Comparison

Plain_Note vs Pond

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

Head to head
About

Plain_Note

A fast, minimal note-taking app for professionals. Capture and organize thoughts instantly with plain text, character counts, and OCR from photos. Ideal for quick jotting, archiving, and sharing.

Highlights
  • Plain text notes
  • Character and word count
  • Export notes
  • OCR text extraction from photos
  • Smart file sorting
  • Powerful search functionality
  • Split view for iPad/Mac
Features
Read full description

Plain Note is a fast and minimal note-taking app designed for working professionals who value speed, simplicity, and plain text. Whether you're in a meeting, on a call, or brainstorming ideas - Plain Note helps you capture and organize thoughts instantly, without the clutter. Key Features: • **Plain Text by Default** All your notes are saved as clean, unformatted plain text - perfect for copy-pasting, archiving, or exporting anywhere. • **Character and Word Count + Export** Instantly view the number of characters and words in your note. Easily share or export as plain text to other apps or collaborators. • **Split View for Power Users** On landscape mode (iPad or Mac), view your file list and editor side by side = a true productivity boost. • **OCR from Photo Library** Send an image to the app from your Photos, and it will automatically extract text using OCR - then save it as plain text. • **Smart File Sorting** Sort your notes by file name or modification time to quickly find what you need. • **Powerful Search** Search by filename or inside the content of your notes - find what you're looking for in seconds. --- Plain Note is built for professionals who need a fast, distraction-free environment to jot down, organize, and share ideas - without the overhead of rich formatting or complex tools. Download Plain Note and get back to writing, not waiting.

About

Pond

Capture thoughts and ideas instantly with a simple, intuitive interface. Organize notes, set reminders, and merge ideas seamlessly. Access your thoughts everywhere with cloud sync.

Highlights
  • Quick note capture
  • Voice input for thoughts
  • Merge multiple notes
  • Highlighting and reminders
  • Organize with multiple ponds
  • iCloud seamless sync
  • One-hand mode
Features
Read full description

Capture thoughts instantly, grow them into ideas. Pond focuses on the pure essence of note-taking without complexity. The moment inspiration strikes, capture it with a single tap. Key Features: • Quick Capture - Start typing with one tap • Voice Input - Long press to speak your thoughts • Merge Ideas - Combine multiple notes into one • Highlight & Remind - Never forget important thoughts • Multiple Ponds - Organize by topic or project • Seamless Sync - Access everywhere with iCloud Special Features: - One-hand mode for comfortable use - Shake to change sort order - Double tap to edit quickly - Full dark mode support Drop your thoughts into Pond and watch them grow. Simple yet powerful thought management starts here. #notes #quicknotes #ideas #productivity #todo #voicenotes #minimal

Screenshots

Plain_Note4 screens
Pond4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pond at every 2 days against Plain_Note's weekly. Pond also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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

Plain_Note costs $1.99 and Pond $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Plain_Note against 5.0 for Pond. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pond has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plain_Note ships an update weekly, Pond every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Plain_Note versus Pond: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlain_NotePond
Price$1.99$1.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSun Min ParkEUIHYUNG JUNG

Customer experience

Plain_Note

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pond

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Plain_Note

No in-app purchases

None

Pond

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Plain_Note free?
Plain_Note costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pond free?
Pond costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Plain_Note or Pond?
Plain_Note and Pond are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do Plain_Note or Pond have ads?
Neither Plain_Note nor Pond shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plain_Note or Pond?
Plain_Note ships an update weekly, and Pond every 2 days. Most recently, Plain_Note was updated on October 7, 2026 and Pond on October 11, 2026.

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