# Simple Notes vs Note Book App

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Notes at 4.7 against Note Book App's 3.0. Simple Notes also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%) and ratings volume (790 vs 2). Note Book App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Note Book App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 790 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 50% of Note Book App's.

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, Note Book App every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Note Book App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (790 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-notepad-manager/id1457937396/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-book-app/id6756196494/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **790** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **87.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 206 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Komorebi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/481596469) | [Primus Okorie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812329485) |

## 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


### Note Book App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-book-app/id6756196494)

Capture and organize all your thoughts, tasks, and memories with a feature-rich note-taking application. Offers rich text, checklists, voice notes, and advanced organization tools. Secure your data with PIN and password protection, and easily back up your notes.

**Highlights:** Rich text and voice notes, Checklists and to-do lists, Customizable themes and wallpapers, Categories, folders, and tags, PIN and password protection, One-tap export and iCloud backup, Built-in calculator

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 Note Book App free?

Note Book App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or Note Book App?

Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 790 ratings, while Note Book App averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Simple Notes or Note Book App have ads?

Simple Notes shows ads; Note Book App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Notes or Note Book App?

Simple Notes ships an update every 3 months, and Note Book App every 4 days. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on September 28, 2026 and Note Book App on September 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.*