Comparison

Reflect Notes vs Heptabase

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

Head to head
About

Reflect Notes

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
Read full description

Reflect is a beautifully designed, minimalist note-taking app designed to help you think. Quickly jot down your ideas, notes, meetings and voice memos in one place. Chat with your notes using AI to uncover new insights and ideas you might have otherwise overlooked. Key Features: - Intuitive linking system to create associations between notes - State of the art voice transcription for hands-free note-taking - Customizable AI prompts to quickly edit notes with GPT-4 - Chat with your notes using AI for a more interactive experience - Offline access for uninterrupted productivity - Seamless syncing across all your devices - End-to-end encryption ensuring your data is safe and secure - Advanced search functionality to find what you need quickly - Calendar integration to quickly take notes during meetings Try Reflect for free and see how note-taking can actually improve your thinking. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Heptabase

This visual note-taking application helps users learn complex subjects. The mobile version offers complete access to all your notes, journals, and whiteboards, allowing you to review your work on the go.

Highlights
  • Visual note-taking
  • Learn complex topics
  • Access cards and journals
  • Read whiteboards
  • Mobile access
Features
Read full description

Heptabase is a visual note-taking app that helps you learn complex topics. The mobile app provides full access to all your cards and journals, and allows you to read all your whiteboards.

Screenshots

Reflect Notes4 screens
Heptabase3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Heptabase at none against Reflect Notes's shown. Heptabase also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Reflect Notes's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

Reflect Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85 and 70 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 69% and 69% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reflect Notes ships an update monthly, Heptabase weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 19, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Reflect Notes versus Heptabase: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReflect NotesHeptabase
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (85 ratings) — better4.3 (70 ratings)
Positive reviews69.1% of reviews — better69.0% of reviews
Number of ratings85 — better70
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.115.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB242 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReflect App, LLCHepta Platforms, Inc

Customer experience

Reflect Notes

All ratings83 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral1.2%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive69.1%
Neutral16.4%
Negative14.5%

Heptabase

All ratings70 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral2.9%
Negative15.7%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive69.0%
Neutral6.9%
Negative24.1%

Bugs and requests

Reflect Notes

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • 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
Show 4 more
  • Basic UI/UX issues persist on iOS apps
  • Search acting as though #author tag doesn't exist
  • App freezes too often, causing note loss
  • Occasional bugs with Kindle sync and author tags

Requested features

18 requests
  • Simple table support
  • More advanced text formatting support
  • Improved search functionality (highlighting found text)
  • Official iPad app
  • Web app for Safari on Mac
Show 13 more
  • Android app
  • Full mobile web app with search and creation
  • Expand task functionality (recurring tasks, notifications)
  • Add color to notes
  • Configurable top bar in 'All Notes' on desktop
  • Persistent search results after backing out of a note
  • Tasks widget for home screen
  • Toolbar button for basic text formatting on mobile
  • Easier way to cancel AI chat on iOS
  • Differentiate books from comics in Kindle sync
  • Clarify Kindle sync behavior upfront
  • Adapt app to iPad screen ratio
  • UI tweaking for tasks and better grouping of dated tasks

Heptabase

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Reflect Notes

No in-app purchases

None

Heptabase

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reflect Notes free?
Reflect Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Heptabase free?
Heptabase is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reflect Notes or Heptabase?
Reflect Notes is rated higher. Reflect Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Heptabase averages 4.3 from 70 ratings.
Do Reflect Notes or Heptabase have ads?
Reflect Notes shows ads; Heptabase does not.
Which is updated more often, Reflect Notes or Heptabase?
Reflect Notes ships an update monthly, and Heptabase weekly. Most recently, Reflect Notes was updated on August 19, 2026 and Heptabase on September 27, 2026.

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