Comparison

Etc App Notes vs Yarn

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

Head to head
About

Etc App Notes

Consolidate all your thoughts, ideas, and lists into a single, continuous draft. Capture anything from single words to drawings, with intuitive organization, search, and collaboration tools. Set reminders and customize your writing experience.

Highlights
  • Single continuous draft for all notes
  • Intuitive organization and effortless search
  • Font and size customization
  • Create lists and checklists
  • Set reminders with natural language
  • Share and collaborate on drafts
Read full description

Stop losing your ideas in email drafts and start using Etc App. Imagine consolidating all your thoughts, ideas, etc. into one continuous draft. Write a sentence, jot down a single word, use all caps, or even draw a picture—anything to capture your idea. But that’s not all; Etc App offers intuitive organization, easy search, font customization, collaboration, reminders, and more -- all in one draft. One draft. Etc App keeps all your notes in one continuous draft, simplifying organization. No more thinking of a title or trying to remember what note you put that one password—everything is in one place for easy and seamless access. Keep track of all of life’s loose ends. Effortless search Since all your notes are in one continuous draft, searching for specific text, ideas, or lists is quick and easy. No more digging through multiple documents—just one search to find exactly what you're looking for. Choose your font Give your draft character by choosing a font and size that best describes you. Let your notes reflect your personality; makes your draft truly yours. Lists and drafts Need a bit more organization? Make lists in a pinch! Pin, share, or delete drafts with a simple swipe. Create checklists and to-do lists directly within your drafts, and organize them effortlessly. Whether it’s a grocery list, a wish list, or detailed plans, List makes managing your lists seamless and intuitive. Format text in drafts There are a variety of ways to enter or work with text, characters, and symbols when you make a new draft. Remind Me Simply set a reminder, and you'll be notified exactly when you need it. Whether it's an important task or a simple to-do, Etc App ensures you never miss a beat. Stay organized and on top of your schedule with ease. Intelligence Natural language support allows you to type phrases to create reminder settings. Try something like “Trent’s Birthday on Monday” for a specific reminder. Share and collaborate Send a share link to collaborate on drafts. You can manage access by removing people from a shared draft or expiring the link at any time. Certain features are available only in select languages and regions.

About

Yarn

This app helps you understand and reduce phone addiction by prompting you to journal before accessing distracting apps. It uses AI to provide thoughtful prompts, allows voice or text entries, and offers features to set bedtime boundaries and enter focus sessions.

Highlights
  • Journal to unlock distracting apps
  • AI-powered journaling prompts
  • Set bedtime app boundaries
  • Focus sessions to block apps
  • Voice or text journaling
  • Understand emotional triggers for phone use
Features
Read full description

Meet Yarn, a screen time intervention app that makes you journal to unlock addictive apps. You can't break a habit you don't understand. Every time you reach for your phone, there's an emotion driving it - boredom, anxiety, avoidance. Yarn untangles the emotional threads that cause us to reach for our phone. It was an answer to the question "What if AI could end Phone Addiction?" An AI that would meet us in these moments, with nothing but the perfect journaling prompt at the perfect time. JOURNAL TO UNLOCK Pause before scrolling by writing a quick journal entry to unlock your distracting apps. JOURNAL WITH YARN Get thoughtful AI prompts that help you reflect, notice your surroundings, and dig deeper into what matters. SET BEDTIME BOUNDARIES Schedule your apps to lock at bedtime, helping you wind down without the temptation to scroll late into the night. ENTER FOCUS SESSIONS Completely block distracting apps while you work. VOICE OR TEXT Journal however feels natural—type out your thoughts or use voice recordings when writing feels like too much. Note that usage of Yarn is subject to the following agreements: Terms of Use: https://www.alcovecomputer.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.alcovecomputer.com/privacy Apple's Standard End-User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Etc App Notes4 screens
Yarn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Yarn at none against Etc App Notes's shown. Yarn also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (100% vs 82%). Etc App Notes's advantage is ratings volume (51 vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.3 vs 18.1). On price, update cadence, 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. Etc App Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Yarn sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Yarn holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Etc App Notes has 51 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Etc App Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Yarn's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Etc App Notes versus Yarn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEtc App NotesYarn
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (51 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings51 — better4
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.3 — better18.1
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB30 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperEtc App, Inc.Alcove Computer Company

Customer experience

Etc App Notes

All ratings51 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.8%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive82.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.6%

Yarn

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Etc App Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Etc App Premium1 Month trial$0.991 Month
  • Etc App Premium - Yearly$11.991 Year
4 purchases

Yarn

Subscriptions4
  • Yarn Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Yarn Pro Monthly 20267 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Yarn Pro Annual 20267 Days trial$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yarn Pro Annual$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Etc App Notes free?
Etc App Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Yarn free?
Yarn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Etc App Notes or Yarn?
Yarn is rated higher. Etc App Notes averages 4.5 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Yarn averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Etc App Notes or Yarn have ads?
Etc App Notes shows ads; Yarn does not.
Which is updated more often, Etc App Notes or Yarn?
Etc App Notes ships an update weekly, and Yarn weekly. Most recently, Etc App Notes was updated on September 8, 2026 and Yarn on September 14, 2026.

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