# Simplenote vs Quip

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Quip at none against Simplenote's 2. Quip also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 4.3K) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Simplenote's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (86% vs 71%). On price, rating, 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. Quip asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Simplenote against 4.7 for Quip. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Quip has 26K ratings behind it against 4.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Simplenote's written reviews are positive against 71% of Quip's.

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, Quip every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplenote | Quip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplenote/id289429962/reviews) | [4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quip-docs-chat-sheets/id647922896/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4.3K | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 71.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Automattic](https://appshunter.io/developer/335703883) | [Quip](https://appshunter.io/developer/647922900) |

## 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


### Quip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quip-docs-chat-sheets/id647922896)

This app combines chat, documents, slides, and spreadsheets into a single platform for seamless team collaboration. It streamlines workflows by reducing the need for emails and meetings, allowing teams to work faster and more efficiently across all their devices.

**Highlights:** Living documents, Integrated chat and messaging, Full-featured spreadsheets, Interactive slides, Cross-device access, Import/export from popular services

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Great for collaboration
- 🚀 Seamless sync across devices
- 💡 Helpful for organizing and managing tasks
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on mobile devices
- 🐛 Sync and connectivity issues
- 🐛 Buggy text editing and formatting
- 🐛 Unreliable search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Formatting problems when editing documents
- Unreliable connectivity on mobile devices
- Inconsistent performance across platforms

**Requested features**

- Improved mobile app experience
- Enhanced search and filtering capabilities
- Custom keyboard support
- Expanded formatting options
- Offline mode for document access


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplenote free?

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

### Is Quip free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simplenote or Quip?

Simplenote and Quip are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4.3K and 26K ratings respectively.

### Do Simplenote or Quip have ads?

Neither Simplenote nor Quip shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simplenote or Quip?

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and Quip every 6 weeks. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on September 26, 2026 and Quip on September 26, 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.*