# Plain_Note vs Trace

The clearest difference is price: Trace at Free against Plain_Note's $1.99. Trace also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Plain_Note's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Trace is free to download; Plain_Note costs $1.99 up front. Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Plain_Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Plain_Note against 5.0 for Trace. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

Plain_Note ships an update weekly, Trace every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plain_Note | Trace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note/id6743778899/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-thought-log/id6762246222/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 3 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sun Min Park](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798370735) | [Pedro Gomes do Nascimento](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893532153) |

## What reviewers say

### Plain_Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-note/id6743778899)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trace-thought-log/id6762246222)

A minimalist and private space for capturing thoughts, notes, lists, and memories. It offers a clean interface for free writing and quick searching, with optional Pro features for customization and enhanced security.

**Highlights:** Minimalist and calm interface, Free writing and reflections, Bullet and numbered lists, Quick entry search, Local-first private storage, Customizable themes (Pro), App Lock with biometric support (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trace Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plain_Note free?

Plain_Note costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Trace free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Plain_Note or Trace?

Plain_Note and Trace are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Plain_Note or Trace have ads?

Neither Plain_Note nor Trace shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plain_Note or Trace?

Plain_Note ships an update weekly, and Trace every 2 months. Most recently, Plain_Note was updated on October 7, 2026 and Trace on October 13, 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.*