Comparison

Plain Note vs Document Scanner

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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

About

Document Scanner

Easily capture, edit, and organize high-quality scans of documents, receipts, and more directly from your mobile device. Advanced image processing ensures clear, sharp results with smart cropping and auto-enhancement. Organize scans into folders and share them as PDFs or print directly.

Highlights
  • High-quality document scanning
  • Advanced image processing
  • Smart cropping and auto-enhancement
  • Folder organization
  • PDF sharing and direct printing
  • Import images from gallery
  • Offline scanning
Features
Read full description

Transform your iPhone into a powerful, studio-grade document scanner. Digitizing receipts, contracts, tax documents, ID cards, and books has never been faster or cleaner. KEY FEATURES: • Ultra-HD Camera Scanning: Automatic edge detection, perspective correction, and studio color filters. • AI OCR & Searchable PDFs: Recognize text inside scans and search keywords with Apple Vision. • 2-Sided ID & Passport Scanner: Stitches front and back onto a single printable page. • Auto Expense Report Generator: Extract itemized receipts directly into CSV spreadsheets. • E-Sign & Annotate: Place your signature and date stamps anywhere on the document. • PDF Studio: Merge multiple files, split pages, compress file size up to 75%, and password-protect. • 100% Private On-Device: Your documents are processed locally on your device. Secure with Face ID.

Screenshots

Plain Note4 screens
Document Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Document Scanner's shown. Plain Note also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 108) and device support (3 vs 1). Document Scanner's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Document Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Plain Note against 4.5 for Document Scanner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plain Note has 1.1K ratings behind it against 108, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Plain Note's written reviews are positive against 86% of Document Scanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, Document Scanner every 10 days. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Plain Note versus Document Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlain NoteDocument Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.1K ratings) — better4.5 (108 ratings)
Positive reviews62.6% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better108
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonelyze Inc.Sujal Adhia

Customer experience

Plain Note

All ratings1,090 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive62.6%
Neutral14.0%
Negative23.4%

Document Scanner

All ratings108 ratings
Positive87.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative10.2%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral7.1%
Negative7.1%

Bugs and requests

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 more
  • Text formatting options (bold, italics, headings)
  • Ability to insert photos and videos

Document Scanner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Plain Note

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium - Lifetime$29.99
3 purchases

Document Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • WeeklySubscription$1.997 Days
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Ads free version$19.99

Questions

Is Plain Note free?
Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Document Scanner free?
Document Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Plain Note or Document Scanner?
Plain Note is rated higher. Plain Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Document Scanner averages 4.5 from 108 ratings.
Do Plain Note or Document Scanner have ads?
Document Scanner shows ads; Plain Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Plain Note or Document Scanner?
Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, and Document Scanner every 10 days. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on November 11, 2026 and Document Scanner on November 11, 2026.

Other comparisons