# Simple Notes vs Sticky Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sticky Notes at weekly against Simple Notes's every 3 months. Simple Notes's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 60%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Sticky Notes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Simple Notes against 4.6 for Sticky Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 790 and 501 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 60% of Sticky Notes's.

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, Sticky Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Sticky Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (790 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396/reviews)** | [4.6 (501 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-notepad-widget/id1530897546/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **790** | 501 |
| Positive reviews | **87.5% of reviews** | 60.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 206 MB | 221 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) | [Shota Yamashita](https://appshunter.io/developer/535161626) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $14.99 | per year |
| Premium Service | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- No local PC backup and restore feature
- UI looks outdated and childish

**Requested features**

- 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


### Sticky Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-notepad-widget/id1530897546)

Pin notes and to-do lists directly to your Home and Lock Screens for quick access. Organize tasks, customize backgrounds with colors or photos, and choose from various fonts. Ideal for reminders, class notes, and visualizing goals.

**Highlights:** Pin notes to Home and Lock Screens, Organize tasks by category, Customize backgrounds with photos, Cute font options, Character count display, Undo/Redo functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Hiding | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $2.49 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $12.99 | per year |
| Tip | $1.00 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $5.00 | one-time |
| Greatest Tip | $10.00 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable backgrounds and fonts
- 💡 Ability to add notes to home screen
- 🚀 Lightweight and fast
- 👍 Helpful for daily tasks and reminders

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 💸 Paid version required for advanced features
- 🔒 No iCloud sync or cross-device support
- 🔍 Confusing instructions, mostly in non-English languages

**Reported bugs**

- Newly created notes not showing up on home screen
- Duplicated notes with same content
- Inability to change default font and background settings
- Disappearing notes after app updates

**Requested features**

- Allow text formatting (bold, italic, underline)
- Add checklist/to-do list functionality
- Implement iCloud sync and cross-device support
- Provide option to remove app branding from widget
- Add ability to set reminders/alarms for notes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sticky Notes free?

Sticky Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or Sticky Notes?

Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 790 ratings, while Sticky Notes averages 4.6 from 501 ratings.

### Do Simple Notes or Sticky Notes have ads?

Both Simple Notes and Sticky Notes show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Notes or Sticky Notes?

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and Sticky Notes weekly. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on September 23, 2026 and Sticky Notes on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*