# Simple Notes vs LightNotes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LightNotes at none against Simple Notes's 1. Simple Notes's advantage is ratings volume (11 vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Simple Notes against 4.5 for LightNotes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 11 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | LightNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-take-notes/id6476257739/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightnotes-fast-and-private/id6749021051/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 52 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [naoki otsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1082476153) | [Oppeldt Dmitrii](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828488295) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### LightNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightnotes-fast-and-private/id6749021051)

This app offers a fast and private note-taking experience on iOS devices. It supports markdown formatting, secure local storage with Face ID protection, and offline functionality. Ideal for users who prioritize productivity and data privacy.

**Highlights:** Fast note taking, Complete privacy with local storage, Markdown support with live preview, Face ID and passcode protection, Offline functionality, Export notes to PDF, HTML, and plain text, Beautiful themes and dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Is LightNotes free?

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

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

Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while LightNotes averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Simple Notes or LightNotes have ads?

Neither Simple Notes nor LightNotes shows ads.

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

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