# Simplenote vs Notez

The clearest difference is rating: Simplenote at 4.7 against Notez's 4.2. Simplenote also leads on ratings volume (4.3K vs 15). Notez's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Simplenote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simplenote has 4.3K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Simplenote's written reviews are positive against 92% of Notez's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, Notez every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplenote | Notez |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplenote/id289429962/reviews)** | [4.2 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notez/id660495968/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.3K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 86.1% of reviews | **92.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Automattic](https://appshunter.io/developer/335703883) | [Kappz LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/660496091) |

## 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


### Notez

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notez/id660495968)

A straightforward note-taking application designed for quick capture on Apple devices. It offers a dark theme, customizable fonts, and the ability to share notes to other applications.

**Highlights:** Dark theme mode, Customizable font sizes and faces, Open notes in other apps, Note preview, Display modified date, New shortcuts toolbar

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplenote free?

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

### Is Notez free?

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

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

Simplenote is rated higher. Simplenote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while Notez averages 4.2 from 15 ratings.

### Do Simplenote or Notez have ads?

Neither Simplenote nor Notez shows ads.

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

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and Notez every 10 days. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on October 21, 2026 and Notez on October 17, 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.*