# Plain Note vs Simple Timer & Stopwatch

The clearest difference is rating: Plain Note at 4.6 against Simple Timer & Stopwatch's 1.0. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 1). Simple Timer & Stopwatch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Simple Timer & Stopwatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Plain Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. 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, Simple Timer & Stopwatch every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plain Note | Simple Timer & Stopwatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-timer-and-stopwatch/id6737737475/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 62.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) | [Cong Le](https://appshunter.io/developer/954373766) |

## 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


### Simple Timer & Stopwatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-timer-and-stopwatch/id6737737475)

This app provides a clear and responsive timer and stopwatch with large time displays for everyday tasks, study, and lessons. It offers customizable layouts, presets, and history tracking, with optional features like showing the current time and keeping the screen awake. Live Activities display your timer or stopwatch on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.

**Highlights:** Large time displays, Customizable layouts, Preset durations, Live Activities integration, Offline functionality, History tracking, Screen awake option

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plain Note free?

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

### Is Simple Timer & Stopwatch free?

Simple Timer & Stopwatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Plain Note or Simple Timer & Stopwatch?

Plain Note is rated higher. Plain Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Simple Timer & Stopwatch averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Plain Note or Simple Timer & Stopwatch have ads?

Neither Plain Note nor Simple Timer & Stopwatch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plain Note or Simple Timer & Stopwatch?

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, and Simple Timer & Stopwatch every 3 months. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on September 28, 2026 and Simple Timer & Stopwatch on September 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*