Plain Note vs Memo Widget
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
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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
Memo Widget
This app provides a simple notepad experience with home screen widgets for quick access. It offers features like PDF output, iCloud backup, and customization options for text and background. Easily attach photos, search notes, and protect them with a passcode lock.
- Home screen widgets
- PDF, HTML & PNG output
- iCloud backup and sync
- Passcode lock
- Attach photos
- Customizable text/background
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"Smart Notepad" is a simple notepad app that you can put on your home screen! Useful features such as PDF output and iCloud backup. It's easy for anyone to use, and it's perfect for quick notes! [Functions] * Text size * Background color * Text color * PDF, HTML & PNG output * Passcode lock * Attach photos * Search * Character count * Undo, Redo * Dark mode * iCloud backup You can sync with iPad app and Mac app! * Ad removal (paid) The ads are just a banner at the bottom of the screen, but this banner can be removed with a one-time purchase charge, not subscription. [How to set the widget] 1. Press and hold the home screen, and tap the plus button in the upper left corner. 2. Select this app. 3. Select the size you want (3 types) and place it. [How to change the memo to be displayed in the widget] 1. Set the widget. 2. Long press the widget and tap "Edit Widget". 3. Tap "Memo" and select the memo you want to display. [Contact Us] If you have any questions about the app, please contact us from "Help" -> "Contact Us" in the app settings screen.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Memo Widget's shown. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 69). Memo Widget's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (78% vs 63%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Memo Widget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Memo Widget holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plain Note has 1.1K ratings behind it against 69, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Plain Note's written reviews are positive against 78% of Memo Widget's.
Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, Memo Widget every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.
| Parameter | Plain Note | Memo Widget |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.1K ratings) | 4.9 (69 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 62.6% of reviews | 78.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K — better | 69 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Monelyze Inc. | Komorebi Inc. |
Customer experience
Plain Note
Memo Widget
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
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- Text formatting options (bold, italics, headings)
- Ability to insert photos and videos
Memo Widget
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Plain Note
- Premium - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium - Lifetime$29.99
Memo Widget
- Remove Ads$7.99
Questions
Is Plain Note free?
Is Memo Widget free?
Which has better reviews, Plain Note or Memo Widget?
Do Plain Note or Memo Widget have ads?
Which is updated more often, Plain Note or Memo Widget?
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