Comparison

Notepad vs Notes Basic

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

Head to head
About

Notepad

A straightforward writing application that allows for easy note-taking and sentence composition. It offers robust editing tools like undo/redo and a keyboard toolbar for efficient text manipulation. The app is designed for one-handed operation and includes features for organizing notes with folders and backups.

Highlights
  • Note and folder management
  • Undo/Redo editing
  • Keyboard toolbar for text manipulation
  • One-handed operation design
  • Startup lock with iOS authentication
  • Dark mode support
  • iCloud backup
Read full description

This is a simple notepad app that has useful features not only to take notes but also to write sentences. Mistakes of editing can be fixed easily by undo/redo feature. If you want to restore a note to previous content, you will be able to restore from update history. On keyboard toolbar, There is convenient features such as moving cursor up/down/left/right and select/copy/cut/paste. In addition, This app is made to make it easy to operate with one hand. ------ This is a notepad app that implements convenient features while being careful not to impair the simple operation feeling. The features of this app is below. Notes management features: - Manage notes by folders - Sort notes and folders freely - Manage update and delete history of notes Notes editing features: - Store a note at real time - Change font size while viewing a note - Show character, word, line count - Link text to other app such as Email and SNS - keyboard toolbar --> Select/Copy/Cut/Paste --> Move cursor up/down/left/right by one character --> Move cursor to start or end of note --> Move cursor to start or end of line --> Undo and Redo of editing Other features: - Startup lock - Use iOS authentication (Face ID, Touch ID, Passcode) - Mini note - Ancillary note when creating notes - Change color setting to dark mode - Export and Import backup files - iCloud backup

About

Notes Basic

This app allows users to create, edit, and organize plain text notes. It features a simple interface for managing your notes, with options to pin important entries to the top of the list and delete unwanted ones. Changes are automatically saved when you confirm.

Highlights
  • Create and edit plain text notes
  • Organize notes in a list
  • Pin important notes to the top
  • Swipe to delete notes
  • Automatic saving of changes
Features
Read full description

■ "Note List" Screen The screen displays a list of saved notes. When you edit a note, it will automatically appear at the top of the list. ■ Add a note 1. Tap the button at the bottom right of the "Note List" screen. 2. After editing on the "Add a New Note" screen, tap the button at the bottom right to save. *If you go back with a swipe, changes will not be saved. ■ Edit a note 1. Tap the note you want to edit on the "Note List" screen. 2. After making changes on the "Edit the Note" screen, tap the button at the bottom right to save the changes. *If you go back with a swipe, changes will not be saved. ■ Pin/unpin a note When you pin a note, it will remain at the top of the "Note List" screen. Pinned notes will show a pushpin icon. 1. On the "Note List" screen, swipe to the right on the note you want to pin. 2. An orange pin icon button will appear, so tap it. * To unpin a note, perform the same action. ■ Delete a note 1. On the "Note List" screen, swipe to the left on the note you want to delete. 2. A red trash can icon button will appear, so tap it. 3. A confirmation message will appear, so tap "Delete Note." * Deleted notes cannot be restored.

Screenshots

Notepad4 screens
Notes Basic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notepad at 79% against Notes Basic's 0%. Notepad also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (22 vs 1). Notes Basic's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Notepad holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notepad has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Notepad's written reviews are positive against 0% of Notes Basic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notepad ships an update monthly, Notes Basic weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Notepad versus Notes Basic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotepadNotes Basic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (22 ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMakoto YamabayashiYudai Abe

Customer experience

Notepad

All ratings22 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral15.8%
Negative5.3%

Notes Basic

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Notepad

No in-app purchases

None

Notes Basic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notepad free?
Notepad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notes Basic free?
Notes Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Notepad or Notes Basic?
Notepad is rated higher. Notepad averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Notes Basic averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Notepad or Notes Basic have ads?
Both Notepad and Notes Basic show ads.
Which is updated more often, Notepad or Notes Basic?
Notepad ships an update monthly, and Notes Basic weekly. Most recently, Notepad was updated on September 17, 2026 and Notes Basic on June 3, 2026.

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