Comparison

links for later vs Side Notes

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

Head to head
About

links for later

Effortlessly save, organize, and quickly find web links with rich previews. Syncs seamlessly across your iOS and macOS devices, offering a streamlined alternative to browser bookmarking.

Highlights
  • Save links quickly
  • Organize with tags
  • Filter saved links
  • Search by URL or title
  • Rich link previews
  • Cross-device sync
Features
Read full description

Links for Later gives you a fast and easy way to save, organize, and find links! Links include rich previews and automatically sync across all your iOS and macOS devices. Who is this good for? Links for Later is perfect for people who: - Save a lot of things for later (recipes, articles, tweets, shopping wish lists) - Can't stand having a lot of tabs open - Like organizing saved links - Think their browser's bookmarking solution involves too many steps What can it do? - Give you a great overview of all your saved links in the home feed - Save links fast - Tag links - Filter links - Find links by their URL or title - Display rich previews to help you identify saved links faster - Hide and unhide saved links Enable the Share Extension for fast saving: (iOS 14 users please note you may have to restart your device after installing the app for it to appear in your share extensions list) 1. Open Safari on your device 2. Tap the Share button 3. Swipe to the end of the row with app icons 4. Tap Edit 5. Find Links for Later, add it to your favourites, and drag it to the front of the list 6. Use the newly enabled extension to save links as fast as you can find them!

About

Side Notes

This app helps you organize thoughts by viewing multiple notes simultaneously. It offers layouts for comparing options, conducting analyses, or structuring complex ideas. Focus on your thinking with a clean, intuitive interface and privacy-focused design.

Highlights
  • Side-by-side note viewing
  • Multiple layout options (Dual, Four, Single)
  • Visual comparison of ideas
  • SWOT analysis and Eisenhower Matrix support
  • Rich text editing
  • Offline functionality
  • Export notes as PDF or text
Features
Read full description

Think Better with Side-by-Side Notes Side Notes revolutionizes how you organize your thoughts by letting you view multiple notes simultaneously. Perfect for making decisions, comparing options, and structuring complex ideas. WHY SIDE NOTES? Traditional note apps force you to think linearly, one note at a time. But real thinking isn't linear-it's multidimensional. Side Notes embraces this by giving you three powerful layouts: - Dual Layout - Two notes side by side Perfect for: Pros vs Cons, Before vs After, Option A vs Option B - Four Layout - Four notes in a 2x2 grid Perfect for: SWOT Analysis, Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent/Important), Comparison tables - Single Layout - One full note Perfect for: Meeting notes, Journaling, Quick captures REAL-WORLD USE CASES - Career Decisions - Compare job offers with pros, cons, and decision notes side by side - Vacation Planning - Evaluate destinations with budget, highlights, and itineraries - Project Management - Use Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks - Business Strategy - Conduct SWOT analysis with all four quadrants visible - Home Projects - Plan renovations with before/after comparisons and budgets - Product Research - Compare features, prices, and reviews across options - Learning - Study with questions on one side, answers on the other - Budget Planning - Track planned vs actual spending KEY FEATURES Simple & Intuitive Clean, minimalist design that gets out of your way. Focus on thinking, not on learning complex features. Beautiful Themes Choose from 5 carefully crafted themes: Classic, Ocean, Sunset, Forest, and Midnight. Fast & Lightweight Instant launch, smooth performance. No bloat, no lag. Privacy First Your notes stay on your device. No cloud sync means no data collection, no tracking, no privacy concerns. Works Offline Full functionality without internet. Your thoughts are always accessible. No Subscription One-time purchase. No recurring fees, no feature paywalls. Rich Text Editing Format your notes with bold, italic, lists, and more. Smart Search Find any note or board instantly with powerful search. Easy Export Share your boards as PDF or plain text whenever you need. Multilingual Available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Hindi. PERFECT FOR - Students analyzing study materials - Professionals making business decisions - Entrepreneurs conducting market research - Project managers prioritizing tasks - Anyone who thinks visually - People who compare options before deciding THE SIDE NOTES DIFFERENCE While other apps focus on endless features and complexity, Side Notes does one thing exceptionally well: helping you think clearly by organizing information spatially. It's the difference between reading a list and seeing a comparison. GET STARTED IN SECONDS 1. Create a new board 2. Choose your layout (Dual, Four, or Single) 3. Start writing 4. Switch between notes with a tap 5. See your thoughts organized clearly No tutorials needed. No learning curve. Just open and start thinking better. WHAT USERS SAY "Finally, an app that matches how I actually think!" "Perfect for my daily pros/cons lists" "The SWOT analysis layout is brilliant" "So simple, yet so powerful" TRY IT TODAY Transform how you make decisions, compare options, and organize complex thoughts. Download Side Notes and experience the power of multidimensional thinking.

Screenshots

links for later4 screens
Side Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: links for later at 4.7 against Side Notes's 3.9. links for later also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 57%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Side Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. links for later sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Side Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

links for later holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of links for later's written reviews are positive against 57% of Side Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

links for later ships an update weekly, Side Notes every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
links for later versus Side Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterlinks for laterSide Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (26 ratings) — better3.9 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings26 — better22
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB8 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperDev ShahaniStraw Technologies

Customer experience

links for later

All ratings26 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative6.3%

Side Notes

All ratings22 ratings
Positive68.2%
Neutral9.1%
Negative22.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral28.6%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

links for later

One-time1
  • Pro$2.99
None

Side Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is links for later free?
links for later is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Side Notes free?
Side Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, links for later or Side Notes?
links for later is rated higher. links for later averages 4.7 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Side Notes averages 3.9 from 22 ratings.
Do links for later or Side Notes have ads?
Neither links for later nor Side Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, links for later or Side Notes?
links for later ships an update weekly, and Side Notes every 2 months. Most recently, links for later was updated on September 7, 2026 and Side Notes on August 14, 2026.

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