Comparison

Simple Notes vs FocusStack

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

Head to head
About

Simple Notes

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
Read full description

Powerful note-taking app with rich features that unlock your creativity. Lightning-fast note creation and perfect organization boost your productivity. Professional productivity tool that dramatically streamlines your daily workflow. ■ Simple Notes Powerful note-taking functionality with intuitive operation for instant memo creation. ■ Unlimited Tab Management Create unlimited tabs organized by project or category for perfect organization. ■ Free Rearrangement Drag and drop tabs and memos freely to achieve your ideal workflow. ■ Advanced Search Function Instantly search through all notes to quickly access the information you need. ■ Recently Updated Notes List Return to previous work instantly with update history for dramatically improved efficiency. ■ Notification Feature Receive notifications with custom messages at specified times so you never miss important tasks. ■ Biometric Authentication Enhance app security with biometric authentication to completely protect your valuable data. ■ CSV Export Export all data to CSV for seamless integration with other tools. ■ Tab Notes Leave custom notes on tabs to efficiently manage project details. ■ Offline Support Works completely without internet connection to maintain productivity anywhere, anytime. ■ Dark Mode Support Eye-friendly light and dark mode switching for comfortable long work sessions. ■ No Login Required No tedious registration or login needed - start using immediately after download. ■ Complete Privacy Protection Your data is stored only on your device and never transmitted externally. Privacy Policy: https://naokiotsu.com/privacy-policy Support: info@naokiotsu.com

About

FocusStack

This app helps you identify and focus on your most important tasks by distinguishing between essential work and distractions. It allows you to rank priorities, track time spent on each task, and offers ambient music to enhance concentration.

Highlights
  • Identify and rank top 3 essential tasks
  • Unlimited backlog for other tasks
  • Drag-and-drop task organization
  • Automatic time tracking per task
  • Ambient music with visual themes
  • Home screen widget for task visibility
  • Basic analytics for focus time
Features
Read full description

What made Steve Jobs so successful? It comes down to one principle: clearly distinguishing between signal and noise. When the Apple team was designing the iPod, the table was full of feature ideas: "Should it have an FM radio? A voice recorder?" Steve Jobs recognized those additions for what they were: noise. They added complexity without strengthening the product's core value. He removed them. The signal was clear and uncompromised: a device that plays music beautifully. The signal is the three to five non-negotiable tasks that drive real results in the near term and move the mission forward. The noise is everything else: unnecessary emails, unproductive meetings, social media, minor fluctuations, and even "opportunities" that don't align with the primary objective. FocusStack helps you identify the signal—your top 3 tasks—and cut the distractions. It's a simple framework for ranking and prioritizing what actually matters. **Pick Your Top 3 (The Signal)** Enter your tasks for the day. Then, review the task list and choose three tasks that actually move the needle. These are your signal—the non-negotiables. Drag them to the top of your tasks to prioritize. Everything else goes in your backlog (the noise). Each task tracks time automatically so you know how long you've been working on what matters. **Music While You Work** Enable do not disturb and move to the focus tab of the app. Ambient lofi music loops and your time is tracked while you focus on each task. Swipe left or right to switch songs—each one changes the background colors. Or just mute it if you prefer silence. Swipe up or down to change the task you are focusing on. Stay on this page as focus time accumulates, preventing mindless checking of other apps. **See What You've Done** Check out the analytics tab to see how much time you've spent focusing today and this week. Look back at completed tasks to see what you actually finished. **Widget** There's a home screen widget that shows your top 3 focus tasks. Handy when you don't want to open the app and keeps your tasks for the day visible on your home screen. After all focus tasks are completed, widget displays a gratifying checkmark. **What It Does:** • Keep track of your top 3 focus tasks • Unlimited tasks in your backlog • Drag and drop to organize • Automatic time tracking per task • Ambient music with visual themes • Home screen widget • Basic analytics (today's time, weekly total) • Lock screen music controls • Swipe to navigate between tasks and songs The goal isn't to be busy; it's to be effective. When you consistently distinguish signal from noise, your energy is directed toward what actually produces tangible outcomes. Identify the signal, cut the distractions, and put your weight behind what truly moves the needle. I built this because I needed something simple. Just tasks and focus time. If that sounds useful to you, give it a try.

Screenshots

Simple Notes4 screens
FocusStack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FocusStack at none against Simple Notes's 1. FocusStack also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Simple Notes's advantage is ratings volume (11 vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and monetization model 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. Simple Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FocusStack asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FocusStack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. 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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 4 level
Simple Notes versus FocusStack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple NotesFocusStack
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (11 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings11 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developernaoki otsuMICHAEL FRANCIS MCGOVERN

Customer experience

Simple Notes

All ratings11 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%

FocusStack

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Simple Notes

One-time1
  • Premium (Pay Once)$4.99
None

FocusStack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simple Notes free?
Simple Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FocusStack free?
FocusStack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simple Notes or FocusStack?
FocusStack is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while FocusStack averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Simple Notes or FocusStack have ads?
Neither Simple Notes nor FocusStack shows ads.

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