# Minimal | Notes vs Trace

The clearest difference is ads: Minimal | Notes at none against Trace's shown. Minimal | Notes also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Trace's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price 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 Trace sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Minimal | Notes ships an update monthly, Trace every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Minimal | Notes | Trace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (298 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **298** | — |
| Positive reviews | 81.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Timeless](https://appshunter.io/developer/1183067513) | [Peter Healy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887058402) |

## 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


### Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-podcast-notes/id6760963638)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trace Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Trace Plus Annual | $89.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Minimal | Notes free?

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

### Is Trace free?

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

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

Trace shows ads; Minimal | Notes does not.

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

Minimal | Notes ships an update monthly, and Trace every 2 days. Most recently, Minimal | Notes was updated on November 2, 2026 and Trace on October 31, 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.*