# Memo vs Box for Thought

The clearest difference is ads: Box for Thought at none against Memo's shown. Box for Thought also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Memo's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Memo sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Box for Thought sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Memo ships an update every 6 days, Box for Thought every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Memo | Box for Thought |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-lock-screen-notes/id1435873085/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 84.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toshihiko Arai](https://appshunter.io/developer/415194231) | [FishFun](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674548259) |

## What reviewers say

### Memo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memo-lock-screen-notes/id1435873085)

Keep important short notes visible on your lock screen and in notifications. Ideal for lists and reminders that need frequent checking without opening an app.

**Highlights:** Add notes to Notification Center, View notes from lock screen, Organize notes with tags, Mark notes as done with strikethrough, Share notes as Markdown, Save URLs via Share Extension, Import line-by-line lists

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy me two coffees | $9.99 | one-time |
| Memo Pro | $10.00 | one-time |
| Big support | $19.99 | one-time |


### Box for Thought

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/box-for-thought-daily-diary/id6754834014)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Quarterly | $3.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Memo free?

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

### Is Box for Thought free?

Box for Thought is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Memo or Box for Thought have ads?

Memo shows ads; Box for Thought does not.

### Which is updated more often, Memo or Box for Thought?

Memo ships an update every 6 days, and Box for Thought every 5 weeks. Most recently, Memo was updated on October 26, 2026 and Box for Thought on October 24, 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.*