# Standard Notes vs act/on

The clearest difference is review sentiment: act/on at 100% against Standard Notes's 64%. act/on also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Standard Notes's advantage is ratings volume (3.8K vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year and act/on sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

act/on holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Standard Notes has 3.8K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Standard Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of act/on's.

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, act/on every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standard Notes | act/on |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acton/id6752871642/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 92 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) | [Saint Oracle](https://appshunter.io/developer/1841436988) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### act/on

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acton/id6752871642)

A minimalist application designed to help you organize all your lists in one place. Track your goals, manage your tasks, and celebrate your achievements with a clean interface.

**Highlights:** Minimalist design, Organize all lists, Track progress, Celebrate achievements, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sync Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Sync Yearly | $8.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Is act/on free?

act/on is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Standard Notes or act/on?

act/on is rated higher. Standard Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while act/on averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Standard Notes or act/on have ads?

Neither Standard Notes nor act/on shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Standard Notes or act/on?

Standard Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and act/on every 2 weeks. Most recently, Standard Notes was updated on November 3, 2026 and act/on on October 30, 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.*