Comparison

LightNote vs Retrace

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

Head to head
About

LightNote

Features
Read full description

LightNote​ - Multi - format recording to capture inspiration freely​ - · Text notes: Support rich text editing, allowing the addition of titles, lists, links and other formats for neat and orderly typesetting.​ · Handwritten notes: Simulate the real paper - and - pen writing experience, with adjustable brush thickness and color for free drawing of sketches or formulas.​ · Voice notes: One - click audio recording, with automatic synchronization of timestamps to facilitate later review of key paragraphs.​ · Image notes: Insert photos or screenshots, support annotation and cropping, making text - image combined records more intuitive.​ - Lightweight design, focusing on content itself​ - · No redundant functions to interfere, fast startup speed, allowing instant entry into the recording state.​ · All notes are automatically classified and archived, with keyword search support for quick location of required content. Privacy Policy:https://sites.google.com/view/lightnote101/privacy-policy EULA:https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Retrace

This minimal notes app automatically snapshots your writing every few seconds, allowing you to easily revisit and restore any past version. It offers a focused editing experience with inline checklists and image attachments, syncing seamlessly via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Automatic silent snapshots
  • Scrub through past versions
  • Restore previous states
  • Focused editor with no menus
  • Inline checklists
  • Image attachments
  • iCloud sync
  • Export to Markdown, PDF, Image
Features
Read full description

Retrace is a minimal notes app with a single promise: nothing you write is ever lost. Write freely. After every two seconds of quiet, Rewind quietly snapshots your note. You can scrub through those snapshots like a film reel — see what your idea looked like an hour ago, last night, a week ago. — TIME MACHINE FOR YOUR NOTES — · Automatic, silent snapshots. No thinking required. · Drag the filmstrip to revisit any past version. · Tap "restore" — the current state is saved as another version. So you can never lose anything by going back. · Mark important moments manually with one tap. — A FOCUSED EDITOR — · No menus. No formatting bar. Just space to think. · Inline checklists — tap the checkbox to mark done. · Attach images. · Auto-save after 2 seconds of idle. — TAKE IT WITH YOU — · iCloud sync across all your devices, end to end through your own Apple account. · Home Screen widget for quick capture and today's notes. · Siri shortcuts: "open my last note," "quick capture." · One-tap export to Markdown, PDF, or a beautiful long-image Time Album. — YOURS, ALWAYS — · No accounts. No tracking. No ads. · Your data lives only on your device and in your own iCloud. · Available in 8 languages: English, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Español, Français, Deutsch. · Made by one person, for one person. Retrace is built around a single feeling: the relief of knowing nothing you write will be lost. Once you trust that, you start writing more bravely. Try it for a week.

Screenshots

LightNote4 screens
Retrace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: LightNote at 15.0 against Retrace's 18.0. On price, ads, 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.

Scorecard1 real difference · 6 level
LightNote versus Retrace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightNoteRetrace
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSi Yong Limited炳银 伍

In-app purchases

None

LightNote

No in-app purchases

None

Retrace

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LightNote free?
LightNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Retrace free?
Retrace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do LightNote or Retrace have ads?
Neither LightNote nor Retrace shows ads.

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