# Simple Notes vs Shared Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simple Notes at 80% against Shared Notes's 50%. Simple Notes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (230 vs 11). Shared Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month and Shared Notes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 230 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Simple Notes's written reviews are positive against 50% of Shared Notes's.

Simple Notes ships an update every 8 days, Shared Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Shared Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (230 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-note-taking-app/id6742007640/reviews)** | [4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **230** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phearoth Phen](https://appshunter.io/developer/925021535) | [Juanma Del Boca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1826820062) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-note-taking-app/id6742007640)

Capture ideas, memos, and tasks effortlessly with this fast and minimal note-taking app. Organize notes into notebooks, sync across devices, and access reminders with home screen widgets. Secure backups and powerful search ensure your thoughts are always accessible.

**Highlights:** Ultra-lightweight and fast, Organize with notebooks, Sync across devices, Sticky notes on home screen, Secure backups, Powerful search tool, Easy note sharing

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $2.39 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plan | $29.99 | one-time |


### Shared Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shared-notes-couples-and-ai/id6748648868)

This app helps couples and friends stay organized with shared lists and notes. It features AI tools to summarize, format, and correct text, along with private, password-protected notes and offline functionality.

**Highlights:** Shared grocery and to-do lists, AI summarization and grammar correction, Password-protected private notes, Offline note-taking and syncing, Real-time synchronization, Cross-platform compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Half Year Subscription | $4.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro + AI | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

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

### Is Shared Notes free?

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

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

Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 230 ratings, while Shared Notes averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.

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

Both Simple Notes and Shared Notes show ads.

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

Simple Notes ships an update every 8 days, and Shared Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on September 22, 2026 and Shared Notes on September 24, 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.*