Comparison

Plain Note vs InsCal

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

InsCal

Features
Read full description

One Calendar for Everything - Replace your scattered TODO lists to reminders. - Replace your project chaos to private calendars. - Replace your social notification communities to public calendars. How to use it? - New event or idea? Type and send - it's there. - Need edit? Drag it. Move it. Edit it. Terms of Use: https://www.jingtech.ai/terms-of-services

Screenshots

Plain Note4 screens
InsCal3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Plain Note at none against InsCal's shown. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). InsCal's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases 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 InsCal sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, InsCal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Plain Note versus InsCal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlain NoteInsCal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB92 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonelyze Inc.Jing Technologies Co., Ltd.

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

InsCal

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

InsCal

Subscriptions1
  • InsCal Premium Monthly$3.991 Month

Questions

Is Plain Note free?
Plain Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is InsCal free?
InsCal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Plain Note or InsCal have ads?
InsCal shows ads; Plain Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Plain Note or InsCal?
Plain Note ships an update every 9 days, and InsCal every 2 months. Most recently, Plain Note was updated on November 3, 2026 and InsCal on October 28, 2026.

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