes in the Today Widget. For pupils and students: now it's possible to prepare also large notes on your desktop computer and import them later in Shortnotes! Good luck ;-) Features: - Simple adding and deleting notes - Attaching images to the notes - Text formatting options - Create notes using speech input - Export as text file (.rtf) - Organize your short notes in folders - Changing the sort order of the notes - Favorites view - Filter notes by tags - Favorite notes are displayed in the App Widget (Today Extension) - iCloud-synchronisation. All of your notes are automatically synchronised between your devices like iPhone, iPad or Mac using iCLoud. Shortnotes Pro: - Import of the text files (.txt .rtf) - Favorite notes are displayed on your Apple Watch - Your purchase will help support the ongoing development of Shortnotes!

About

WatchPad

Capture thoughts instantly on your wrist and refine them on your phone. This app prioritizes watch-first note-taking, offering seamless sync and tap-to-check lists. Ideal for busy individuals who need quick access to their ideas.

Highlights
  • Jot down thoughts on your Watch
  • Voice-to-text on iPhone
  • Tap-to-check lists
  • Seamless Watch ↔ iPhone sync
  • Light/Dark/System theme options
  • Watch app is fully functional
Features
Read full description

WatchPad is a notes app built for your wrist first. Open your Watch, jot down a thought, and pick it back up on your iPhone. Your notes stay in sync between the two. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Write on your Watch The Watch app is the full app, not a remote. Open the list, tap a note, edit it, done. No folders to manage, no setup screens between you and the page. • Voice to text on iPhone Tap the mic and dictate. The transcript lands as plain text you can keep editing, share to the line below, or turn into a checklist. • Tap-to-check lists Type a line like "- [ ] milk" and it becomes a checklist row. Tap the circle on either device to check it off. The whole note is still just text underneath, so nothing locks you in. • Watch ↔ iPhone sync Notes move directly between your Watch and iPhone over the local link. Edits made on one device show up on the other, and deletes are honored on both sides so nothing comes back from the dead. • Pin notes to the top Pin the notes you reach for most and they stay first in the list, on Watch and iPhone. • Complications and Smart Stack Add a watch face complication for a one-tap new note, or to show a pinned note with the items you have left. A Smart Stack card keeps it a glance away. • Siri & Shortcuts Say "Add a note to Watch Notes" or run it from Shortcuts. On Apple Watch Ultra, start a note from the Action Button. • A new look, and a how-to guide A fresh design made for your wrist, plus a short guide to get the most out of every feature. • Light, Dark, or System Pick the appearance that matches the rest of your watch and phone. The setting follows you on both devices. WATCH-FIRST, NOT WATCH-AFTER Most notes apps treat the watch as a viewer. WatchPad is built the other way around: the watch is where ideas land, and the phone is where you finish them. The watch app stands on its own. You don't need to pull out your phone to take or read a note. WHO IT'S FOR • Anyone who has lost an idea between thinking it and unlocking their phone. • Runners, walkers, cooks, and parents whose hands are busy when the thought arrives. • People who like their notes plain and fast, not stuffed with formatting menus. PRO SUBSCRIPTION Add unlimited notes with WatchPad Pro. Privacy Policy: https://www.mehmetali.co/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Shortnotes4 screens
WatchPad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Shortnotes at 12 against WatchPad's 1. Shortnotes also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Shortnotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and WatchPad sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 — 4.1 for Shortnotes against 4.0 for WatchPad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shortnotes has 12 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shortnotes ships an update every 2 months, WatchPad every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Shortnotes versus WatchPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShortnotesWatchPad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (12 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews45.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.618.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIlya GorodnyanskiyMehmet Ali Demir

Customer experience

Shortnotes

All ratings12 ratings
Positive58.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive45.7%
Neutral10.9%
Negative43.5%

WatchPad

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Shortnotes

One-time1
  • Shortnotes Pro$3.99
2 purchases

WatchPad

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Annual$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Shortnotes free?
Shortnotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WatchPad free?
WatchPad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shortnotes or WatchPad?
Shortnotes is rated higher. Shortnotes averages 4.1 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while WatchPad averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Shortnotes or WatchPad have ads?
Neither Shortnotes nor WatchPad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shortnotes or WatchPad?
Shortnotes ships an update every 2 months, and WatchPad every 3 months. Most recently, Shortnotes was updated on November 2, 2026 and WatchPad on November 8, 2026.

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