# 縦式 vs Simple Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: 縦式 at every 3 days against Simple Notes's every 3 months. Simple Notes's advantage is ratings volume (790 vs 56) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 縦式 sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for 縦式 against 4.7 for Simple Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 790 ratings behind it against 56, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 87% and 88% positive.

縦式 ships an update every 3 days, Simple Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 縦式 | Simple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1415281201/reviews) | [4.7 (790 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 56 | **790** |
| Positive reviews | 87.3% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kazuyuki Mitsui](https://appshunter.io/developer/382975066) | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) |

## What reviewers say

### 縦式

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1415281201)

This app is a simple vertical writing text editor for novels, essays, and reports. It supports features like ruby text, emphasis marks, and PDF output in various paper sizes. It also includes input assistance and iCloud Drive integration.

**Highlights:** Vertical writing support, Ruby text and emphasis marks, PDF export (multiple paper sizes), Input assistance, iCloud Drive integration, Custom font installation, Character palette

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 飾り線 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 追加用紙 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 飾り枠（画像） | $1.99 | one-time |
| 擬似小口染め | $1.99 | one-time |
| アップグレード3.0 | $1.99 | one-time |
| アップグレード 2.0 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 広告削除 | $4.99 | one-time |


### Simple Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396)

This app offers a clean and efficient way to organize your thoughts and ideas. Easily add images, organize notes into colored folders, and secure your entries with a passcode. Customize the look with various themes and fonts, and back up your data to iCloud.

**Highlights:** Add photos to notes, Organize with colored folders, Calendar view for notes, Passcode and biometric lock, Customizable themes and fonts, iCloud backup and sync, Smart search with tags

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $14.99 | per year |
| Premium Service | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 📁 Folder organization and color-coding
- 🔒 Password protection
- 💡 Useful for school and work notes
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Lack of iCloud sync
- 📐 Limited formatting options (no bold, italics, etc.)
- 🎨 Default folder color cannot be changed
- 🔍 No alphabetical sorting for folders

**Reported bugs**

- No local PC backup and restore feature
- UI looks outdated and childish

**Requested features**

- Add ability to pin notes at the top of a folder
- Implement iCloud sync between devices
- Introduce more text formatting options (bold, italics, underline, etc.)
- Allow changing folder colors


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 縦式 free?

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

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 縦式 or Simple Notes?

縦式 and Simple Notes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 56 and 790 ratings respectively.

### Do 縦式 or Simple Notes have ads?

Both 縦式 and Simple Notes show ads.

### Which is updated more often, 縦式 or Simple Notes?

縦式 ships an update every 3 days, and Simple Notes every 3 months. Most recently, 縦式 was updated on September 26, 2026 and Simple Notes on September 23, 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.*