Comparison

Minimal | Notes vs Rebuild

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Minimal | Notes

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
Read full description

Write with focus. Open your mind with Minimal, a meditation-inspired notes and writing app. Minimal combines thoughtful, modern design with powerful features to deliver a spacious, beautiful writing environment. • Note Lifetime • Collaborative writing • Publish notes as websites • Add Todos to the Calendar app • Beautiful formatting • Sync everywhere: Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch Minimal is a simple yet powerful notes app. Inspired by meditation, nature, and architectural design, Minimal provides a beautiful space to think, write, and organize projects. NOTE LIFETIME The Note Lifetime keeps your notebook fresh and reflective of the present moment. When a note goes unedited for a duration you choose in settings, you’ll be gently notified. This is an opportunity to review the note, act on it, or let it go. COLLABORATIVE WRITING Share notes with friends, family, and teammates. With a gentle design, writing remains focused and tranquil, even as thoughts merge and ideas multiply. Everyone receives changes as notes evolve, and multiple people can make edits at the same time without conflict. FOCUSED + SPACIOUS DESIGN Minimal is designed so only one element is ever in focus. We love the beauty of a blank page – abundant empty space allows for an ease of creative expression. PUBLISH AS WEBSITE Transform notes into beautifully-formatted websites in microseconds. TODO LISTS Todo lists are an effective way to organize projects and complete tasks. Sync with the Calendar app, get things done, and check everything off. BEAUTIFUL FORMATTING Minimal combines Markdown-style formatting with elegant typography. The result is simple, expressive notes that make it easy to think and write. SYNC EVERYWHERE Bring focus to your favorite devices. Minimal is designed for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Cloud Sync is fast, reliable, and invisible. SHARE, EXPORT, IMPORT You’re in control of your notes. Share directly in iMessage, export as PDF or HTML, and use the system share mechanism to take notes anywhere. Importing links + prose into Minimal is just as easy. CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING The best notebook is personal. We made everything in Minimal customizable, from fonts + themes to sorting notes + note actions. You can also build custom workflows using the Shortcuts app. A LITTLE GIFT Wow, thanks for reading. As a little gift for tuning in, these are our favorite musicians -> Somi, Snarky Puppy, and London Grammar. They’re jazzy and introspective, just how we like it. Enjoy. —— For help, write us at team@minimal.app or on Twitter at @minimalnotesapp. To learn about our terms + approach to privacy, visit https://minimal.app/terms. We offer a long free trial and make cancellation easy. After that, Minimal costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. These prices are in USD and may vary by region. Cancel in your iTunes account settings at least 24 hours before renewal.

About

Rebuild

Read full description

Rebuild turns screen time into something you earn, not something you mindlessly lose. Block distracting apps by default, complete quick brain challenges, earn Screen Time Coins, and spend them intentionally when you decide an app is worth your time. Instead of relying on willpower alone, Rebuild gives every unlock a purpose. Train your memory, sharpen your math skills, test your dexterity, and make a conscious choice before opening the apps that usually steal your attention. **EARN YOUR SCREEN TIME** Rebuild is a screen-time and app-blocking app built around a simple idea: entertainment should feel rewarding, not automatic. Your selected apps start blocked. To unlock them, complete focused mini challenges and earn Screen Time Coins. Use your coins to unlock an app immediately for a set amount of time, or plan your access with schedules. Each night, your coin balance resets. Giving you a fresh start every morning and helping you build a more intentional relationship with your phone. **WHY REBUILD** BLOCK DISTRACTIONS BY DEFAULT Choose the apps that pull you off track. Rebuild keeps them unavailable until you decide how you want to earn and spend your time. TRAIN YOUR BRAIN Complete short challenges designed around memory, maths, dexterity, and more. Every challenge moves you one step closer to the screen time you want. EARN SCREEN TIME COINS Turn focused effort into Screen Time Coins. Build a balance in the morning and save it for the moments when you genuinely want to use an app. UNLOCK ON YOUR TERMS Spend coins to unlock apps right away for a specific duration. Want 10 minutes of Instagram in the evening? Earn the coins, then choose when to use them. CREATE SMART SCHEDULES Set up planned access for the times that work for you. Protect deep-work hours, study sessions, mornings, or bedtime—without giving up flexibility altogether. RESET EVERY DAY Your coin balance resets each night. Every day is a new opportunity to be intentional, earn your time, and rebuild healthier phone habits. SEE YOUR PROGRESS Use the Insights tab to track coins earned, coins spent, and screen-time activity for the apps you choose to block. Spot patterns and see how your habits change over time. BLOCK EXPLICIT WEBSITES Enable adult-content protection to help prevent access to explicit websites in Safari and create a safer, more focused browsing environment. MAKE YOUR PHONE WORK FOR YOU Rebuild is not about never using your phone. It is about using it with intention. Earn your screen time. Spend it deliberately. Rebuild your focus. Terms of Use – https://tryrebuild.app/terms-of-service Privacy Policy – https://tryrebuild.app/privacy-policy We love feedback. Contact us at hello@tryrebuild.app

Screenshots

Minimal | Notes4 screens
Rebuild4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Rebuild at every 5 days against Minimal | Notes's monthly. Minimal | Notes's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Minimal | Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Rebuild sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Minimal | Notes ships an update monthly, Rebuild every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Minimal | Notes versus Rebuild: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMinimal | NotesRebuild
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (298 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings298 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTimelessDaniel Juergens

Bugs and requests

Minimal | Notes

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Rebuild

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Minimal | Notes

Subscriptions3
  • Minimal Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Minimal Annual14 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Minimal Family Plan14 Days trial$79.991 Year
8 purchases

Rebuild

Subscriptions8
  • Rebuild Premium Weekly7 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Rebuild Premium Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Rebuild Premium Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Rebuild Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Rebuild Premium Monthly7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Rebuild Premium Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Rebuild Premium Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Rebuild Premium Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Minimal | Notes free?
Minimal | Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rebuild free?
Rebuild is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Minimal | Notes or Rebuild have ads?
Neither Minimal | Notes nor Rebuild shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Minimal | Notes or Rebuild?
Minimal | Notes ships an update monthly, and Rebuild every 5 days. Most recently, Minimal | Notes was updated on November 2, 2026 and Rebuild on October 31, 2026.

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