Side Notes vs FlashRead
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
FlashRead
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FlashRead helps you read books dramatically faster with less effort, not more. Instead of moving your eyes across line after line, FlashRead shows your book one word at a time, always in exactly the same spot. One letter is highlighted in red: the optimal recognition point. Keep your eyes on it and the words simply flow into your mind. No eye movement, no losing your line, no drifting attention. HOW IT WORKS • Open any PDF or text file. It's ready in seconds • Press play and read at your own pace, from a relaxed 100 up to 900 words per minute • Smart pacing gives you extra time at commas, sentence ends and long words, so fast never feels rushed • Tap anywhere to pause, scrub the progress bar to jump around PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF Every book you start is saved automatically. Your home screen shows your library with reading progress, and one tap resumes exactly at the word where you stopped. PRIVATE BY DESIGN FlashRead has no accounts, no ads, no tracking and no servers. Your books and your reading history never leave your device. Whether it's that novel you never find time for, study material, or the report you have to get through. Load it into FlashRead and be surprised how fast reading can feel.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: FlashRead at 15.0 against Side Notes's 17.0. On price, ads, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Side Notes | FlashRead |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (22 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Straw Technologies | Jan Bichsel |
In-app purchases
Side Notes
No in-app purchases
FlashRead
No in-app purchases









