# Simplenote vs Scan Now

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scan Now at none against Simplenote's 2. Scan Now also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Simplenote's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 27 months) and ratings volume (4.3K vs 7). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Scan Now 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 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Simplenote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Scan Now's.

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, Scan Now every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplenote | Scan Now |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplenote/id289429962/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scan-now/id1660940489/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.3K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 27 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Automattic](https://appshunter.io/developer/335703883) | [Marcin Stepnowski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1660940491) |

## 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


### Scan Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scan-now/id1660940489)

Effortlessly scan documents with a fast and simple mobile application. Its user-friendly interface and advanced capabilities allow for quick document capture and sharing. Designed with privacy in mind, it ensures your data remains secure.

**Highlights:** Fast document scanning, Easy-to-use interface, Advanced scanning capabilities, Quick document sharing, Privacy-focused design, Secure data handling

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplenote free?

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

### Is Scan Now free?

Scan Now is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simplenote or Scan Now?

Scan Now is rated higher. Simplenote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while Scan Now averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Simplenote or Scan Now have ads?

Neither Simplenote nor Scan Now shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simplenote or Scan Now?

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and Scan Now every 27 months. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on September 29, 2026 and Scan Now on September 14, 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.*