# Notes Basic vs Simple Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Notes at 4.6 against Notes Basic's 2.0. Simple Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (11 vs 1). Notes Basic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Notes Basic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Notes Basic ships an update weekly, Simple Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes Basic | Simple Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-basic/id6458543102/reviews) | **[4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-take-notes/id6476257739/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 24 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yudai Abe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1566818989) | [naoki otsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082476153) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-basic/id6458543102)

This app allows users to create, edit, and organize plain text notes. It features a simple interface for managing your notes, with options to pin important entries to the top of the list and delete unwanted ones. Changes are automatically saved when you confirm.

**Highlights:** Create and edit plain text notes, Organize notes in a list, Pin important notes to the top, Swipe to delete notes, Automatic saving of changes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Simple Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-take-notes/id6476257739)

A powerful and intuitive note-taking application designed to enhance productivity and streamline daily workflows. Organize notes with unlimited tabs, search instantly, and set reminders. Protect your data with biometric authentication and export to CSV.

**Highlights:** Unlimited tab management, Free rearrangement of tabs and memos, Advanced search function, Recently updated notes list, Notification feature, Biometric authentication, CSV export

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Pay Once) | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notes Basic free?

Notes Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Notes Basic or Simple Notes?

Simple Notes is rated higher. Notes Basic averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Simple Notes averages 4.6 from 11 ratings.

### Do Notes Basic or Simple Notes have ads?

Notes Basic shows ads; Simple Notes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Notes Basic or Simple Notes?

Notes Basic ships an update weekly, and Simple Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Notes Basic was updated on October 6, 2026 and Simple Notes on October 9, 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.*