Comparison

Browser Note vs The Browser

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

Head to head
About

Browser Note

Add reminders and notes directly to any website to help you pause and think before acting. Block specific pages or entire sites, customize snooze timers, and sync notes across your Apple devices. Improve mental health and break habits by adding prompts to news or shopping sites.

Highlights
  • Add reminders to any website
  • Block websites or specific pages
  • Customizable snooze timer
  • Sync notes via iCloud
  • Text and video tutorials
  • Privacy-focused, no data collection
Features
Read full description

Put a pause between you and bad browsing habits. The web is full of places we open without thinking. Browser Note lets you place your own reminder directly in front of a website, giving you a moment to reconsider before doomscrolling, ordering another takeaway, checking social media, or making an impulse purchase. Your reminder appears whenever you visit the chosen page or website in Safari. It can be a gentle prompt, an important instruction, or simply a note you want to have close at hand. USE BROWSER NOTE TO: • Interrupt websites you open on autopilot • Add reminders to product pages and checkouts • Leave useful context on websites you return to • Create a pause before distracting or time-consuming browsing • Put frequently copied information exactly where you need it POWERFUL, SIMPLE CONTROLS • Add notes using the Safari extension or the iOS share sheet • Apply a note to one page or an entire website • Begin with an emoji to give each note its own icon • Choose whether a note can be temporarily snoozed • Set your preferred snooze duration • Adjust the note text size • Tap a note to copy its text • Manage all your notes from the app AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE Browser Note works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Your notes sync through iCloud, so a reminder created on one device can appear on all the others without needing to create a new account. Step-by-step instructions inside the app make installing and using the Safari extension straightforward. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Browser Note contains no advertising, analytics, or browsing tracking. Your notes remain on your devices and in your iCloud account. TRY IT FOR FREE Create up to three notes for free. A single one-off purchase unlocks unlimited notes forever on all of your supported devices. There is no subscription. Browser Note was created by independent developer Ben Dodson.

About

The Browser

A fast, private web browser with on-device AI for summarizing pages and answering questions. It blocks ads and trackers by default, offers private tabs, and supports extensions.

Highlights
  • On-device AI for summarization and Q&A
  • Blocks ads, trackers, and fingerprinting
  • Private tabs with Face ID lock
  • Supports Chrome and Firefox extensions
  • Hide distracting elements on web pages
  • Reader mode for articles
  • Offline page translation
Features
Read full description

The Browser is a fast, private web browser with a built-in AI that runs entirely on your device — no account, no data collection, no tracking. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT • Blocks ads, trackers, and fingerprinting out of the box • Automatically declines cookie-consent pop-ups • Private tabs locked with Face ID • Nothing is collected — your browsing stays on your device ON-DEVICE AI • Summarize any page or ask questions about it • Runs locally with a compact model — works even without Apple Intelligence • No prompts or pages are sent to a server EXTENSIONS (BETA) • Install Chrome and Firefox extensions — one tap from their web stores or from a file • Manage permissions and per-site access BUILT FOR FOCUS • Hide Distracting Items — tap to remove clutter on any page, remembered per site • Reader mode for clean, readable articles • Offline translation of pages in many languages MADE FOR iPHONE & iPAD • Optimized iPad layout with a sidebar and multiple windows • Voice search, downloads manager, per-site settings • A customizable start page Fast, focused, and private — the way browsing should be.

Screenshots

Browser Note4 screens
The Browser4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: The Browser at 5.0 against Browser Note's 4.3. The Browser also leads on monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 months). Browser Note's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Browser holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Browser Note ships an update every 6 months, The Browser every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Browser Note versus The Browser: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrowser NoteThe Browser
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB29 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDodo AppsCristian Camilo Arias Botero

Customer experience

Browser Note

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

The Browser

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

In-app purchases

None

Browser Note

No in-app purchases

None

The Browser

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Browser Note free?
Browser Note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Browser free?
The Browser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Browser Note or The Browser?
The Browser is rated higher. Browser Note averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while The Browser averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Browser Note or The Browser have ads?
Neither Browser Note nor The Browser shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Browser Note or The Browser?
Browser Note ships an update every 6 months, and The Browser every 2 days. Most recently, Browser Note was updated on October 3, 2026 and The Browser on September 27, 2026.

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