Comparison

Note! vs Simple Notes

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

Head to head
About

Note!

This app offers a minimalist approach to note-taking, focusing on speed and simplicity. It allows for quick plain text entries, organized by modification date, with options for text resizing and passcode protection for privacy.

Highlights
  • Quick plain text notes
  • Sorted by latest modified
  • Pinch to zoom text size
  • Set passcode to lock notes
Features
Read full description

Nothing more, nothing less. Designed to be as minimal as possible for quick plain text notes. + Sorted by latest modified + Pinch to zoom/change text size + Set a passcode to lock your notes

About

Simple Notes

This app offers a clean and efficient way to organize your thoughts and ideas. Easily add images, organize notes into colored folders, and secure your entries with a passcode. Customize the look with various themes and fonts, and back up your data to iCloud.

Highlights
  • Add photos to notes
  • Organize with colored folders
  • Calendar view for notes
  • Passcode and biometric lock
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • iCloud backup and sync
  • Smart search with tags
Features
Read full description

Simple Notes is an easy-to-use notes app that leaves out the extras, so writing, organizing, and finding notes stay simple. Notes go into color-coded folders, and you can find them using the calendar or photo album. No account or setup is required, and the app works offline. Core features are free. Keep everything in one place, from class notes and work memos to a diary or baby journal. [Features] ■ Add Photos to Notes - Attach images to any note - Insert pictures from your photo library, or take a photo on the spot ■ Folder Organization - Create folders to keep your notes organized - Choose from 24 folder colors to tell categories apart at a glance ■ Calendar View - View notes by date using the built-in calendar - Tap any date to see notes for that date — perfect for locating past entries ■ Photo Album - Browse all images added to notes in one place - Tap a photo to jump to its note ■ Home Screen & Lock Screen Widgets - Keep a note on your Home Screen like a sticky note — no need to open the app - Lock Screen widgets let you see a note without unlocking your iPhone - Choose which note to display and its text size *Widgets are part of the Premium Service* ■ Sort Notes & Bullet Lists - Sort by note date, date edited, date created, or title, ascending or descending - Bullet lists make it easy to write shopping and packing lists ■ Passcode Lock - Protect your notes with a passcode - Supports Face ID and Touch ID for quick and secure access ■ Font Styles - Choose from 12 font styles - Choose a playful, elegant, or professional look for your notes ■ Themes and App Icons - Pick from 23 theme colors and matching app icons - Customize the look of the app and even the Home Screen icon ■ Full-Note Image & PDF - Turn an entire note, even a long one with photos, into a single image to share - Export notes as PDFs for work or school ■ Data Backup & Export - Back up your notes to iCloud or export them to your computer - Hand exported notes to AI apps for summaries, or save them to Notion or Google Drive - Export formats: HTML (for Windows), RTFD (for Mac, keeps images), PDF, and TXT *Data export and iCloud backup are part of the Premium Service; notes are also included in your iPhone’s device backup* ■ iCloud Sync - Use iCloud to sync notes across your iPhone and iPad (Premium Service) - Restore your notes on a new device if yours is lost or broken ■ Smart Search - Use the built-in search to quickly find notes - Add text tags like “#Important” to make key notes easier to locate ■ Character Count - Check the character count as you write reports, essays, or fiction - Each note can hold up to 100,000 characters ■ Text Display Settings - Adjust text size, contrast, and line spacing - Ideal if you prefer larger text or need better readability - Dark Mode is supported for nighttime use ■ Remove Ads - The Premium Service hides all ads - Enjoy a clean, distraction-free screen for your notes [Great For] - Students: class and lecture notes with photos, one folder per course — export notes as PDF or text and hand them to AI apps for exam prep - Parents: a baby journal with photos, growth records, and family memos in folders - Work: meeting notes, ideas, and memos in one place — tap the mic on the iOS keyboard to dictate notes, handy for transcripts and meeting minutes - Writers: novels, blog drafts, and reports — live character count and PDF sharing [Good to Know] - Works on iPhone and iPad (iOS/iPadOS 14 or later) - Works offline — create and view notes even in Airplane Mode - No handwriting inside notes or audio recording (write on exported images and PDFs) [Help & Contact] - For help, go to “Help / FAQ” in the app settings - If you still have questions, tap “Contact Us” on the help screen - For faster support, contact us through the app rather than leaving an App Store review 【Terms of Service】 https://komorebi-studio.com/tos_en.html 【Privacy Policy】 https://komorebi-studio.com/policyredirect.html

Screenshots

Note!4 screens
Simple Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

Note! and Simple Notes both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 61% of Note!'s. Simple Notes also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 13 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Note! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Note! against 4.7 for Simple Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 791 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Note!'s written reviews are positive against 87% of Simple Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Note! ships an update every 13 months, Simple Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Note! versus Simple Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNote!Simple Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1K ratings)4.7 (791 ratings)
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews87.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1K — better791
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB216 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRIEU LimitedKomorebi Inc.

Customer experience

Note!

All ratings1,045 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral7.8%
Negative31.2%

Simple Notes

All ratings791 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive87.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative7.2%

User reviews

Note!

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and straightforward
  • 🚀 Efficient note-taking
  • 💡 Useful for quick notes and ideas
  • 👍 Clean and clutter-free interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent and intrusive ads
  • 🔒 Lack of backup/export functionality
  • 🔒 No option to remove ads
  • 🐛 Distracting pop-ups

Simple Notes

From 791 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 📁 Folder organization and color-coding
  • 🔒 Password protection
  • 💡 Useful for school and work notes
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Lack of iCloud sync
  • 📐 Limited formatting options (no bold, italics, etc.)
  • 🎨 Default folder color cannot be changed
  • 🔍 No alphabetical sorting for folders

Bugs and requests

Note!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Ads disrupt note-taking experience
  • Inability to delete old notes
  • Lack of printing functionality

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add iCloud sync and backup
  • Implement a paid, ad-free version
  • Allow for note organization and sorting
  • Improve text formatting and editing capabilities

Simple Notes

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • No local PC backup and restore feature
  • UI looks outdated and childish

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to pin notes at the top of a folder
  • Implement iCloud sync between devices
  • Introduce more text formatting options (bold, italics, underline, etc.)
  • Allow changing folder colors

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Note!

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99
3 purchases

Simple Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Service$39.99

Questions

Is Note! free?
Note! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Notes free?
Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Note! or Simple Notes?
Note! and Simple Notes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1K and 791 ratings respectively.
Do Note! or Simple Notes have ads?
Both Note! and Simple Notes show ads.
Which is updated more often, Note! or Simple Notes?
Note! ships an update every 13 months, and Simple Notes every 3 months. Most recently, Note! was updated on October 3, 2026 and Simple Notes on October 7, 2026.

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