Comparison

Less Paper vs Notes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Less Paper

This app provides a native mobile interface for paperless-ngx, allowing users to manage their documents on the go. It offers full search and filtering capabilities, document editing, and management of various metadata like tags and correspondents.

Highlights
  • Connect to multiple servers
  • Full search and filter
  • Edit documents
  • Manage correspondents, types, views, and tags
  • Import documents
  • Supports password-protected documents
Read full description

Less Paper is a native iOS client for paperless-ngx, the self-hosted document archive. It talks directly to your own server, and to nothing else. FIND ANYTHING The complete filter set from the web interface, custom fields included: title and content, correspondent, document type, storage path, tags, dates and ASN. Save any filter as a view, then create, edit and reorder your saved views without leaving the app. EDIT WHERE YOU ARE READING Fix a title, reassign a correspondent, add tags, notes or custom field values from the document itself. Select several documents and change them together, merge them, or delete them in one go. READ IT WITH NO SERVER IN REACH Favorite a document and it is kept on the device in full — the PDF, its notes, metadata and custom fields. The Favorites tab reads those stored copies, so it works on a plane, in a basement, or anywhere your server is not. Pull to refresh and only the documents that actually changed are fetched again. GET DOCUMENTS IN Send anything on your device to paperless-ngx from the share sheet. Password-protected PDFs are unlocked on import, and the password is kept in the keychain so the next document from the same source opens without asking. BUILT FOR REAL SETUPS Connect as many servers as you like and switch between them. Sign in with a password, or with the single sign-on provider your server is configured with. Client certificates, custom HTTP headers and reverse proxies such as Authelia are all supported. A restricted account works too: the app follows your user's permissions and simply does not show what you may not do. When something does go wrong, a local error log — with anything credential-shaped redacted out of it — is there to read and share, and nothing leaves the device unless you send it. KEEP THE ARCHIVE TIDY Create, rename and delete tags, correspondents, document types and storage paths, and set ownership and permissions on any document. Restore anything you deleted from the trash, or empty it for good. Needs paperless-ngx 2.15.3 or newer. Universal: iPhone and iPad — on iPad the document opens in a column beside the list rather than covering it. Less Paper is open source. Issues and feature requests are welcome at https://github.com/plu/less-paper

About

Notes

A privacy-focused note-taking app that offers secure, encrypted storage and synchronization via Nextcloud, iCloud, or WebDAV. Write notes offline and maintain full control over your data with this GDPR-compliant, open-source solution.

Highlights
  • Markdown and rich text editor
  • End-to-end encryption (E2EE)
  • Nextcloud, iCloud, and WebDAV sync
  • Offline note-taking
  • To-do lists and tasks
  • GDPR and BDSG compliant
Features
Read full description

BrewMemo: The Ultimate PRIVACY-FOCUSED Markdown Suite – 100% Made in Germany Stop compromising on your digital sovereignty. With BrewMemo, you manage your notes simply, securely, and privately using the power of your own Nextcloud infrastructure. In an era of data harvesting, BrewMemo stands as a fortress for your ideas. You get full control over your notebook and your Markdown notes—always synced, reliably protected, and available on all your devices without ever touching a third-party server you don't trust. Whether you are a creative professional, a researcher, a student, or a privacy-conscious organization, BrewMemo is the professional choice for secure digital journaling and structured knowledge management. WHY BREWMEMO IS DIFFERENT TOTAL DATA SOVEREIGNTY: Unlike mainstream note apps that lock your data in proprietary silos, BrewMemo uses your own Nextcloud server as the backbone. Your Markdown notes remain your property, stored in your own environment. DEEP NEXTCLOUD INTEGRATION: We don't just "support" Nextcloud; we are built for it. Experience seamless background synchronization that feels invisible but works like a charm. No middleman, no metadata tracking, just your data on your server. GDPR COMPLIANCE BY DESIGN: Developed in Germany, BrewMemo adheres to the world’s strictest privacy regulations. It is the ideal solution for professionals handling sensitive business information, legal notes, or private medical data. ZERO VENDOR LOCK-IN: Your notes are stored as plain Markdown files. This means even if you stop using BrewMemo, your data remains readable by any text editor. We give you the keys to your own digital kingdom. A SUPERIOR WRITING & ORGANIZATIONAL EXPERIENCE BrewMemo isn't just a place to dump text; it’s a precision tool designed for deep work and organized thinking. PRO-GRADE MARKDOWN EDITOR: Enjoy a distraction-free environment with a powerful Markdown engine. Render tables, lists, and headers perfectly while maintaining a clean, aesthetic interface. SMART ORGANIZATION SYSTEM: Moving beyond simple folders—use our advanced Pin & Tag system to create a multi-dimensional organization. Categorize your projects, thoughts, and tasks so they are always exactly where you need them. CUSTOMIZABLE ECOSYSTEM: Your notebook should reflect your style. Choose from a variety of professionally designed themes, including an optimized High-Contrast Dark Mode for late-night focus sessions. OFFLINE-FIRST ARCHITECTURE: Don't let a poor connection stop your creativity. Write, edit, and organize while offline in a plane or a remote cabin. BrewMemo intelligently merges your changes to your Nextcloud or iCloud as soon as you reconnect. YOUR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (PKM) POWERHOUSE BrewMemo is more than just a notes app—it is the hub for your "Second Brain." By combining the simplicity of Markdown with the security of private synchronization, it supports modern methodologies like Zettelkasten or GTD (Getting Things Done). KEY FEATURES AT A GLANCE Markdown Perfection: Maximum clarity with standard-compliant formatting. Native Nextcloud Sync: Secure, private, and lightning-fast server communication. iCloud Support: Alternative sync options for those deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem. Advanced Export Options: Convert your notes to TXT or share them directly with other apps. Universal Compatibility: Works seamlessly across your mobile devices and tablets. Multi-Account Support: Easily manage personal and professional notebooks in one interface. JOIN THE PRIVACY REVOLUTION Don't let your ideas become someone else's training data. Join thousands of users who have switched to a more ethical, secure, and professional way of writing. Your thoughts. Your Markdown. Your Nextcloud. Your BrewMemo.

Screenshots

Less Paper4 screens
Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

Less Paper and Notes both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of Less Paper's written reviews are positive against 50% of Notes's. Less Paper also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (18 vs 2). Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Less Paper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Less Paper against 5.0 for Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Less Paper has 18 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Less Paper's written reviews are positive against 50% of Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Less Paper ships an update weekly, Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and August 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Less Paper versus Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLess PaperNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (18 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings18 — better2
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohannes PlunienBrewcode GmbH

Customer experience

Less Paper

All ratings18 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

Notes

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Less Paper

One-time1
  • PRO User$3.99
3 purchases

Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Access7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Full Access – Lifetime$89.99

Questions

Is Less Paper free?
Less Paper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Notes free?
Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Less Paper or Notes?
Notes is rated higher. Less Paper averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Notes averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Less Paper or Notes have ads?
Neither Less Paper nor Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Less Paper or Notes?
Less Paper ships an update weekly, and Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Less Paper was updated on September 10, 2026 and Notes on August 11, 2026.

Other comparisons