Comparison

Plain Note vs Memo Widget

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

Head to head
About

Plain Note

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
Read full description

"Plain Note" is a simple notes app. 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 with iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud. This can also be used as a backup. • 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

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.

Highlights
  • Home screen widgets
  • PDF, HTML & PNG output
  • iCloud backup and sync
  • Passcode lock
  • Attach photos
  • Customizable text/background
Features
Read full description

"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

Plain Note4 screens
Memo Widget4 screens

Verdict

The call

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 65). Memo Widget's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (78% vs 62%). 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

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 Memo Widget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Plain Note's written reviews are positive against 78% of Memo Widget's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, Memo Widget every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Plain Note versus Memo Widget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlain NoteMemo Widget
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.1K ratings)4.9 (65 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.3% of reviews77.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better65
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonelyze Inc.Komorebi Inc.

Customer experience

Plain Note

All ratings1,079 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive62.3%
Neutral13.2%
Negative24.5%

Memo Widget

All ratings65 ratings
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive77.6%
Neutral12.2%
Negative10.2%

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

Memo Widget

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
1 purchases

Memo Widget

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$7.99

Questions

Is Plain Note free?
Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Memo Widget free?
Memo Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Plain Note or Memo Widget?
Memo Widget is rated higher. Plain Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Memo Widget averages 4.9 from 65 ratings.
Do Plain Note or Memo Widget have ads?
Memo Widget shows ads; Plain Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Plain Note or Memo Widget?
Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, and Memo Widget every 2 months. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on September 28, 2026 and Memo Widget on September 24, 2026.

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