# Simple Notes vs Notes+

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Notes at 4.7 against Notes+'s 3.7. Simple Notes also leads on ratings volume (791 vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months). Notes+'s advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Notes+ sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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.

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, Notes+ every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Notes+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/notes-plus-inkpad-notepad/id6742770168/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **791** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 87.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 216 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) | [Brijesh Kanani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701787580) |

## 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


### Notes+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-plus-inkpad-notepad/id6742770168)

Capture ideas with a versatile note-taking app that combines handwriting, typing, sketching, and audio recording. Organize your life with planners, to-do lists, and reminders, all while personalizing your notes with custom styles and images.

**Highlights:** Digital handwriting and typing, Planners and to-do lists, Reminders and scheduling, PDF annotation, Audio recording sync, Image and sketch integration, Password protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Is Notes+ free?

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

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

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

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

Simple Notes shows ads; Notes+ does not.

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

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and Notes+ every 8 months. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on October 15, 2026 and Notes+ on October 2, 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.*