# Sticky Notes vs Plain Note

The clearest difference is monetization model: Plain Note at free with in-app purchases against Sticky Notes's subscription. Plain Note also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). Sticky Notes's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 62%) and ratings volume (6K vs 1.1K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sticky Notes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Plain Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Plain Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sticky Notes has 6K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Sticky Notes's written reviews are positive against 62% of Plain Note's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, Plain Note every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sticky Notes | Plain Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-free-note-taking/id608937293/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **71.8% of reviews** | 62.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 166 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Epiphany Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/577389343) | [Monelyze Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086641918) |

## What reviewers say

### Sticky Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-free-note-taking/id608937293)

Capture ideas, create to-do lists, and set reminders with this versatile note-taking app. Supports handwritten notes, audio recordings, photos, and text. Organize notes with folders and share them easily.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes, Audio recordings, Photo attachments, Text notes, Widgets for home/lock screen, Customizable folders, Reminders with alarms

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One month subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Pack with 7 Day Trial | $1.99 | per month |
| Weekly Pack with 7 Day Trial | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Three months subscription | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Half-Yearly Subscription | $10.99 | per 6 months |
| One year subscription | $15.99 | per year |
| Annual Pack with 7 Day Trial | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plan | Free | one-time |
| Unlimited Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Task Paper Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Folder Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bonanza Pack | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful reminders
- 👍 Useful for organization
- 👍 Customizable notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 💰 Expensive
- 🤔 Limited free version

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing
- Freezing and crashing
- Formatting issues
- Sync problems

**Requested features**

- More customization options
- Improved sync and backup
- Better widget functionality
- Ability to rearrange notes
- Longer note length


### Plain Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note-notes-widget/id1478542921)

This app allows you to create and organize notes with customizable tags and icons. It offers lock screen and home screen widgets for quick access and supports character/line counting. Personalize your experience with themes, app icons, and fonts.

**Highlights:** Organize notes with tags, Customizable tag icons and colors, Character and line counting, Lock screen and home screen widgets, Customizable themes, app icons, and fonts, Archive and organize notes

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium - Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean design
- 💡 One-time payment model
- 🚀 Beautifully designed notes app
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Customizable tags and icons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notes sometimes don't save properly
- 🐛 Slow and unreliable synchronization
- ❌ No text formatting options (bold, italics, etc.)
- ❌ No ability to insert photos or videos
- ❌ No option to export notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes sometimes get deleted after updates
- Widget not working as expected, showing wrong note

**Requested features**

- Ability to swipe widget to display another note
- Subfolders for better organization
- Export function to backup notes
- Option to change app colors
- Support for multiple notes in one widget


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sticky Notes free?

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

### Is Plain Note free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sticky Notes or Plain Note?

Plain Note is rated higher. Sticky Notes averages 4.4 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while Plain Note averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Sticky Notes or Plain Note have ads?

Neither Sticky Notes nor Plain Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sticky Notes or Plain Note?

Sticky Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and Plain Note every 10 days. Most recently, Sticky Notes was updated on September 22, 2026 and Plain Note on September 22, 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.*