Comparison

Notes vs YES NOTE

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

Head to head
About

Notes

This app helps you create, organize, and manage daily notes, to-do lists, and reminders with a clean, user-friendly interface. It's designed for distraction-free writing and staying focused on your tasks and ideas.

Highlights
  • Create and edit notes
  • Manage task lists with checkboxes
  • Set reminders
  • Supports dark mode
  • Intuitive design
Features
Read full description

Notes - Notebook, Notepad is the simple and powerful app to create, organize, and manage your daily notes, to-do lists, and reminders. Whether you're jotting down quick thoughts or planning a full task list, this notepad app helps you stay focused and productive. Designed with a clean, user-friendly interface, Notes - Notebook, Notepad makes it effortless to write and manage your notes. It's the perfect digital notebook to capture your ideas anytime, anywhere. Key Features: - Create and edit notes and notebooks easily - Manage task lists with checkboxes - Set reminders to never miss a thing - Supports dark mode for comfortable night use - Minimal and intuitive notepad design for distraction-free writing Whether you're a student, professional, or someone who just loves staying organized, this Notes app is built to support your productivity. Download Notes - Notebook, Notepad today and enjoy a fast, simple, and reliable note-taking experience!

About

YES NOTE

Features
Read full description

YES NOTE — A quiet sheet of paper, devoted to one thing: writing down your thoughts. No judgment, no rush. Write slowly, write true. ——————— We already have too many apps waving the "productivity" flag. YES NOTE goes the other way: it lets you sit down, write one line, and then do nothing. No schedules, no reminders, no complex formatting, no "daily completion rate", no achievements to unlock. It is just a sheet of paper. If you've ever read a line you desperately wanted to keep, if you simply want to set down a mood, a quote, or a thought that appeared out of nowhere — this was made for you. CORE FEATURES ———— · Titles are optional — the list shows the first line of your note · Tag every note your own way, and filter by tag from the bar up top · Long-press a note to turn it into one of 14 beautifully designed cards: beige book page, dawn gradient, movie poster, starry night, lamp-lit reading, classical book… each typeset in the LXGW WenKai typeface · Pin the notes that matter · Long-press for copy, share card, and delete · Quick tag filtering at the top of the list WHY THE TYPEFACE MATTERS —————— The whole app is set in the open-source LXGW WenKai typeface, born for long-form reading. When your thoughts are held by this type, even an ordinary sentence carries the quiet of paper. WHAT IT DOESN'T DO ————— · No account required, no user system · Never uploads any of your notes to any server · No third-party analytics, ads or tracking SDKs · Never touches contacts, location, microphone or other sensitive permissions · Never tries to turn note-taking into a streak All notes are stored locally on your device and synced only through your private iCloud. Deleting the app deletes all data. WHO IT'S FOR ———— · People who want one simple place to write things down · People who care about typography and visual quietness · People who often send a passage to a friend and want it to look like a piece of work · People tired of being hurried by their tools COMPATIBILITY ———— iOS 18.0 or later · iPhone, iPad & Mac · English and Chinese

Screenshots

Notes4 screens
YES NOTE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: YES NOTE at none against Notes's shown. YES NOTE also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 8 months). Notes's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notes ships an update every 8 months, YES NOTE every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Notes versus YES NOTE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotesYES NOTE
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (10 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNguyen Thanh笑天 刘

In-app purchases

None

Notes

No in-app purchases

None

YES NOTE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Notes free?
Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is YES NOTE free?
YES NOTE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Notes or YES NOTE have ads?
Notes shows ads; YES NOTE does not.
Which is updated more often, Notes or YES NOTE?
Notes ships an update every 8 months, and YES NOTE every 2 weeks. Most recently, Notes was updated on September 17, 2026 and YES NOTE on September 15, 2026.

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