# Simplenote vs Book Note

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Book Note at none against Simplenote's 2. Book Note also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Simplenote's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Simplenote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simplenote has 4.3K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Simplenote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Book Note's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, Book Note every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplenote | Book Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplenote/id289429962/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-note-reading-journal/id1463517592/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.3K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.3 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Automattic](https://appshunter.io/developer/335703883) | [2026 Gnosis](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775682321) |

## 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


### Book Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-note-reading-journal/id1463517592)

Easily track your reading progress and thoughts. Add books by searching or taking photos, and create detailed notes with bookmarks. Keep a digital journal of your literary journey.

**Highlights:** Add books via search, Add books with photos, Create reading notes, Add bookmarks to notes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplenote free?

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

### Is Book Note free?

Book Note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simplenote or Book Note?

Simplenote is rated higher. Simplenote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while Book Note averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Simplenote or Book Note have ads?

Book Note shows ads; Simplenote does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simplenote or Book Note?

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and Book Note every 2 weeks. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on October 14, 2026 and Book Note on October 5, 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.*