# Side Notes vs NoteOut

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NoteOut at 100% against Side Notes's 57%. NoteOut also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Side Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (22 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NoteOut holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Side Notes has 22 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Side Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of NoteOut's.

Side Notes ships an update every 2 months, NoteOut every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 14, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Side Notes | NoteOut |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-minded/id1555821224/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteout/id6744131418/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 8 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Straw Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1120982866) | [Entier, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806232299) |

## What reviewers say

### Side Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/side-notes-minded/id1555821224)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### NoteOut

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteout/id6744131418)

This app helps you complete small, daily writing goals with prompts. It focuses on building confidence and momentum for larger tasks by celebrating small accomplishments.

**Highlights:** Daily writing prompts, Focus on small goals, Builds confidence, Task training routine, Momentum for larger goals

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Side Notes free?

Side Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NoteOut free?

NoteOut is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Side Notes or NoteOut?

NoteOut is rated higher. Side Notes averages 3.9 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while NoteOut averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Side Notes or NoteOut have ads?

NoteOut shows ads; Side Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Side Notes or NoteOut?

Side Notes ships an update every 2 months, and NoteOut every 2 weeks. Most recently, Side Notes was updated on August 14, 2026 and NoteOut on August 31, 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.*