# Simplified Notes vs Birthday Countdown & Widget

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simplified Notes at none against Birthday Countdown & Widget's 3. Simplified Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). Birthday Countdown & Widget's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Birthday Countdown & Widget sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per month. Simplified Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simplified Notes ships an update every 4 days, Birthday Countdown & Widget monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplified Notes | Birthday Countdown & Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.8 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birthday-countdown-and-widget/id1604483806/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **72** |
| Positive reviews | — | 86.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 6 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lucas Exequiel Di Tomase](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456307400) | [Shayes Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/412539504) |

## What reviewers say

### Simplified Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplified-notes/id1589669393)

A powerful and feature-rich notes application for Apple devices. It allows for easy creation of notes, tagged notes, and to-do lists with automatic iCloud synchronization and a robust search function.

**Highlights:** Note creation, Tagged notes, To-do lists, Automatic iCloud sync, Search functionality

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases:** none


### Birthday Countdown & Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birthday-countdown-and-widget/id1604483806)

Never forget a birthday again. This app helps you track upcoming celebrations, organize contacts into groups, and receive smart reminders. View birthdays on a calendar and add widgets to your home screen for quick access.

**Highlights:** Track days until birthdays, Calendar view of upcoming birthdays, Organize by groups, Smart, customizable reminders, Home and Lock Screen widgets, Import birthdays from contacts

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $0.29 | per month |
| Premium | $3.99 | per year |
| Premium | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick response from developer
- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 💡 Ability to create custom notifications
- 👍 Intuitive contact integration
- 👍 Useful birthday reminder features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with finding all contacts initially
- 🔍 Text on widget interface too close to border


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplified Notes free?

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

### Is Birthday Countdown & Widget free?

Birthday Countdown & Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Simplified Notes or Birthday Countdown & Widget have ads?

Birthday Countdown & Widget shows ads; Simplified Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simplified Notes or Birthday Countdown & Widget?

Simplified Notes ships an update every 4 days, and Birthday Countdown & Widget monthly. Most recently, Simplified Notes was updated on October 12, 2026 and Birthday Countdown & Widget on October 3, 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.*