# Minimal | Notes vs Wave Writer

The clearest difference is monetization model: Wave Writer at free with in-app purchases against Minimal | Notes's subscription. Wave Writer also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 81%) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 17.0). Minimal | Notes's advantage is ratings volume (290 vs 5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Minimal | Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Wave Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Minimal | Notes against 4.6 for Wave Writer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Minimal | Notes has 290 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Minimal | Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wave Writer's.

Minimal | Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, Wave Writer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Minimal | Notes | Wave Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (290 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443/reviews)** | [4.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-writer/id1525282751/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **290** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 81.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 59 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Timeless](https://appshunter.io/developer/1183067513) | [Omar Fahmy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512598159) |

## What reviewers say

### Minimal | Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443)

This app offers a distraction-free writing environment inspired by meditation. It features collaborative writing, note expiration, and the ability to publish notes as websites. Organize tasks with integrated to-do lists and sync across all your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Note Lifetime reminders, Collaborative writing, Publish notes as websites, Todo lists sync with Calendar, Beautiful formatting, Sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimal Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Minimal Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Minimal Family Plan | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent note-taking app
- 👍 Beautiful and simple design
- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 👍 Customizable appearance and formatting
- 🚀 Responsive and helpful developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or locking for notes
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when using certain formatting or pasting content
- Syncing issues between iOS and macOS versions
- Incompatibility with older macOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to insert images or attachments
- Improve iCloud sync reliability
- Implement a folder-based organization system
- Add a word/character count feature


### Wave Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-writer/id1525282751)

This writing application offers a distraction-free environment to enhance your focus. Its unique type-wave feature provides visual feedback as you type, immersing you in your text and encouraging creativity. Unlock all themes with a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free writing environment, Unique type-wave visual feedback, Immersive typing experience, Unlockable themes, One-time purchase for full access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock themes | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Minimal | Notes free?

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

### Is Wave Writer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Minimal | Notes or Wave Writer?

Minimal | Notes is rated higher. Minimal | Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 290 ratings, while Wave Writer averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do Minimal | Notes or Wave Writer have ads?

Neither Minimal | Notes nor Wave Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Minimal | Notes or Wave Writer?

Minimal | Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Wave Writer every 2 months. Most recently, Minimal | Notes was updated on September 19, 2026 and Wave Writer on June 1, 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.*