# SoftVPN vs Smart Noter

The clearest difference is rating: Smart Noter at 4.6 against SoftVPN's 3.7. Smart Noter also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 119). SoftVPN's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SoftVPN sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Smart Noter sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Smart Noter holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Noter has 2.4K ratings behind it against 119, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of SoftVPN's written reviews are positive against 41% of Smart Noter's.

SoftVPN ships an update every 3 weeks, Smart Noter every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SoftVPN | Smart Noter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (119 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softvpn-safe-fast-proxy/id1658448580/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-noter-ai-note-taker/id6739575916/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 119 | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **41.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#173** |
| Size | 21 MB | 230 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xian Xinxinan Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1624838374) | [DEEP FLOW SOFTWARE SERVICES](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833881740) |

## What reviewers say

### SoftVPN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softvpn-safe-fast-proxy/id1658448580)

This service offers secure and convenient internet access with high-quality connections. It allows users to browse anonymously with a simple one-key connection and multiple server options for peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Anonymous browsing without account registration, One-key connection for ease of use, Multiple server nodes, Enhanced online security, Continuous product optimization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Month-Vip | $9.99 | per month |
| Quarterly-vip | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Year-Vip | $39.99 | per year |
| One Month | $15.00 | one-time |
| Three Month | $25.00 | one-time |
| One Year | $60.00 | one-time |


### Smart Noter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-noter-ai-note-taker/id6739575916)

**Currently charting:** #173 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This app converts audio recordings, lectures, and documents into structured notes and actionable insights. It offers real-time transcription with speaker identification, interactive chat for querying notes, and automatic generation of to-do lists. Seamlessly share and organize your content across multiple platforms and languages.

**Highlights:** Real-time transcription with speaker identification, Interactive chat with notes for questions and summaries, Automatic generation of action points and to-do lists, Summarize videos, PDFs, and audio files, Multi-language transcription and translation, Organize notes by category, Export and share notes in multiple formats

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smart Noter Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Smart Noter Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Smart Noter Premium | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and high-quality features
- 💡 Impressive capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recording and deletion issues
- 💡 Lack of Arabic language support

**Reported bugs**

- Recording issues
- Deletion issues

**Requested features**

- Add Arabic language support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SoftVPN free?

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

### Is Smart Noter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SoftVPN or Smart Noter?

Smart Noter is rated higher. SoftVPN averages 3.7 out of 5 from 119 ratings, while Smart Noter averages 4.6 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do SoftVPN or Smart Noter have ads?

Smart Noter shows ads; SoftVPN does not.

### Which is updated more often, SoftVPN or Smart Noter?

SoftVPN ships an update every 3 weeks, and Smart Noter every 2 weeks. Most recently, SoftVPN was updated on October 24, 2026 and Smart Noter on October 25, 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.*