# Less Notes vs Readonly

The clearest difference is rating: Less Notes at 5.0 against Readonly's 4.4. Less Notes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Readonly's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Readonly sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Less Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Less Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readonly has 15 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Less Notes ships an update every 2 days, Readonly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Less Notes | Readonly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/less-notes/id1626775988/reviews)** | [4.4 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readonly-read-it-later/id6452241434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **15** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zakary Kinnaird](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448641374) | [龙 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680445870) |

## What reviewers say

### Less Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/less-notes/id1626775988)

A minimalist note-taking app designed for creatives who appreciate simplicity and aesthetics. It offers a distraction-free space to capture thoughts and ideas, with a focus on timeless design and local storage for privacy.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free note-taking, Elegant and minimalist interface, Timeless and unchanging design, Local device storage for privacy, Focus on essential functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Readonly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readonly-read-it-later/id6452241434)

Save articles from other apps to read later in a comfortable, distraction-free environment. Organize your saved content with tags, highlight key passages, and add notes for deeper comprehension. Customize the reading experience with various themes and layout adjustments.

**Highlights:** Quickly save articles from other apps, Highlight text and add notes, Organize articles with tags, Customize reading themes and layout, Synchronize data via iCloud, Export articles in Markdown format

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Purchase(iOS) | $2.99 | one-time |
| 永久购买（macOS） | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Less Notes free?

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

### Is Readonly free?

Readonly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Less Notes or Readonly?

Less Notes is rated higher. Less Notes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Readonly averages 4.4 from 15 ratings.

### Do Less Notes or Readonly have ads?

Neither Less Notes nor Readonly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Less Notes or Readonly?

Less Notes ships an update every 2 days, and Readonly every 3 weeks. Most recently, Less Notes was updated on September 10, 2026 and Readonly on August 30, 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.*