Comparison

SmoothOCR vs Tidy Notes

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

Head to head
About

SmoothOCR

This application converts camera-captured text into editable digital text. It supports continuous scanning, multi-page management, and multilingual recognition, including Japanese vertical writing. Output options include text files, PDFs, and iCloud synchronization.

Highlights
  • Continuous text scanning
  • Multi-page management
  • Text editing
  • TXT and PDF file export
  • iCloud data synchronization
  • Multilingual support
Features
Read full description

This is an app that can convert characters shown on the camera into text. Features ・Continuous scanning is possible for the time being ・Can manage multiple pages at once ・Simple UI ·Multilingual ・Supports Japanese vertical writing Supported functions ・Text edit ・txt file output ・PDF file output ・Data synchronization between devices using iCloud Terms of service: https://note.com/wakaba_dev/n/nf2c276e954bc Tutorial: https://note.com/wakaba_dev/n/nc1cf9dd8b1a9

About

Tidy Notes

Features
Read full description

A notepad you can write in and then forget about. The moment you save, on-device AI reads the note, decides what it is — to-do, shopping, event — and adds tags and a one-line summary. You never file anything yourself. You can find a note without remembering the words you used. Search for "the thing I was supposed to hand out at last week's meeting" and it comes up. Nothing you write is sent anywhere. No account, no network. It works the same in airplane mode. WRITE & EDIT • Create memos with title and rich content • Built-in checklist mode with animated progress tracking • 4 priority levels with color-coded indicators • 9 memo color labels for visual organization • Word and character count display ORGANIZE WITH FOLDERS & TAGS • Create custom folders with SF Symbol icons • Assign multiple color-coded tags to any memo • System folders: All, Favorites, Archive, Trash • Drag to reorder folders • Filter by folder, tag, priority, or reminder POWERFUL VIEWS • Toggle between Grid and List layouts • Smart sections: Pinned, Today, Yesterday, Earlier • Full-text search across titles and content • Sort by date modified, created, title, or priority • Bulk selection for move, archive, or delete HOME SCREEN WIDGETS • Recent Memos widget (small & medium) • Quick Memo widget — create a note with one tap • Checklist widget — track progress at a glance SMART FEATURES • Pin important memos to the top • Archive memos you want to keep but hide • Trash with 30-day auto-cleanup and recovery • Reminder notifications with date and time • Swipe actions and context menus throughout STATISTICS • Total memos, words written, checklist completion rate • Breakdown by priority and folder • 28-day activity heatmap PREMIUM DESIGN • Glass-effect cards with color tinting • Smooth spring animations and haptic feedback • Light, Dark, and System theme support • 9 accent colors, 3 font sizes • Guided onboarding experience Download Liquid Memo and capture every thought beautifully.

Screenshots

SmoothOCR4 screens
Tidy Notes1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Tidy Notes at Free against SmoothOCR's $3.99. SmoothOCR's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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

Tidy Notes is free to download; SmoothOCR costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SmoothOCR ships an update fortnightly, Tidy Notes every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
SmoothOCR versus Tidy Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmoothOCRTidy Notes
Price$3.99Free — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB6 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperShinya SaitoMIZOU, CO., LTD.

In-app purchases

None

SmoothOCR

No in-app purchases

None

Tidy Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SmoothOCR free?
SmoothOCR costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tidy Notes free?
Tidy Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SmoothOCR or Tidy Notes have ads?
Tidy Notes shows ads; SmoothOCR does not.
Which is updated more often, SmoothOCR or Tidy Notes?
SmoothOCR ships an update fortnightly, and Tidy Notes every 4 weeks. Most recently, SmoothOCR was updated on October 5, 2026 and Tidy Notes on October 8, 2026.

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