Noto vs Plain Note
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Noto
A modern writing and note-taking application offering powerful text editing tools and extensive organization features. It supports unlimited attachments and various export formats, with optional Pro features for enhanced functionality. Syncs seamlessly across devices.
- Powerful text editing tools
- Unlimited attachments (Pro)
- Dark mode
- iCloud sync
- Gesture organization
- Multiple export formats
- Desktop-class organization
Read full descriptionHide full description
Features: - Powerful text editing tools - Bold / Italic / Underline / Strikethrough / Highlight - Number list / Bullet list / Check list - Unlimited attachments (Pro): - Image / Video / Scan / Drawing / File - Table / Block quote / Code / Math Equation - Dark mode - iCloud sync - Organize with gesture - Export to HTML, Markdown, PDF, & JPG - Lock notes (Pro) - Desktop class organization - Drag to reorder your list and paragraph - Drag to organize your notes - Rapid multi select Noto is free to use, including iCloud Sync support. Unlock Noto Pro to enable all features including * Attachments * Note lock * Export * Support future Noto development Terms and Conditions: https://noto.ink/terms Privacy Policy: https://noto.ink/privacy
Plain Note
A straightforward, text-only notepad for quickly capturing thoughts, memos, and drafts. Organize notes with customizable tags and access them easily via home and lock screen widgets. Offers optional iCloud sync and extensive customization through in-app purchases.
- Text-only note-taking
- Customizable tags with icons
- Lock screen and home screen widgets
- Character and line count
- Note archiving and organization
- Theme, icon, and font customization
Read full descriptionHide full description
Plain Note is a simple, text-only notes app that makes it easy to capture ideas, jot down everyday notes, and draft social media posts and emails. No ads. No sign-up required. Notes are stored on your device and, if you use iCloud sync, in your own iCloud account as well. The developer does not collect the contents of your notes. It's a good fit for people who want to jot things down and quickly refer back to them, rather than use a notes app with lots of features. You can organize your notes by adding tags, and it supports lock screen and home screen widgets. It can be used on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features • You can categorize your notes with tags. • Customize tag icons and colors. • You can count the number of characters and lines. • Archive and organize your notes. • Widgets can be added to the lock screen and home screen. • Customize themes, app icons, and fonts. (Some features are available for a fee.) Premium (in-app purchase) • Sync data across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. • All themes and app icons are available. • All tag icons are available. • All font customizations are available. *Prices may vary by country or region. Please check in the app. *Some features may not be available in all languages or regions. Terms of Use: https://monelyze.app/en/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://monelyze.app/en/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Plain Note at every 9 days against Noto's every 4 weeks. Noto's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Noto sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Noto against 4.6 for Plain Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Noto's written reviews are positive against 63% of Plain Note's.
Noto ships an update every 4 weeks, Plain Note every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Noto | Plain Note |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.3K ratings) | 4.6 (1.1K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.4% of reviews — better | 62.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K — better | 1.1K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 87 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Soysauce Lab | Monelyze Inc. |
Customer experience
Noto
Plain Note
User reviews
Noto
From 1.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
- 🎨 Customizable folders and colors
- 📁 Excellent organization and hierarchy
- 💻 Works well across devices
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and sync issues
- 🔒 Limited free features, requires subscription
- 📁 Difficulty moving/organizing folders and notes
- 🖌️ Lack of font/text customization options
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
Plain Note
From 1.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and clean design
- 💡 One-time payment model
- 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable tags and icons
Room to improve
- 🐛 Notes sometimes don't save properly
- 🐛 Slow and unreliable synchronization
- ❌ No text formatting options (bold, italics, etc.)
- ❌ No ability to insert photos or videos
- ❌ No option to export notes
Bugs and requests
Noto
Reported bugs
4 issues- Syncing issues between devices
- Folders and notes disappearing after updates
- Crashes when trying to access certain folders
- Widgets not displaying note content properly
Requested features
6 requests- Add tags or keywords for better organization
- Improve table editing and formatting
- Implement better export options (PDF, HTML, etc.)
- Add support for Apple Pencil and handwriting
- Integrate calendar and reminder features
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Allow custom backgrounds and themes
Plain Note
Reported bugs
2 issues- Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
- Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note
Requested features
7 requests- Ability to swipe widget to display another note
- Subfolders for better organization
- Export function to backup notes
- Option to change app colors
- Support for multiple notes in one widget
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Text formatting options (bold, italics, headings)
- Ability to insert photos and videos
In-app purchases
Noto
- Noto Pro Monthly3 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Noto Pro Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Noto Lifetime$24.99
Plain Note
- Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium - Lifetime$29.99
