# Paperless vs Simple List App

The clearest difference is price: Simple List App at Free against Paperless's $2.99. Simple List App also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Paperless's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#116 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Simple List App is free to download; Paperless costs $2.99 up front. Paperless sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Simple List App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple List App holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 487 and 396 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of Paperless's written reviews are positive against 88% of Simple List App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paperless | Simple List App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (487 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperless-lists-plus-checklists/id359564368/reviews) | **[4.7 (396 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-list-app/id1348383972/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **487** | 396 |
| Positive reviews | **91.7% of reviews** | 87.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#116** | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Rhoades](https://appshunter.io/developer/359564371) | [Peter Rule](https://appshunter.io/developer/1209080654) |

## What reviewers say

### Paperless

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperless-lists-plus-checklists/id359564368)

**Currently charting:** #116 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Create and organize any type of list with this beautifully designed, simple, yet powerful application. Customize your lists with icons and themes, and easily share them via email or text. Sync your data across devices for seamless access.

**Highlights:** Create any type of list, Customizable icons and themes, Checklist or regular list format, Send lists via email or iMessage, Automatic backup and syncing, Manual reordering and sorting, Passcode lock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Huge Tip | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Excellent organization and productivity tool
- 📋 Customizable lists and checklists
- 🔄 Reusable and recyclable lists
- 🔒 Secure with Dropbox backup
- 🌟 Simple and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🖼️ Inability to add photos or images
- 🔀 Difficulty rearranging list items
- 🔒 Limited backup/sync options beyond Dropbox
- 🔔 Absence of reminder or alarm features

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- Syncing issues between devices
- List data loss or disappearance
- Compatibility problems with iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Add search and filtering capabilities
- Integrate photo/image attachment support
- Implement advanced list management features
- Expand backup and sync options (e.g., iCloud)
- Introduce reminder and alarm functionalities


### Simple List App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-list-app/id1348383972)

Organize your items with a clean, single-screen list. Assign colors to your entries for quick visual identification. This app is designed for speed and simplicity, perfect for managing any type of list without complex navigation.

**Highlights:** Single screen design, Color-coded items, Quick and easy use, Item organization, No folders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advert Free Usage. | $0.49 | per month |
| Advert Free Usage. | $5.99 | per year |
| Advert Free Usage | $16.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Extremely simple and easy to use
- 👍 Great for shopping lists
- 👍 Helpful for organization
- 👍 Color coding for categories
- 👍 Items automatically alphabetized

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Cannot create multiple distinct lists (workaround suggested)
- 🐛 Checked off items disappear/not easily visible
- 🐛 Difficulty reordering items
- 🐛 Colors could be bolder
- 🐛 Not fully accessible for visually impaired

**Reported bugs**

- Checked off items no longer go to the top
- Items become unchecked and stay in place after being selected

**Requested features**

- Ability to save or move lists
- Way to see/restore checked off items
- Bolder colors
- Rearrange items by pressing and holding
- Better help function


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paperless free?

Paperless costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Simple List App free?

Simple List App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Paperless or Simple List App?

Simple List App is rated higher. Paperless averages 4.4 out of 5 from 487 ratings, while Simple List App averages 4.7 from 396 ratings.

### Do Paperless or Simple List App have ads?

Simple List App shows ads; Paperless does not.

### Which is updated more often, Paperless or Simple List App?

Paperless ships an update every 2 months, and Simple List App every 2 months. Most recently, Paperless was updated on October 14, 2026 and Simple List App on October 16, 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.*