Comparison

SideNotes Mobile vs Bare

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
Currently charting
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

Bare

This app helps you create and manage grocery lists with automatic categorization by store section. It offers quick item addition, easy checking off, and sharing capabilities. The focus is on a simple, efficient shopping experience without extra features.

Highlights
  • Automatic store section sorting
  • Quick item addition and check-off
  • Share lists with family
  • Widget support for checking off items
  • Suggestions as you type
  • Multiple lists
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

A shopping list that is fast to add to and fast to check off. Type an item and press return. It goes into the right store section automatically, like Produce, Dairy, or Household, so your list follows the way you walk through the store. Tap an item to check it off. The app is intentionally simple. No accounts, settings, ads, recipes, meal plans, or prices. Nothing to set up. It does one thing well: your shopping list. It supports English and Norwegian. ■ Highlights ‣ Sorted by store section automatically, with Apple Intelligence ‣ Share a list with your family and see their changes right away ‣ Check off items from a widget, without opening the app ■ More features ‣ Suggestions as you type, from your earlier items and common groceries ‣ Type “2 milk” to set the quantity ‣ Multiple lists, for example, one for each store ‣ The screen stays on while you shop ‣ Send a list as text to someone without an iPhone ‣ Syncs across your devices with iCloud ‣ Paste a copied list to add one item per line ‣ Lock Screen widgets, a Control Center control, and the Action button ‣ Siri and Shortcuts: “Add to Bare” ‣ Apple Watch app that works on its own Store sections need Apple Intelligence. Without it, common groceries are still sorted, and other items go in Other.

Screenshots

SideNotes Mobile4 screens
Bare2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bare at $3.00 against SideNotes Mobile's $9.99. Bare also leads on device support (4 vs 2). SideNotes Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (29 vs 1) and rating (4.2 vs 4.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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 Bare $3.00 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SideNotes Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SideNotes Mobile has 29 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
SideNotes Mobile versus Bare: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSideNotes MobileBare
Price$9.99$3.00 — better
Rating4.2 (29 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews88.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings29 — better1
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#95 — better#177
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApptoriumSindre Sorhus

In-app purchases

None

SideNotes Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Bare

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SideNotes Mobile free?
SideNotes Mobile costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bare free?
Bare costs $3.00, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SideNotes Mobile or Bare?
SideNotes Mobile is rated higher. SideNotes Mobile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Bare averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SideNotes Mobile or Bare have ads?
Neither SideNotes Mobile nor Bare shows ads.
Which is more popular, SideNotes Mobile or Bare?
SideNotes Mobile currently peaks at #95 in the App Store charts, and Bare at #177. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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