# Simple Notes vs Appnote

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Notes at 4.7 against Appnote's 3.7. Simple Notes also leads on ratings volume (791 vs 3). Appnote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Appnote asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 791 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 85% of Appnote's.

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, Appnote every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Appnote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (791 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appnote-notepad/id6452401357/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **791** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **87.2% of reviews** | 85.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 216 MB | 40 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) | [Vladimir Gorkov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698897421) |

## 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


### Appnote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appnote-notepad/id6452401357)

Organize your thoughts with a beautiful and functional notepad. Create an unlimited number of notes and folders, format text, and enrich entries with media. Secure your data with password protection and cloud sync.

**Highlights:** Unlimited folders and notes, Rich text formatting, Add images, videos, PDFs, and links, Quick undo and pin notes, Instant search, Cloud sync and backup, Password and biometric protection

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Is Appnote free?

Appnote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 791 ratings, while Appnote averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Simple Notes or Appnote have ads?

Simple Notes shows ads; Appnote does not.

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

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and Appnote every 2 months. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on October 11, 2026 and Appnote on October 11, 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.*