Comparison

SideNotes Mobile vs Ember

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

Ember

Features
Read full description

Ember is the privacy-first focus timer built for deep work. Complete your most important goals with beautiful ambient soundscapes and zero tracking — ever. WHY EMBER? Privacy Native. Your data never leaves your device. No analytics SDKs. No data brokers. No "free app" business model. Just offline-first focus that respects your time and your data. Made in the EU with GDPR by default. Beautiful Design. A minimalist timer that fades away so you can focus. Warm gold ring on dark background with immersive full-screen sessions. Dark mode by default. Hand-crafted animations that feel like a premium physical object. Ambient Soundscapes. 8+ professionally recorded sounds (Rain, Forest, Café, White Noise, plus premium options). Multi-track mixing on Pro. Works completely offline — no internet required. Professional Analytics. Track focus streaks, daily focus scores, weekly patterns, and your most productive hours. Gamified achievements unlock as you build habits. Session Types. Choose preset durations or create custom sessions. 25-minute Pomodoro, 90-minute deep work blocks, or whatever matches your natural rhythm. WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT · Zero Tracking — We genuinely never see your data. Not "anonymized tracking," not "aggregated insights." Nothing. · Offline First — Records sessions locally. Sync optional. Zero vendor lock-in. · Fair Pricing — €3.99/month Pro (or €29.99/year), €59.99 lifetime. · European Values — GDPR compliant by design, hosted in the EU, built by humans who believe privacy is non-negotiable. THE EXPERIENCE Select your duration → Tap Start → Choose your sound → Focus completely. The app auto-hides after 5 seconds so it never distracts. Session complete? Celebrate with instant feedback on your focus score. Perfect for: - Remote workers protecting deep work time - Students building sustainable study habits - Creatives seeking uninterrupted creative flow - Anyone who refuses to trade their privacy for productivity FREE FOREVER: 7-day history, current streak, basic insights PRO (€3.99/month): All soundscapes, mixing, unlimited history, full analytics, custom durations, data export LIFETIME (€59.99): Everything in Pro, forever Questions? Privacy Policy: https://ember.eliasvandenberg.be/privacy/. Support: ember@eliasvandenberg.be. Made with care in Belgium. Terms of Use (EULA): https://apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SideNotes Mobile4 screens
Ember4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ember at Free against SideNotes Mobile's $9.99. SideNotes Mobile's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Ember is free to download; SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99 up front. Ember sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. SideNotes Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SideNotes Mobile versus Ember: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSideNotes MobileEmber
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (29 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings29 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1716.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApptoriumElias Van den Berg

In-app purchases

None

SideNotes Mobile

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Ember

Subscriptions2
  • Ember Pro7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Ember Pro7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Ember Pro Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is SideNotes Mobile free?
SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SideNotes Mobile or Ember have ads?
Neither SideNotes Mobile nor Ember shows ads.

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