# Plain Note vs Just the note

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Just the note at 100% against Plain Note's 62%. Just the note also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). Plain Note's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 1). 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 Just the note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Just the note 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. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Plain Note's written reviews are positive against 100% of Just the note's.

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, Just the note every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plain Note | Just the note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/just-the-note/id6474261979/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 62.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) | [Vladimir Tezin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546233266) |

## 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


### Just the note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/just-the-note/id6474261979)

Capture thoughts and ideas instantly with a minimalist note-taking application. Designed for speed and simplicity, it allows for quick entry via widgets or a single swipe. Get your notes down without distraction.

**Highlights:** One-swipe note creation, Widget for one-tap notes, Minimalist interface, Fast and convenient, Simple note-taking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Just the note + | $0.99 | per month |
| Thanks to the author | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gift to the author | $1.99 | one-time |
| Many thanks to the author | $1.99 | one-time |
| Just the note plus (lifetime) | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plain Note free?

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

### Is Just the note free?

Just the note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Plain Note or Just the note?

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

### Do Plain Note or Just the note have ads?

Neither Plain Note nor Just the note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plain Note or Just the note?

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, and Just the note every 2 months. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on October 12, 2026 and Just the note on September 17, 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.*