Comparison

Simple Notes vs Plain Note

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

Head to head
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 or audio recording — the focus is simple text-and-photo notes [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

About

Plain Note

This app allows you to create and organize notes with customizable tags and icons. It offers lock screen and home screen widgets for quick access and supports character/line counting. Personalize your experience with themes, app icons, and fonts.

Highlights
  • Organize notes with tags
  • Customizable tag icons and colors
  • Character and line counting
  • Lock screen and home screen widgets
  • Customizable themes, app icons, and fonts
  • Archive and organize notes
Features
Read full description

"Plain Note" is a simple notes app. You can organize your notes by adding tags, and it supports lock screen and home screen widgets. It can be used on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features • You can categorize your notes with tags. • Customize tag icons and colors. • You can count the number of characters and lines. • Archive and organize your notes. • Widgets can be added to the lock screen and home screen. • Customize themes, App icons, and fonts. (Some features are available for a fee.) Premium (in-app purchase) • Sync data with iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. This can also be used as a backup. • All themes and App icons are available. • All tag icons are available. • All font customizations are available. *Prices may vary by country or region. Please check in the app. *Some features may not be available in all languages or regions. Terms of Use: https://monelyze.app/en/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://monelyze.app/en/privacy

Screenshots

Simple Notes4 screens
Plain Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Simple Notes's shown. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). Simple Notes's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 62%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 Simple Notes against 4.6 for Plain Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 790 and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 62% of Plain Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, Plain Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Simple Notes versus Plain Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple NotesPlain Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (790 ratings) — better4.6 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better62.3% of reviews
Number of ratings7901.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKomorebi Inc.Monelyze Inc.

Customer experience

Simple Notes

All ratings790 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral5.8%
Negative6.7%

Plain Note

All ratings1,079 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive62.3%
Neutral13.2%
Negative24.5%

User reviews

Simple Notes

From 790 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

Plain Note

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and clean design
  • 💡 One-time payment model
  • 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
  • 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Customizable tags and icons

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Notes sometimes don't save properly
  • 🐛 Slow and unreliable synchronization
  • ❌ No text formatting options (bold, italics, etc.)
  • ❌ No ability to insert photos or videos
  • ❌ No option to export notes

Bugs and requests

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

Plain Note

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
  • Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

Requested features

7 requests
  • Ability to swipe widget to display another note
  • Subfolders for better organization
  • Export function to backup notes
  • Option to change app colors
  • Support for multiple notes in one widget
Show 2 more
  • Text formatting options (bold, italics, headings)
  • Ability to insert photos and videos

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Simple Notes

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

Plain Note

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium - Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Simple Notes free?
Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Plain Note free?
Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or Plain Note?
Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 790 ratings, while Plain Note averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Simple Notes or Plain Note have ads?
Simple Notes shows ads; Plain Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Notes or Plain Note?
Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and Plain Note every 9 days. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on September 28, 2026 and Plain Note on October 1, 2026.

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