Comparison

TagNote vs Essential

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

Head to head
About

TagNote

This app offers a flexible, tag-based approach to note-taking, moving beyond traditional folder structures. Organize meeting notes, ideas, and web clippings with multiple tags per note, and connect your thoughts to build a personal knowledge network. It features a rich text editor and reminders for important dates.

Highlights
  • Unlimited tags per note
  • Rich text editor with formatting
  • Birthday and anniversary reminders
  • Tag-based knowledge network
  • Minimalist and distraction-free design
  • iCloud data synchronization
Features
Read full description

TagNote is available for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and syncs data via iCloud. Meeting notes, lecture summaries, web clippings, and sudden ideasβ€” Are you losing track of what truly matters in the chaos of scattered information? [TagNote] is a tag-based note-taking app that breaks free from the limitations of traditional folder structures. Assign multiple tags to a single note and organize your thoughts flexibly. Connect ideas, discover patterns, and gain new insights through your very own knowledge network. Key Features of TagNote #1. Unlimited Tags, Effortless Organization Say goodbye to rigid folders. Add as many tags as you needβ€”like Work, Ideas, or Booksβ€”to each note. Easily manage and retrieve notes across multiple themes with just a few keywords. #2. Powerful Yet Simple Editor Use the toolbar at the top of each note to apply rich text formatting, insert code blocks, add images, and create checklists. Capture your ideas vividly with an editor that’s both flexible and intuitive. #3. Birthday & Anniversary Reminders Keep track of important dates like birthdays and anniversaries. Attach meaningful notes to each occasion to preserve memories and emotions that matter. #4. A New Way to Connect Knowledge Tags create a web of related notes, helping you uncover hidden links between ideas. Visualize your thoughts like a map and explore unexpected insights as you build your personal knowledge network. #5. Minimal, Beautiful Design Focus on your content with a clean, distraction-free interface. We designed TagNote to make the process of writing and organizing notes both delightful and efficient. Download [TagNote] now and discover the smartest way to navigate the sea of information. Let your thoughts flow, connect, and grow with the power of tags. This app follows Apple’s Standard End User License Agreement (EULA). https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Essential

This productivity app focuses on the core essence of a calendar, inspired by Dieter Rams' philosophy of "less, but better." It provides daily weather, exchange rates, and historical events, aiming for a clean and focused user experience without unnecessary clutter.

Highlights
  • Minimalist design
  • Daily weather updates
  • Exchange rate information
  • Historical daily events
  • Focused calendar experience
Features
Read full description

Introducing Essential, a new calendar. Essential boldly holds back on colour to create a minimalist design focused on what truly matters. Unlike other apps, events carry no colours, giving your schedule a calm, well-organised feel. Essential brings a [Monthly Calendar] and a [Timeline] together on a single screen. No need to switch screens to see the details of your day. Essential is built around [Continuity]. Whether you're searching for an event or changing a setting, you can do it without leaving the page. For example, tap the magnifying glass in the top right corner. Instead of taking you to a new screen as most apps do, the icon turns straight into a search field, so you can search right where you are. Beyond its design, Essential offers a few special features. 1. Detailed Weather Useful for those who work outdoors. Hourly forecasts, daily highs and lows, and more, made for anyone who keeps an eye on the weather. 2. A little joy in checking your schedule: "On This Day" An ordinary day for some was a meaningful one for others. While checking your schedule, discover events from history based on real facts. Topics span world history, film, art, economics, design and more. 3. Postpone Move an event to the next day. Plans don't always go as planned, so Essential's postpone feature embraces that uncertainty. It simply moves your event by one day. A little room for the days that don't go perfectly. It's okay not to be perfect. 4. The Dial Essential is inspired by the design philosophy of Dieter Rams, the world-renowned industrial designer. To celebrate his work, we've included a tribute object: the dial in the bottom right corner. Press it to add (+) a new event. Turn it like a dial to move through the timeline in one-hour steps. ――― Privacy Policy: https://dieter-rams-project.minimal-calendar.workers.dev/privacy/en

Screenshots

TagNote4 screens
Essential4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Essential at none against TagNote's 3. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. TagNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Essential asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TagNote ships an update every 5 days, Essential every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
TagNote versus Essential: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTagNoteEssential
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.217.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size9 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonggyou KimChang Hyun Lee

Customer experience

TagNote

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Essential

Written reviews17 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

TagNote

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • 3-month subscription7 Days trial$3.993 Months
  • Annual subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Year
None

Essential

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TagNote free?
TagNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Essential free?
Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TagNote or Essential have ads?
Neither TagNote nor Essential shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TagNote or Essential?
TagNote ships an update every 5 days, and Essential every 4 days. Most recently, TagNote was updated on October 24, 2026 and Essential on October 25, 2026.

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