Comparison

Simplenote vs Shared Notes

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

Shared Notes

This app helps couples and friends stay organized with shared lists and notes. It features AI tools to summarize, format, and correct text, along with private, password-protected notes and offline functionality.

Highlights
  • Shared grocery and to-do lists
  • AI summarization and grammar correction
  • Password-protected private notes
  • Offline note-taking and syncing
  • Real-time synchronization
  • Cross-platform compatibility
Features
Read full description

Shared Notes is the simple, secure way to keep your relationship and daily life in sync. Whether it’s a shared grocery list with your partner, a travel plan with friends, or private thoughts you want to lock away, everything is safe here. Now powered by Smart AI, you can tidy up messy notes, fix grammar, and summarize long texts in seconds. WHY COUPLES & FRIENDS LOVE SHARED NOTES: [+] Shared Grocery & To-Do Lists Stop asking "Did you buy the milk?" Create a shared list with your partner or flatmate. When you cross off an item, it syncs instantly to everyone’s phone. Perfect for groceries, household chores, and packing lists. [+] Smart AI Assistant (NEW) Turn messy thoughts into clear plans. • Summarize: Turn long notes into short, clear summaries. • Fix Grammar: Polish your spelling and sentences automatically. • Auto-Format: Convert a rough paragraph into a clean checklist with one tap. [+] Private & Password Protected Your thoughts belong to you. Lock sensitive notes or journals with a secure password so only you can access them. We prioritize privacy with offline-first storage and secure cloud syncing. [+] Works Offline Capture ideas on a plane or in the subway. Write offline, and the app will automatically sync your changes to the cloud the moment you are back online. KEY FEATURES: • Real-Time Sync: See changes as your partner types. • AI Tools: Summarize, spell-check, and format instantly. • Dark Mode: A beautiful interface that’s easy on the eyes. • Cross-Platform: Syncs seamlessly between iPhone, iPad, and Android. Simple. Secure. Shared. Download Shared Notes today and get in sync.

Screenshots

Simplenote4 screens
Shared Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simplenote at 86% against Shared Notes's 50%. Simplenote also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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 and Shared Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simplenote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simplenote has 4.3K ratings behind it against 11, 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 50% of Shared Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, Shared Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Simplenote versus Shared Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplenoteShared Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (4.3K ratings) — better4.4 (11 ratings)
Positive reviews86.2% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4.3K — better11
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB83 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAutomatticJuanma Del Boca

Customer experience

Simplenote

All ratings4,313 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews1,717 reviews
Positive86.2%
Neutral4.5%
Negative9.3%

Shared Notes

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Shared Notes

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
5 purchases

Shared Notes

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Half Year Subscription7 Days trial$4.996 Months
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Pro + AI$29.99
  • Lifetime Pro + AI$59.99

Questions

Is Simplenote free?
Simplenote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shared Notes free?
Shared Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simplenote or Shared Notes?
Simplenote is rated higher. Simplenote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.3K ratings, while Shared Notes averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.
Do Simplenote or Shared Notes have ads?
Shared Notes shows ads; Simplenote does not.
Which is updated more often, Simplenote or Shared Notes?
Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and Shared Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on September 23, 2026 and Shared Notes on September 24, 2026.

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