Comparison

Plain Note vs Simple Notes

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

Simple Notes

Capture ideas, memos, and tasks effortlessly with this fast and minimal note-taking app. Organize notes into notebooks, sync across devices, and access reminders with home screen widgets. Secure backups and powerful search ensure your thoughts are always accessible.

Highlights
  • Ultra-lightweight and fast
  • Organize with notebooks
  • Sync across devices
  • Sticky notes on home screen
  • Secure backups
  • Powerful search tool
  • Easy note sharing
Features
Read full description

Simple Notes is a fast, clean notepad for people who just want to write things down and find them again. Open the app, tap New Note, and start typing. No accounts to create, no setup, no clutter. Your notes stay on your device until you decide to sync them. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Write notes instantly and find them with search • Sort notes into categories with their own colors • Pin important notes to the top • Add photos to any note • Share a category with family or coworkers and edit the same notes together • Sync across iPhone and iPad with a free account • Back up to iCloud and restore in one tap • Export as PDF, HTML or text • Widgets for your Home Screen • Light, dark and colorful themes, plus extra fonts MADE FOR FOCUS The editor gets out of your way. Pick where the cursor starts, turn spell check on or off, choose your text size, and write. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS Notes work fully offline. Export or back up whenever you like, and delete your account and data at any time. PREMIUM Go ad-free and unlock photos in notes, category icons, themes and fonts with Simple Notes Premium. Monthly, yearly, or once for life. Questions or ideas? Reach us from Settings › Feedback. We read every message. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel them in your Apple ID settings. Privacy Policy: https://androidmemoapp.blogspot.com/2019/05/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: https://androidmemoapp.blogspot.com/2025/05/simple-notes-terms-of-use.html

Screenshots

Plain Note4 screens
Simple Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against Simple Notes's shown. Plain Note also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 233). Simple Notes's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Plain Note against 4.7 for Simple Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 233 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Plain Note's written reviews are positive against 80% of Simple Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, Simple Notes every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Plain Note versus Simple Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlain NoteSimple Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.1K ratings)4.7 (233 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.6% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better233
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 8 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonelyze Inc.Phearoth Phen

Customer experience

Plain Note

All ratings1,090 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive62.6%
Neutral14.0%
Negative23.4%

Simple Notes

All ratings231 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.5%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative15.0%

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

Simple Notes

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
3 purchases

Simple Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription$2.391 Month
  • Yearly subscription$15.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlimited Plan$39.99

Questions

Is Plain Note free?
Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Notes free?
Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Plain Note or Simple Notes?
Simple Notes is rated higher. Plain Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Simple Notes averages 4.7 from 233 ratings.
Do Plain Note or Simple Notes have ads?
Simple Notes shows ads; Plain Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Plain Note or Simple Notes?
Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, and Simple Notes every 8 days. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on November 11, 2026 and Simple Notes on November 8, 2026.

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