Comparison

Side Notes vs SeekCrew

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

Head to head
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

See both sides of every decision at once. Side Notes shows several notes on one screen, so your pros and cons, two options or a SWOT analysis sit side by side instead of hiding in separate lists. Pick a template, start typing, and compare at a glance. Free, with no ads and no account. START FAST WITH TEMPLATES • Pros & Cons: two columns, one clearer answer • Option A vs Option B: compare two choices side by side • SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in one grid • Eisenhower matrix: sort tasks by urgent and important • Retrospective: went well, to improve, ideas, actions • Blank board: any layout, your own structure THREE LAYOUTS FOR THE WAY YOU THINK • Dual: two notes side by side • Four: a 2x2 grid for matrices and frameworks • Single: one full note when you need room to write Tap any note to edit it full screen, then swipe to move to the next one. MADE FOR REAL DECISIONS Should you take the job offer? Which apartment, which laptop, which city? Put every argument where you can see it. Run a SWOT on a business idea or a career move, plan your week with the Eisenhower matrix, and close a project or a sprint with a retrospective. ON ALL YOUR DEVICES, NO SIGN UP Your boards sync with iCloud across iPhone, iPad and Mac. There is no account to create and nothing to log in to. WRITE, THEN FIND IT AGAIN • Rich text formatting such as bold and italic (iOS 26 and later) • Word count on every note • Search board titles and note content, filter by Today or This week • Swipe to duplicate or delete a board, or long press for more options SHARE YOUR THINKING Export any board as a PDF or share it as text, ready for a meeting, a teammate or your future self. MAKE IT YOURS Light or dark mode and the Ink accent color, with Brick, Forest and Ocean in Side Notes Plus. A calm, paper-like design with serif titles. GREAT ON IPAD AND MAC More room to see every note at once, plus keyboard shortcuts on iPad and Mac (Apple silicon). Fully translated into 34 languages and redesigned for the latest iOS with Liquid Glass. GO FURTHER WITH SIDE NOTES PLUS Everything above stays free. Side Notes Plus is an optional upgrade for when you want more: • Advanced templates: weighted decision matrix, OKR, weekly review, 5 whys • Your own templates: save any board as a template • Lock a board with Face ID or Touch ID • All accent colors: Brick, Forest and Ocean • Markdown export to Notion, Obsidian or any editor Choose a yearly plan with a 1-week free trial, a monthly plan, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Side Notes is free, with no ads and no account. Just a clear space to think things through. Side Notes Plus is an optional auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account; it renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://side-notes.app/en/privacy

About

SeekCrew

Prepare for maritime interviews with a vast library of real interview records and AI-powered simulated interviews. Generate custom question banks based on ship type and job level, and stay updated with industry news. Learn offline to ensure continuous preparation.

Highlights
  • Real interview experience library
  • Customized question bank generation
  • AI simulated interview function
  • Industry news updates
  • Offline learning support
  • Detailed explanations and scoring standards
Features
Read full description

Whether you are a newcomer to the maritime field or a senior seafarer looking to get promoted, this app is your powerful assistant on the way to interviews.​ Real Interview Experience Library: Contains thousands of interview records from well-known global shipping companies, covering different positions such as deck department and engine department, with detailed explanations of frequently asked questions by interviewers and scoring standards.​ Customized Question Bank: Intelligently generates exclusive review question banks according to different ship types (bulk carriers, container ships, oil tankers, etc.) and job levels, including core modules such as professional knowledge, emergency handling, and English proficiency.​ Simulated Interview Function: Restores the real interview environment. The AI interviewer asks questions in real time and gives feedback, helping you overcome nervousness and optimize your answer logic and expression skills.​ Industry News: Timely updates on shipping market trends, recruitment information and policies and regulations, allowing you to show a deep understanding of the industry in interviews.​ Offline Learning: Supports downloading of question banks and interview experiences, enabling you to study at any time even without a network, without delaying your learning plan during navigation.​ Be fully prepared for every interview. Download the app and sprint towards your desired maritime position!

Screenshots

Side Notes4 screens
SeekCrew4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SeekCrew at 100% against Side Notes's 57%. SeekCrew also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Side Notes's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SeekCrew 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 1, 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 SeekCrew's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Side Notes ships an update every 2 months, SeekCrew every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Side Notes versus SeekCrew: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSide NotesSeekCrew
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (22 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStraw Technologies礼鹏 卞

Customer experience

Side Notes

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

SeekCrew

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Side Notes

No in-app purchases

None

SeekCrew

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Side Notes free?
Side Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SeekCrew free?
SeekCrew is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Side Notes or SeekCrew?
SeekCrew is rated higher. Side Notes averages 3.9 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while SeekCrew averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Side Notes or SeekCrew have ads?
Neither Side Notes nor SeekCrew shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Side Notes or SeekCrew?
Side Notes ships an update every 2 months, and SeekCrew every 6 weeks. Most recently, Side Notes was updated on October 11, 2026 and SeekCrew on October 1, 2026.

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