# Simple Notes vs Nested Folder Notes

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Simple Notes at 790 against Nested Folder Notes's 9. Simple Notes also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 74%). Nested Folder Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Nested Folder Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 4.8 for Nested Folder Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 790 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 74% of Nested Folder Notes's.

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, Nested Folder Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Nested Folder Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (790 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396/reviews) | **[4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nested-folder-notes-crumbnote/id1565471216/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **790** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **87.5% of reviews** | 73.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 206 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) | [Shibapp LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/852300851) |

## 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


### Nested Folder Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nested-folder-notes-crumbnote/id1565471216)

This app allows users to create deeply nested folders for organizing notes, ideal for managing large amounts of information for work, study, or creative projects. It offers features like drag-and-drop reordering, color-coding, and search functionality to streamline note management.

**Highlights:** Nested folders for structured organization, Drag & drop and auto sorting, Color-coded notes, Search and trash folder, Photo attachments, Checklists, Note history and recovery

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CrumbNote PRO | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Is Nested Folder Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or Nested Folder Notes?

Nested Folder Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 790 ratings, while Nested Folder Notes averages 4.8 from 9 ratings.

### Do Simple Notes or Nested Folder Notes have ads?

Both Simple Notes and Nested Folder Notes show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Notes or Nested Folder Notes?

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and Nested Folder Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on October 2, 2026 and Nested Folder Notes on September 26, 2026.

---

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