# Reflect Notes vs CircleNote

Reflect Notes and CircleNote both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of CircleNote's written reviews are positive against 64% of Reflect Notes's. CircleNote also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). Reflect Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (85 vs 6). On price, rating, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CircleNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Reflect Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Reflect Notes against 4.8 for CircleNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reflect Notes has 85 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Reflect Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of CircleNote's.

Reflect Notes ships an update monthly, CircleNote every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reflect Notes | CircleNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reflect-notes/id1575595407/reviews) | **[4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circlenote-voice-diary/id1662022068/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **85** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 71 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Reflect App, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1575595409) | [Hexpresso LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465379252) |

## What reviewers say

### Reflect Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reflect-notes/id1575595407)

A minimalist note-taking app that helps you organize thoughts and discover insights. It offers AI-powered chat with your notes, voice transcription, and seamless syncing. Enhance your thinking with intuitive linking and secure offline access.

**Highlights:** AI-powered note chat for insights, Intuitive note linking system, Voice transcription for hands-free notes, Customizable AI prompts for editing, Offline access and device syncing, End-to-end data encryption

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Sleek UI and design
- 🚀 Fast and efficient performance
- 💡 Innovative AI features (dictation, chat)
- 🔗 Strong backlinking capabilities
- 🗓️ Intuitive daily note structure

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Development has slowed significantly
- 📉 Roadmap is whittling down
- 😠 Hostile responses to feedback
- 🧱 Basic functionality, lacks advanced features (tables, formatting)
- 📱 Frustrating user experience on mobile/touch devices

**Reported bugs**

- Secure login link not received
- TestFlight privileges revoked unexpectedly
- Whole lines of text disappear on mobile
- Cannot easily cancel AI chat on iOS
- iPad version feels unfinished

**Requested features**

- Simple table support
- More advanced text formatting support
- Improved search functionality (highlighting found text)
- Official iPad app
- Web app for Safari on Mac


### CircleNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circlenote-voice-diary/id1662022068)

This app allows you to record your thoughts and reflections using your voice, automatically transcribing them for easy searching and organization. It prioritizes user privacy with secure on-device and iCloud storage, and syncs seamlessly across Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Voice recording and transcription, AI-powered thought organization, Secure on-device and iCloud storage, Seamless cross-device syncing, AI-generated note titles, Privacy-focused design

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - 1 Week | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro - 1 Week | $2.99 | per 7 days |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reflect Notes free?

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

### Is CircleNote free?

CircleNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Reflect Notes or CircleNote?

CircleNote is rated higher. Reflect Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while CircleNote averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.

### Do Reflect Notes or CircleNote have ads?

Reflect Notes shows ads; CircleNote does not.

### Which is updated more often, Reflect Notes or CircleNote?

Reflect Notes ships an update monthly, and CircleNote every 2 days. Most recently, Reflect Notes was updated on October 19, 2026 and CircleNote on October 6, 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.*