# Simple Notes vs Notes

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Notes at 4.7 against Notes's 4.0. Simple Notes also leads on ratings volume (231 vs 4). Notes's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month and Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Notes has 231 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple Notes | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-notes-note-taking-app/id6742007640/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-ai-note-taker/id6752240982/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **231** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phearoth Phen](https://appshunter.io/developer/925021535) | [Shanghai Zongchong Information Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1782290488) |

## 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 | $15.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Plan | $39.99 | one-time |


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-ai-note-taker/id6752240982)

Effortlessly capture voice, text, images, and documents, then use AI to transform them into organized, actionable notes. Features include live transcription, AI summaries, conversational editing, and flexible export options.

**Highlights:** Voice, text, image, and document capture, Live voice-to-text transcription, AI-generated summaries and templates, Conversational AI editing, Multiple export formats (TXT, PDF, Word, Markdown), Smart organization with tags and folders

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Note Taker VIP | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| AI Note Taker VIP(3-day free trial) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| AI Note Taker VIP(3-day free trial) | $89.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple Notes free?

Simple Notes 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, Simple Notes or Notes?

Simple Notes is rated higher. Simple Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 231 ratings, while Notes averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Simple Notes or Notes have ads?

Simple Notes shows ads; Notes does not.

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

Simple Notes ships an update every 8 days, and Notes every 8 days. Most recently, Simple Notes was updated on October 10, 2026 and Notes on October 1, 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.*