Comparison

SideNotes Mobile vs Plain_Note

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

Head to head
About

SideNotes Mobile

Capture thoughts and to-dos on the go with this mobile note-taking app. It offers iCloud sync, Markdown formatting, and customizable themes for a personalized experience. Easily access notes from other applications.

Highlights
  • iCloud Synchronization
  • Markdown Formatting
  • Task Management
  • Customizable Themes
  • Note and Folder URLs
  • Note Colors
Features
Read full description

SideNotes Mobile is a fast notes app for iPhone and iPad. Capture notes, tasks, links, and snippets in seconds, then access them across devices with iCloud sync. Version 1.2 brings a major upgrade: - A new editor with hidden Markdown markup - the same as in SideNotes for macOS - Refreshed iOS 26-style interface (Liquid Glass look) - Note folding - Note & Folder pinning - Simple drag-and-drop reordering - New contextual menu - New formatting options - Add Note action for the iPhone Action Button - New translations: Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, and Spanish - UI polish, bug fixes, and quality improvements Core features: - iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Themes and note colors for personalization - Tasks and checklists for daily work - Folder organization and quick search - Note and folder URLs for fast access from other apps - Text settings for comfortable writing and reading - One-time purchase (paid per major version). No subscription. Note: SideNotes Mobile is a companion app to SideNotes for macOS. SideNotes for macOS is sold separately.

About

Plain_Note

A fast, minimal note-taking app for professionals. Capture and organize thoughts instantly with plain text, character counts, and OCR from photos. Ideal for quick jotting, archiving, and sharing.

Highlights
  • Plain text notes
  • Character and word count
  • Export notes
  • OCR text extraction from photos
  • Smart file sorting
  • Powerful search functionality
  • Split view for iPad/Mac
Features
Read full description

Plain Note is a fast and minimal note-taking app designed for working professionals who value speed, simplicity, and plain text. Whether you're in a meeting, on a call, or brainstorming ideas - Plain Note helps you capture and organize thoughts instantly, without the clutter. Key Features: • **Plain Text by Default** All your notes are saved as clean, unformatted plain text - perfect for copy-pasting, archiving, or exporting anywhere. • **Character and Word Count + Export** Instantly view the number of characters and words in your note. Easily share or export as plain text to other apps or collaborators. • **Split View for Power Users** On landscape mode (iPad or Mac), view your file list and editor side by side = a true productivity boost. • **OCR from Photo Library** Send an image to the app from your Photos, and it will automatically extract text using OCR - then save it as plain text. • **Smart File Sorting** Sort your notes by file name or modification time to quickly find what you need. • **Powerful Search** Search by filename or inside the content of your notes - find what you're looking for in seconds. --- Plain Note is built for professionals who need a fast, distraction-free environment to jot down, organize, and share ideas - without the overhead of rich formatting or complex tools. Download Plain Note and get back to writing, not waiting.

Screenshots

SideNotes Mobile4 screens
Plain_Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Plain_Note at 5.0 against SideNotes Mobile's 4.2. Plain_Note also leads on price ($1.99 vs $9.99) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). SideNotes Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (28 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99 and Plain_Note $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Plain_Note holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SideNotes Mobile has 28 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SideNotes Mobile ships an update monthly, Plain_Note weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SideNotes Mobile versus Plain_Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSideNotes MobilePlain_Note
Price$9.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.2 (28 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings28 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApptoriumSun Min Park

Customer experience

SideNotes Mobile

All ratings28 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive88.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.6%

Plain_Note

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SideNotes Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Plain_Note

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SideNotes Mobile free?
SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Plain_Note free?
Plain_Note costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SideNotes Mobile or Plain_Note?
Plain_Note is rated higher. SideNotes Mobile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Plain_Note averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SideNotes Mobile or Plain_Note have ads?
Neither SideNotes Mobile nor Plain_Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SideNotes Mobile or Plain_Note?
SideNotes Mobile ships an update monthly, and Plain_Note weekly. Most recently, SideNotes Mobile was updated on September 25, 2026 and Plain_Note on June 10, 2026.

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