# Plain Note vs Sticky Notes

The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Sticky Notes's shown. Sticky Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Sticky Notes sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 Plain Note against 4.6 for Sticky Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 501 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Plain Note's written reviews are positive against 60% of Sticky Notes's.

Plain Note ships an update every 10 days, Sticky Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plain Note | Sticky Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews) | [4.6 (501 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-notepad-widget/id1530897546/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 501 |
| Positive reviews | **62.3% of reviews** | 60.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 221 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) | [Shota Yamashita](https://appshunter.io/developer/535161626) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Sticky Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-notepad-widget/id1530897546)

Pin notes and to-do lists directly to your Home and Lock Screens for quick access. Organize tasks, customize backgrounds with colors or photos, and choose from various fonts. Ideal for reminders, class notes, and visualizing goals.

**Highlights:** Pin notes to Home and Lock Screens, Organize tasks by category, Customize backgrounds with photos, Cute font options, Character count display, Undo/Redo functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad Hiding | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $2.49 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $12.99 | per year |
| Tip | $1.00 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $5.00 | one-time |
| Greatest Tip | $10.00 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable backgrounds and fonts
- 💡 Ability to add notes to home screen
- 🚀 Lightweight and fast
- 👍 Helpful for daily tasks and reminders

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 💸 Paid version required for advanced features
- 🔒 No iCloud sync or cross-device support
- 🔍 Confusing instructions, mostly in non-English languages

**Reported bugs**

- Newly created notes not showing up on home screen
- Duplicated notes with same content
- Inability to change default font and background settings
- Disappearing notes after app updates

**Requested features**

- Allow text formatting (bold, italic, underline)
- Add checklist/to-do list functionality
- Implement iCloud sync and cross-device support
- Provide option to remove app branding from widget
- Add ability to set reminders/alarms for notes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plain Note free?

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

### Is Sticky Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Plain Note or Sticky Notes?

Plain Note and Sticky Notes are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.1K and 501 ratings respectively.

### Do Plain Note or Sticky Notes have ads?

Sticky Notes shows ads; Plain Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Plain Note or Sticky Notes?

Plain Note ships an update every 10 days, and Sticky Notes weekly. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on September 22, 2026 and Sticky Notes on September 24, 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.*