# Write Only vs Minimal | Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Minimal | Notes at 81% against Write Only's 33%. Minimal | Notes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (290 vs 14). Write Only's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Write Only sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Minimal | Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Minimal | Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Minimal | Notes has 290 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Write Only's written reviews are positive against 81% of Minimal | Notes's.

Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, Minimal | Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Write Only | Minimal | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/write-only/id590507955/reviews) | **[4.7 (290 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **290** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **81.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 6 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [潮激 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/342075158) | [Timeless](https://appshunter.io/developer/1183067513) |

## What reviewers say

### Write Only

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/write-only/id590507955)

This app offers a distraction-free writing experience, mimicking a typewriter to help users focus on generating ideas. All content is saved permanently as a PDF, preserving formatting and layout. It features a fixed cursor for reduced errors and an extended keybar for easier access to common symbols.

**Highlights:** Typewriter-like writing experience, Permanent PDF saving, Fixed cursor for accuracy, Extended keybar, Focus on idea generation, Customizable fonts

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Fonts | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited New Pages | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Retro aesthetic
- ✍️ Focused writing experience
- 😌 Peaceful typing
- 💡 Simple and beautiful UI
- 💡 Accurate typewriter simulation

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Cannot delete words
- ❌ Cannot delete pages
- ❌ No save/export option
- ❌ Limited free pages
- ❌ Ads are distracting

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot backspace to remove words
- Cannot delete pages or erase
- Cannot save or export
- App crashes and deletes work
- Crashes with each delete

**Requested features**

- Add copy/paste functionality
- Add export to text option
- Add PDF conversion
- Add Russian language support
- Add Korean keyboard


### Minimal | Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-notes/id1442727443)

This app offers a distraction-free writing environment inspired by meditation. It features collaborative writing, note expiration, and the ability to publish notes as websites. Organize tasks with integrated to-do lists and sync across all your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Note Lifetime reminders, Collaborative writing, Publish notes as websites, Todo lists sync with Calendar, Beautiful formatting, Sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimal Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Minimal Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Minimal Family Plan | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent note-taking app
- 👍 Beautiful and simple design
- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 👍 Customizable appearance and formatting
- 🚀 Responsive and helpful developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or locking for notes
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when using certain formatting or pasting content
- Syncing issues between iOS and macOS versions
- Incompatibility with older macOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add ability to insert images or attachments
- Improve iCloud sync reliability
- Implement a folder-based organization system
- Add a word/character count feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Write Only free?

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

### Is Minimal | Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Write Only or Minimal | Notes?

Minimal | Notes is rated higher. Write Only averages 3.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Minimal | Notes averages 4.7 from 290 ratings.

### Do Write Only or Minimal | Notes have ads?

Neither Write Only nor Minimal | Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Write Only or Minimal | Notes?

Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, and Minimal | Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Write Only was updated on September 29, 2026 and Minimal | Notes on October 4, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*