# Minimalist Notes vs Barely Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: Minimalist Notes at every 5 days against Barely Notes's every 11 days. Minimalist Notes also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Minimalist Notes sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year and Barely Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Minimalist Notes ships an update every 5 days, Barely Notes every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Minimalist Notes | Barely Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalist-notes-bloom/id6443783029/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexandre Bantz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1008302578) | [Ashley Cornette](https://appshunter.io/developer/6796440920) |

## What reviewers say

### Minimalist Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalist-notes-bloom/id6443783029)

This app offers a streamlined writing experience, acting as a digital notebook for capturing ideas, journaling, or quick notes. It focuses on a minimalist interface and efficient capture methods, with advanced search and iCloud sync.

**Highlights:** Quick idea capture, Continuous writing flow, Advanced search with tags, iCloud sync, Offline functionality, Voice dictation

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bloom Pro | $14.99 | per year |


### Barely Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barely-notes/id6796440918)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bokashi Themes | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Minimalist Notes free?

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

### Is Barely Notes free?

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

### Do Minimalist Notes or Barely Notes have ads?

Neither Minimalist Notes nor Barely Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Minimalist Notes or Barely Notes?

Minimalist Notes ships an update every 5 days, and Barely Notes every 11 days. Most recently, Minimalist Notes was updated on September 27, 2026 and Barely Notes on October 8, 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.*