# Minimal | Notes vs Locka

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Locka at none against Minimal | Notes's 3. Locka also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Minimal | Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Minimal | Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Locka asks for nothing beyond the download.

Minimal | Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, Locka every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Minimal | Notes | Locka |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (290 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **290** | — |
| Positive reviews | 81.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Timeless](https://appshunter.io/developer/1183067513) | [Heracules Design & Tech Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681298670) |

## 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


### Locka

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/locka/id6447441590)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Minimal | Notes free?

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

### Is Locka free?

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

### Do Minimal | Notes or Locka have ads?

Locka shows ads; Minimal | Notes does not.

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

Minimal | Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Locka every 9 days. Most recently, Minimal | Notes was updated on September 19, 2026 and Locka on September 21, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*