# Simplenote vs flat palette

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: flat palette at none against Simplenote's 2. flat palette also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 15.0). Simplenote's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (4.3K vs 4). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simplenote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. flat palette asks for nothing beyond the download.

flat palette holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simplenote has 4.3K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Simplenote's written reviews are positive against 85% of flat palette's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, flat palette every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplenote | flat palette |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplenote/id289429962/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flat-palette/id1234418016/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.3K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 84.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Automattic](https://appshunter.io/developer/335703883) | [Tokyo Cartographic CO.,LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1044962368) |

## What reviewers say

### Simplenote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplenote/id289429962)

Capture ideas, create to-do lists, and jot down thoughts effortlessly. Organize your notes with tags and pins, and find them instantly with search. Your content syncs across all devices for free, ensuring it's always accessible.

**Highlights:** Simple note-taking experience, Cross-device syncing, Collaboration and sharing, Organization with tags, Instant search, To-do list creation, Passcode lock

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Simplenote Sustainer Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Simplenote Sustainer Yearly | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Cross-platform availability
- 🔍 Reliable search functionality
- 🌐 Seamless syncing across devices
- 📝 Simple, distraction-free interface
- 🔒 Secure with password/fingerprint protection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔖 Limited formatting options (no bold, italic, etc.)
- 🗂️ Lack of folder organization
- 🔄 Occasional syncing issues
- 🖼️ Unable to add images or attachments
- 🔍 Search could be improved for long notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes disappear or get duplicated
- App crashes or freezes on certain devices
- Syncing problems between mobile and desktop

**Requested features**

- Add bold, italic, and other formatting options
- Implement folder-based organization
- Improve syncing reliability across devices
- Allow adding images, files, and other attachments
- Enhance search capabilities for long notes


### flat palette

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flat-palette/id1234418016)

This app helps with creative activities by providing tools to manage color schemes. It allows adjustment of colors using RGB, CMYK, and HSB sliders, and can extract colors from images to generate palettes. Users can create custom color lists, name them, and export them as images.

**Highlights:** RGB/CMYK color adjustment, HSB color adjustment, Image color extraction, Custom color list creation, Color scheme generation, Hex color code input

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplenote free?

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

### Is flat palette free?

flat palette is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simplenote or flat palette?

flat palette is rated higher. Simplenote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while flat palette averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Simplenote or flat palette have ads?

Neither Simplenote nor flat palette shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simplenote or flat palette?

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and flat palette every 3 months. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on October 14, 2026 and flat palette on October 4, 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.*