Comparison

Simple Notes vs KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget

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 inside notes or audio recording (write on exported images and PDFs) [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

KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget

Organize your daily lists, bookkeeping, journaling, and notes with this intuitive application. It offers a multi-color theme and seamless syncing across your Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Daily lists
  • Bookkeeping
  • Journaling
  • Note-taking
  • iCloud syncing
  • Multi-color themes
Features
Read full description

KeepNote brings your lists, budget and notes together in one calm, private app — no account required, no ads, no tracking. LISTS & REMINDERS • Quick to-dos with subtasks, due dates and reminders • Group them into folders that fit the way you work • Pin what matters to the top BOOKKEEPING • Track income and expenses, with sub-entries inside each record • Folders and tags keep months of records tidy • See totals per folder, per tag and per period NOTES • Rich-text notes with checklists, images and drawings • Attach a note to a task or a ledger entry — keep the context together • Search across everything NEW IN 2.6.0 • Home Screen widget — see today's tasks without opening the app • Smoother offline behaviour and a faster, quieter sync BUILT TO LAST • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac • Face ID / Touch ID lock • Light and dark appearance, with a choice of card materials • 12 languages: English, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Deutsch, Français, Italiano, Bahasa Melayu, ไทย, Türkçe, Tiếng Việt • Core features free forever — KeepNote Plus is entirely optional PRIVACY Your data lives in your own iCloud account. We don't run ads, we don't sell data, and we don't operate a server that reads your notes. Privacy policy: https://www.keepnote.host/privacy Questions, bugs or ideas? We read everything — write to us from inside the app.

Screenshots

Simple Notes4 screens
KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Notes at 4.7 against KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget's 4.0. Simple Notes also leads on ratings volume (790 vs 1). KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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 KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 790 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Simple Notes versus KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple NotesKeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (790 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews87.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings790 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size216 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKomorebi Inc.荣彬 谢

Customer experience

Simple Notes

All ratings791 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive87.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative7.2%

KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget

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
3 purchases

KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget

Subscriptions2
  • KeepNote VIP$0.991 Month
  • KeepNote VIP$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • KeepNote Plus$24.99

Questions

Is Simple Notes free?
Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget free?
KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget?
Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 790 ratings, while KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Simple Notes or KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget have ads?
Simple Notes shows ads; KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Notes or KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget?
Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget fortnightly. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on October 26, 2026 and KeepNote Lists, Notes, Budget on October 27, 2026.

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