Comparison

Simplenote vs Just Note2

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

Head to head
About

Simplenote

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
Read full description

Simplenote is an easy way to take notes, create to-do lists, capture ideas, and more. Open it, jot down some thoughts, and you're done. As your collection grows, stay organized with tags and pins, and find what you need with instant search. Since Simplenote will sync across your devices for free, your notes are with you at all times. - A simple, note taking experience - Sync everything across all your devices - Collaborate and share - Stay organized with tags - Log in with your email or WordPress.com account SYNC WITH CONFIDENCE - Automatically sync seamlessly across any computer, phone or tablet. - Back up and sync everything as you take notes, so you never lose your content. COLLABORATE AND SHARE - Collaborate and work together -- share ideas with a colleague, or write a grocery list with your roommate. - Choose whether to publish your content to the web, and share a link with whoever you want. - Publish directly to a WordPress site by connecting your WordPress.com account. - Quickly and easily share with third-party apps. ORGANIZE AND SEARCH - Stay organized with tags, and use them for quick searching and sorting. - Instantly find what you’re looking for with keyword highlighting. - Use markdown to add formatting. - Create to-do lists. - Choose the sorting order of your notes and tags. - Pin the notes that you use the most. - Edit tags directly by renaming and reordering. - Protect your content with a passcode lock. -- Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://simplenote.com/terms/ California Users Privacy Notice: https://wp.me/Pe4R-d/#california-consumer-privacy-act-ccpa -- Visit simplenote.com to download Simplenote for your other devices.

About

Just Note2

This note-taking app offers a minimalist, ad-free, and privacy-focused experience. It securely stores your notes in a sandboxed environment and saves them in real-time, all for free.

Highlights
  • Minimalist design
  • Ad-free experience
  • Privacy-first data handling
  • Sandboxed environment for security
  • Real-time note saving
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Experience the epitome of simplicity with our note-taking app "Just Note". Designed with a minimalist approach, our application ensures an ad-free environment where your privacy is paramount. We don't gather your data, and our sandbox nature guarantees a secure space for your notes. What's more? It's completely free. Plus, never miss a thought with our real-time save feature. Dive into a seamless and safe note-taking experience now! Key Features: - Minimalist Design: Uncluttered and straightforward. - Ad-free: No interruptions, just your notes. - Privacy-first: We don't collect or store your data. - Sandboxed Environment: Your notes stay safe and secure. - Completely Free: No hidden charges or in-app purchases. - Real-time Save: Your thoughts are captured as you type. - Dark Mode: For a comfortable reading experience in low-light conditions.

Screenshots

Simplenote4 screens
Just Note23 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Just Note2 at none against Simplenote's 2. Just Note2 also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Simplenote's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (4.3K vs 1). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. Simplenote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Just Note2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Just Note2 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, Just Note2 every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Simplenote versus Just Note2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplenoteJust Note2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4.3K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews86.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.3K — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAutomatticKOSUKE OSAWA

Bugs and requests

Simplenote

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Just Note2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Simplenote

Subscriptions2
  • Simplenote Sustainer Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Simplenote Sustainer Yearly$199.991 Year
None

Just Note2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simplenote free?
Simplenote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Just Note2 free?
Just Note2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simplenote or Just Note2?
Just Note2 is rated higher. Simplenote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while Just Note2 averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Simplenote or Just Note2 have ads?
Neither Simplenote nor Just Note2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simplenote or Just Note2?
Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and Just Note2 every 10 months. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on November 4, 2026 and Just Note2 on October 30, 2026.

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