# Simple Notes vs Sticky Notes & Color Widget

The clearest difference is rating: Sticky Notes & Color Widget at 4.6 against Simple Notes's 2.6. Sticky Notes & Color Widget also leads on ratings volume (6.6K vs 8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Simple Notes's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 42%) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Sticky Notes & Color Widget sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sticky Notes & Color Widget holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sticky Notes & Color Widget has 6.6K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 42% of Sticky Notes & Color Widget's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Simple Notes ships an update every 2 months, Sticky Notes & Color Widget fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Sticky Notes & Color Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-noted-memo/id563351488/reviews) | **[4.6 (6.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-and-color-widget/id1476063010/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **6.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **81.5% of reviews** | 42.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 201 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [elias sleiman](https://appshunter.io/developer/551532485) | [Hive 5 Studio DOO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1335530933) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-noted-memo/id563351488)

Capture your thoughts and ideas with ease using this versatile note-taking app. Create text, audio, or video notes, organize them into categories, and set reminders. Share your creations and customize their appearance with various font options.

**Highlights:** Multiple note types (Text, Audio, Video, Photo, List), Add multiple pages per note, Set reminders for notes, Customize font (color, size, type), Share notes, High-quality audio recordings, Pause and continue recordings

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| More BackGounds | Free | one-time |
| Unlock Pro Version! | $9.99 | one-time |


### Sticky Notes & Color Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-and-color-widget/id1476063010)

Capture quick memos, ideas, and to-dos with customizable sticky notes. Organize them by color or pictures, and create them by typing or voice. Add notes as widgets to your homescreen for easy access and sync them with iCloud.

**Highlights:** Creating memos, Creating checklists, Creating reminders, Customizing notes with colors and pictures, Adding notes as home screen widgets, Syncing notes with iCloud, Locking the app for privacy

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-Month Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Sticky Notes Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Sticky Notes Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| 1-Month Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| 1-Month Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| 1-Month Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| 1-Month Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| 1-Month Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Sticky Notes Pro | $9.99 | per 6 months |
| Sticky Notes Pro | $9.99 | per 6 months |
| 6-Month Subscription | $11.99 | per 6 months |
| 6-Month Subscription | $11.99 | per 6 months |
| 6-Month Subscription | $11.99 | per 6 months |
| Sticky Notes Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Sticky Notes Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Notes Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| 1-Year Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| 1-Year Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| 1-Year Subscription | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Customizable notes
- 🚀 Convenient home screen widgets
- 👍 Helps with organization and memory
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 🔍 Limited free features
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 💤 Poor widget functionality
- 📢 Excessive ads in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or not displaying properly
- Inability to edit or delete notes
- Crashes and black screens
- Widget not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Improve note organization (e.g. grouping, tagging)
- Allow custom backgrounds and fonts
- Sync notes across devices
- Improve widget customization and reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Is Sticky Notes & Color Widget free?

Sticky Notes & Color Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or Sticky Notes & Color Widget?

Sticky Notes & Color Widget is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 2.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Sticky Notes & Color Widget averages 4.6 from 6.6K ratings.

### Do Simple Notes or Sticky Notes & Color Widget have ads?

Sticky Notes & Color Widget shows ads; Simple Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simple Notes or Sticky Notes & Color Widget?

Simple Notes ships an update every 2 months, and Sticky Notes & Color Widget fortnightly. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on October 6, 2026 and Sticky Notes & Color Widget on October 18, 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.*