# Simplenote vs Stream Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stream Journal at none against Simplenote's 2. Stream Journal also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Simplenote's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (4.3K vs 11). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simplenote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Stream Journal 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 Stream Journal. 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 are what separate them: 86% of Simplenote's written reviews are positive against 89% of Stream Journal's.

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, Stream Journal every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simplenote | Stream Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplenote/id289429962/reviews) | [4.7 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stream-journal/id972439087/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.3K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Automattic](https://appshunter.io/developer/335703883) | [Karen Grigorian](https://appshunter.io/developer/948320401) |

## 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


### Stream Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stream-journal/id972439087)

Capture life events, record thoughts, set goals, and solve problems with a simple journaling app. Organize entries by customizable sections and easily search your entire journal. Export your entries in text format for safekeeping.

**Highlights:** Chronological entry stream, Customizable journal sections, Searchable journal entries, Export entries to text format, Simple and intuitive interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simplenote free?

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

### Is Stream Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simplenote or Stream Journal?

Simplenote and Stream Journal are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4.3K and 11 ratings respectively.

### Do Simplenote or Stream Journal have ads?

Neither Simplenote nor Stream Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simplenote or Stream Journal?

Simplenote ships an update fortnightly, and Stream Journal every 7 months. Most recently, Simplenote was updated on October 12, 2026 and Stream Journal on October 2, 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.*