# Pinyinput vs Side Notes

The clearest difference is price: Side Notes at Free against Pinyinput's $2.99. Side Notes also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 27 months). Pinyinput's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Side Notes is free to download; Pinyinput costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pinyinput ships an update every 27 months, Side Notes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinyinput | Side Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[3.9 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **22** |
| Positive reviews | — | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 27 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 29 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Imral Software Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/916511069) | [Straw Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1120982866) |

## What reviewers say

### Pinyinput

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyinput/id1303780575)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Side Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-pros-and-cons-list/id1555821224)

This app helps you organize thoughts by viewing multiple notes simultaneously. It offers layouts for comparing options, conducting analyses, or structuring complex ideas. Focus on your thinking with a clean, intuitive interface and privacy-focused design.

**Highlights:** Side-by-side note viewing, Multiple layout options (Dual, Four, Single), Visual comparison of ideas, SWOT analysis and Eisenhower Matrix support, Rich text editing, Offline functionality, Export notes as PDF or text

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pinyinput free?

Pinyinput costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Side Notes free?

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

### Do Pinyinput or Side Notes have ads?

Neither Pinyinput nor Side Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pinyinput or Side Notes?

Pinyinput ships an update every 27 months, and Side Notes every 2 months. Most recently, Pinyinput was updated on October 4, 2026 and Side Notes on October 11, 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.*