# Plain Note vs WidgetCal

The clearest difference is update cadence: Plain Note at every 9 days against WidgetCal's every 32 months. Plain Note also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 1). WidgetCal's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and WidgetCal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

WidgetCal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plain Note has 1.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, WidgetCal every 32 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plain Note | WidgetCal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetcal-widget-calculator/id6468929338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 62.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 32 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 31 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) | [杏娣 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1275821426) |

## 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


### WidgetCal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetcal-widget-calculator/id6468929338)

Perform calculations directly from your home screen with advanced functions. Customize your experience with multiple themes. Unlock premium features through a subscription.

**Highlights:** Home screen widget calculator, Trigonometric and calculus functions, Over 10 beautiful themes, No ads, Monthly/annual subscription for Pro features

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WidgetCal Pro | $0.99 | per month |
| WidgetCal Pro | $3.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plain Note free?

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

### Is WidgetCal free?

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

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

WidgetCal is rated higher. Plain Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while WidgetCal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Plain Note or WidgetCal have ads?

Neither Plain Note nor WidgetCal shows ads.

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

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, and WidgetCal every 32 months. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on October 6, 2026 and WidgetCal on September 27, 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.*