Comparison

Notes for Apple Watch vs Watchsmith

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

Head to head
About

Notes for Apple Watch

Effortlessly create, view, and manage all your notes directly on your Apple Watch. Syncs seamlessly with your iPhone and iPad, offering intuitive organization with color themes and efficient input methods.

Highlights
  • Compose notes on Apple Watch
  • Browse, view, and edit notes
  • Automatic syncing across devices
  • Color themes for organization
  • FlickType Keyboard support
Features
Read full description

Compose and manage all your notes directly on Apple Watch. • Browse, view, edit, and compose notes with a highly intuitive interface optimized for your wrist. • Automatically sync all your notes between your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. • Organize your notes with a variety of color themes for easy categorization. • Supports FlickType Keyboard for even more efficient note-taking on the go. Take your notes, anywhere! --------------------- Terms of Service: https://bit.ly/NotesTerms

About

Watchsmith

Personalize your Apple Watch with customizable complications that can dynamically change throughout the day. Access a variety of tools like weather, workouts, and a timezone converter directly from your watch.

Highlights
  • Customizable complications
  • Dynamic complication scheduling
  • Weather app
  • Workout app
  • Timezone converter
  • Games
  • Calendar
Features
Read full description

Watchsmith lets you personalize your Apple Watch like never before. It starts with a wide collection of highly customizable complications, which range in function from date, to weather, to astronomy. Each can be adjusted precisely to best fit your desired function and appearance. This set of complications can then be dynamically scheduled to appear on your watch face following rules you define. For example, a particular complication slot could show the weather first thing in the morning, then your calendar during your work day, then switch to your Activity ring progress as you wrap up your day. This lets you take full advantage of each slot on your watch face without the need to constantly switch back and forth between faces. The Apple Watch app itself also includes a wide collection of tools and functions, such as a weather app, a workout app, a timezone converter, games and a calendar. Watchsmith provides one tap access to what you need, right when you need it. Notes: • Watchsmith is intended for use with a paired Apple Watch, which is where your configured complications will be displayed. It requires watchOS 7. • Watchsmith optionally integrates with Apple Health. This data is used during workouts to display your workout metrics, to show a summary of your daily heart rate date, and your activity. Permission for Watchsmith to access this data is controlled through the Apple Health app. • Watchsmith includes an optional premium subscription. This is offered on a monthly or annual basis. If you choose to purchase a subscription your payment will be charged to your iTunes account. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can turn off auto-renewal at any time by going to your Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. • Access to Tide and Weather hosted data is only available to Watchsmith Premium subscribers. Privacy Policy & Terms: https://david-smith.org/watchsmith_privacy.html

Screenshots

Notes for Apple Watch4 screens
Watchsmith4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Notes for Apple Watch at 4.3 against Watchsmith's 3.9. Notes for Apple Watch also leads on ratings volume (2.7K vs 563). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. Notes for Apple Watch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Watchsmith sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Notes for Apple Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.7K and 563 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Notes for Apple Watch's written reviews are positive against 38% of Watchsmith's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notes for Apple Watch ships an update weekly, Watchsmith every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Notes for Apple Watch versus Watchsmith: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotes for Apple WatchWatchsmith
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.7K ratings) — better3.9 (563 ratings)
Positive reviews39.7% of reviews — better38.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2.7K — better563
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS14.014.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKpaw, LLCCross Forward Consulting, LLC

Customer experience

Notes for Apple Watch

All ratings2,714 ratings
Positive80.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative14.4%
Written reviews204 reviews
Positive39.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative52.0%

Watchsmith

All ratings563 ratings
Positive67.9%
Neutral11.0%
Negative21.1%
Written reviews192 reviews
Positive38.0%
Neutral13.5%
Negative48.4%

User reviews

Notes for Apple Watch

From 2.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Useful for quick notes
  • 👍 Convenient for Apple Watch
  • 👍 Accurate keyboard
  • 👍 Syncs notes between devices

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription required for syncing
  • 💰 Expensive monthly fee
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes on Apple Watch
  • 🐛 Keyboard issues (can't scroll, delete, etc.)

Watchsmith

From 563 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Customizable complications
  • 👍 Simplifies date complication
  • 🌟 Indispensable app
  • 🎨 Fun to customize
  • 💡 Innovative features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Complications don't update frequently
  • 🔌 Battery life issues
  • 🤔 Confusing UI and instructions
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🕰️ Time complications not accurate

Bugs and requests

Notes for Apple Watch

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Notes not syncing properly between devices
  • App freezing and becoming unresponsive on Apple Watch
  • Keyboard issues causing typing difficulties

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to edit notes from Apple Watch
  • Implement a one-time purchase option instead of subscription
  • Improve syncing reliability and speed
  • Add more keyboard features (delete word, number pad, etc.)

Watchsmith

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Complications not syncing properly
  • App freezes on Apple Watch
  • Weather location stuck on LA
  • Shared calendar issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Series 7 and Apple Watch Ultra
  • Hourly weather complication
  • Year complication
  • Celsius temperature option
  • Third-party app complications support

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Notes for Apple Watch

Subscriptions2
  • Premium3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium3 Days trial$5.991 Month
2 purchases

Watchsmith

Subscriptions2
  • Watchsmith Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Watchsmith Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Notes for Apple Watch free?
Notes for Apple Watch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Watchsmith free?
Watchsmith is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notes for Apple Watch or Watchsmith?
Notes for Apple Watch is rated higher. Notes for Apple Watch averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Watchsmith averages 3.9 from 563 ratings.
Do Notes for Apple Watch or Watchsmith have ads?
Neither Notes for Apple Watch nor Watchsmith shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notes for Apple Watch or Watchsmith?
Notes for Apple Watch ships an update weekly, and Watchsmith every 4 days. Most recently, Notes for Apple Watch was updated on September 26, 2026 and Watchsmith on September 27, 2026.

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