Comparison

NeatNotes vs SmartDocs Library

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

Head to head
About

NeatNotes

Organize and take notes quickly with a clean interface. See full note previews, customize note styles, and set reminders. Features smart grouping and automatic link title generation.

Highlights
  • Full note previews
  • Customizable note styles (plain, sticky, lined)
  • Home screen widgets
  • Paragraph-based reminders
  • Smart Stacks for automatic note grouping
  • Readable link titles
  • Photo integration
Features
Read full description

Less is more, when it’s done right. NeatNotes gives you only what you need to organize and take notes quickly. While other apps show you a really tiny preview, with NeatNotes you can see the real note before you open it. This makes the app more fun and easier to find your notes. Make your notes personal with three different note styles. * A plain note, with extensive formatting options. * A sticky note, with large fonts, colors and checklists. * A lined note for that nostalgic yellow pad. Mini Spreadsheets. No Tables. NeatNotes lets you perform spreadsheet-like calculations directly in your notes. Type a simple math expression and the answer is suggested underneath it. Reuse a number by dragging and dropping it elsewhere in your note. This creates a reference, so when you change the original number, every reference and related calculation updates automatically. Make a list of numbers and the total is suggested above the keyboard. You can then calculate splits and averages or count the lines in a list. You can also use units of measurement for length, volume, weight and temperature in your calculations. Convert between more than 150 fiat currencies, popular cryptocurrencies, gold and silver using the latest available exchange rates. Widgets that make sense. You can see your notes on your Home Screen with widgets. You can navigate your note by paragraph, check off checklist items, open links and even see photos in your notes. Create Multiple Reminders. Make any paragraph a reminder. Just tap the bell icon on the keyboard and you can set the date and time of the reminder. It will ring and notify you on the lock screen. When you tap the reminder, it will open the note and take you to the paragraph where you set it. Smart Stacks. All notes apps let you search your notes, but Smart Stacks takes it to the next level. 
 Smart Stacks automatically groups notes that share a trait, into one stack — like notes with contact info, or notes with checklists. You can also enter any word, and it’ll create a stack, with all the notes that contains the word. Photos and Readable links. You can add photos to your notes from your phone camera or photo library. You can even copy and paste them from another app like Safari. When you copy and paste a link, it automatically gets a readable title. So instead of seeing a complicated URL you see the title. This makes it easier for you to understand what the link is about rather than having to visit the link every time. No account needed. Use iCloud to Store and Sync. You don’t need to create another account. Just download the app and start using it. All your notes are automatically stored in iCloud and synced to other devices in your account. Privacy Your notes are extremely personal and we can't see them. In fact we don't even store them. Apple does in iCloud. We recommend that you turn on "Advanced Data Protection" in your iCloud settings, if you wish to prevent even Apple from having access to your notes.

About

SmartDocs Library

Features
Read full description

Our Mission: Organize your documents, save you time. SmartDocs Library turns folders you choose into organized document libraries. An Inbox centered workflow let's you scan documents, import files, or share them from other apps. SmartDocs helps you review each document, extract searchable text, add dates, tags, move it into the right folder, and give it a reasonable filename. SmartDocs works around folders you control. Your documents stay in your selected locations, while SmartDocs adds the structure, metadata, search, and workflow you need to make them useful. Main Features: - Turn any folder into a managed document library with full control over your files - Quickly scan, import, and share files from other apps into a focused Inbox - Extract searchable text with OCR and text processing - Add titles, dates, tags, notes, and custom fields - Use folder policies for smart file naming, retention, archive, and trash - Follow-up on important documents with notifications - Organize multiple libraries - Automate scanning and imports with Shortcuts - Works across iPhone, iPad and Mac Built for personal admin, freelancers, and anyone who wants documents filed properly instead of scattered across downloads, messages, and random folders. -- End-User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

NeatNotes4 screens
SmartDocs Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: SmartDocs Library at none against NeatNotes's shown. SmartDocs Library also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 days). On price, in-app purchases, 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

Both are free to download. NeatNotes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SmartDocs Library sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NeatNotes ships an update every 4 days, SmartDocs Library daily. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
NeatNotes versus SmartDocs Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNeatNotesSmartDocs Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (39 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings39 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFusion EngineeringThies Harm Landsberger

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NeatNotes

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$7.99
9 purchases

SmartDocs Library

Subscriptions2
  • SmartDocs Library Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Smart Docs Library Pro Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time7
  • Small Coffee$1.99
  • Medium Coffee$3.99
  • Large Coffee$5.99
Show 4 more
  • Small Meal$7.99
  • Healthy Meal$12.99
  • 1kg Coffee$22.99
  • SmartDocs Pro$49.99

Questions

Is NeatNotes free?
NeatNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SmartDocs Library free?
SmartDocs Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NeatNotes or SmartDocs Library have ads?
NeatNotes shows ads; SmartDocs Library does not.
Which is updated more often, NeatNotes or SmartDocs Library?
NeatNotes ships an update every 4 days, and SmartDocs Library daily. Most recently, NeatNotes was updated on October 5, 2026 and SmartDocs Library on September 29, 2026.

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