# Noto vs Plain Note

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.

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 62% of Plain Note's.

Noto ships an update every 4 weeks, Plain Note every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Noto | Plain Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noto-elegant-note/id1459055246/reviews) | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **68.3% of reviews** | 62.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 87 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) |

## What reviewers say

### Noto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noto-elegant-note/id1459055246)

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.

**Highlights:** Powerful text editing tools, Unlimited attachments (Pro), Dark mode, iCloud sync, Gesture organization, Multiple export formats, Desktop-class organization

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noto Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Noto Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Noto Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
- 🎨 Customizable folders and colors
- 📁 Excellent organization and hierarchy
- 💻 Works well across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Plain Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921)

This app allows you to create and organize notes with customizable tags and icons. It offers lock screen and home screen widgets for quick access and supports character/line counting. Personalize your experience with themes, app icons, and fonts.

**Highlights:** Organize notes with tags, Customizable tag icons and colors, Character and line counting, Lock screen and home screen widgets, Customizable themes, app icons, and fonts, Archive and organize notes

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium - Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean design
- 💡 One-time payment model
- 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable tags and icons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
- Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Noto free?

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

### Is Plain Note free?

Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Noto or Plain Note?

Noto and Plain Note are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.3K and 1.1K ratings respectively.

### Do Noto or Plain Note have ads?

Neither Noto nor Plain Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Noto or Plain Note?

Noto ships an update every 4 weeks, and Plain Note every 9 days. Most recently, Noto was updated on October 1, 2026 and Plain Note on October 1, 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.*