# Standard Notes vs Pact

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pact at none against Standard Notes's 1. Pact also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Standard Notes's advantage is ratings volume (3.7K vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Standard Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $119.99 per year. Pact asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pact holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Standard Notes has 3.7K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Standard Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Pact fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and August 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standard Notes | Pact |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standard-notes/id1285392450/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pact-accountability/id6755131489/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 63.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 92 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard Notes Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/586976285) | [Sam MacGinty](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831864877) |

## 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


### Pact

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pact-accountability/id6755131489)

Build positive habits and achieve goals with friends. Create group pacts for daily or weekly commitments, where everyone's participation is crucial to maintaining a streak. Hold each other accountable and avoid letting your team down.

**Highlights:** Create daily or weekly pacts, Invite friends to join commitments, Maintain team streaks, Mutual accountability, Habit building

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standard Notes free?

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

### Is Pact free?

Pact is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Standard Notes or Pact?

Pact is rated higher. Standard Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Pact averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Standard Notes or Pact have ads?

Neither Standard Notes nor Pact shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Standard Notes or Pact?

Standard Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pact fortnightly. Most recently, Standard Notes was updated on September 28, 2026 and Pact on August 6, 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.*