Comparison

Simple Notes vs notes with folder

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

notes with folder

Organize your thoughts and notes with a customizable notebook system. Features automatic and manual backups to iCloud for easy data access and retrieval. Create your personal notebooks and enjoy a streamlined note-taking experience.

Highlights
  • Customizable notebooks
  • Automatic backups
  • Manual backups
  • iCloud data sync
  • Note organization
Features
Read full description

This app can make back up by auto and manual. and you can see to check the data in iCloud. Please make your own notebook and have fun.

Screenshots

Simple Notes4 screens
notes with folder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: notes with folder at none against Simple Notes's 3. notes with folder also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Simple Notes's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (790 vs 8). On price, ads, device support 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. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. notes with folder asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 790 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, notes with folder fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Simple Notes versus notes with folder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Notesnotes with folder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (790 ratings) — better4.3 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings790 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKomorebi Inc.SOCIAL NOTE CO., LTD.

Customer experience

Simple Notes

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

notes with folder

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

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

notes with folder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

notes with folder

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Notes free?
Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is notes with folder free?
notes with folder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or notes with folder?
Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 790 ratings, while notes with folder averages 4.3 from 8 ratings.
Do Simple Notes or notes with folder have ads?
Both Simple Notes and notes with folder show ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Notes or notes with folder?
Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and notes with folder fortnightly. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on September 23, 2026 and notes with folder on June 11, 2026.

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