Comparison

Notes vs Harbor Notes

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

Head to head
About

Notes

This minimalist note-taking app focuses on efficient documentation with features like quick entry, OCR, voice input, and reminders. It offers seamless iCloud sync and a recycle bin for accidental deletions, all within a clean interface.

Highlights
  • Quick note-taking
  • Photo text recognition (OCR)
  • Voice input (speech-to-text)
  • Reminder setup
  • Recycle bin for deleted notes
  • Home screen widgets
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Notes is a minimalist note-taking app designed specifically for efficient documentation. It strips away unnecessary complexity while delivering a "just-right" experience for key features: from quick note-taking and widget previews to photo text recognition, speech-to-text, iCloud sync, and recycle bin recovery—all to help you focus on the core of "documenting" itself. Quick Note-Taking: Open and start writing instantly, minimizing interruptions and distractions. Photo Text Recognition (OCR): Extract text from images with one tap and convert it into editable content for more efficient organization and searching. Voice Input: Convert speech to text in real time, freeing your hands to quickly capture ideas anytime, anywhere. Reminder Setup: Add reminders to important notes so you never miss a critical moment. Recycle Bin: Recover accidentally deleted notes for peace of mind when you make a mistake in editing or deletion. Widget: Quickly view or select notes directly from your home screen to access key information without opening the app. iCloud (CloudKit) Sync: Keep notes consistent across all your devices for worry-free cross-device creation. We care about your privacy. Your content is stored on your devices and iCloud account, with secure sync via Apple’s CloudKit; developers do not access your private note content. Some advanced features may require a subscription to support ongoing development and maintenance (see in-app details for more). Whether you subscribe or not, Notes is committed to delivering a top-tier basic note-taking experience. Who It’s For - Anyone who needs to quickly and reliably document ideas, meeting key points, to-do lists, or study notes - Users who prefer minimalist design and focus on content over complex menus - Those who need seamless sync across devices like iPhone and iPad What Makes Us Different - Purity: No redundant settings—seize the "golden 3 seconds" for note-taking. - Power: OCR, voice input, reminders, and widgets work together seamlessly, hitting the perfect balance. - Peace of Mind: Data is stored in your iCloud, giving you greater privacy and control. Auto-Renewal Membership Service Terms Subscription Period - Continuous Annual Subscription (1 year) - Continuous Monthly Subscription (1 month) Subscription Price - The auto-renewal price for the Continuous Annual Membership is $9.99 per year. - The auto-renewal price for the Continuous Monthly Membership is $0.99 per month. Payment Upon confirmation of purchase, the fee will be deducted from your iTunes account. Auto-Renewal The renewal fee will be deducted from your iTunes account 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Upon successful payment, the subscription period will be extended by one cycle. Cancel Auto-Renewal If you wish to cancel your subscription, manually open "Settings" on your iOS device --> tap "Apple ID", select "View Apple ID", enter the Account Settings page, tap "Subscriptions", then cancel the subscription. If you do not turn off the subscription at least 24 hours before the end of the subscription period, the subscription will auto-renew. Subscription Terms https://docs.qq.com/doc/DVXhmbmhiUkx5QURs

About

Harbor Notes

Capture, organize, and secure all your thoughts, tasks, and files in one private space. This app offers rich note-taking features, robust organization, and instant search, even within images and scanned documents. Your data is yours, with optional end-to-end encryption and no ads or data selling.

Highlights
  • Rich notes with checklists, tables, and highlights
  • Notebooks, stacks, and tags for organization
  • Task management with due dates
  • Document scanning and sketching
  • Voice memos and file attachments
  • Instant search with OCR
  • Offline-first native apps
Features
Read full description

Harbor is your private second brain — a fast, native notes app for people who want to remember everything and own it for life. Capture notes, organize them into notebooks, tag anything, attach photos and files, scan paper documents, sketch ideas, and record voice memos. Then find any of it in seconds — Harbor's search even reads the text inside your images and scans. REMEMBER EVERYTHING • Rich notes with checklists, tables, images, links, and highlights • Notebooks and stacks that keep every part of your life organized • Tags that cut across notebooks • Tasks with due dates, right beside your notes • Scan documents with your camera; sketch with your finger or Apple Pencil • Voice memos and file attachments of every kind • Instant search across everything — including the text inside images and scans (OCR) YOURS, EVERYWHERE • Truly native apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac — no web wrapper • Offline-first: your notes live on your device and sync automatically • The full web app at app.harbor.my from any browser • A web clipper that saves articles and pages straight into your notebooks PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No ads. No selling your data. No training AI on your notes. Ever. • Optional end-to-end encryption locks down your most sensitive notes so that no one — not even us — can read them • Export everything anytime in open formats. You are never locked in. SWITCHING FROM ANOTHER NOTES APP? Import your Evernote notebooks (.enex files) with the Mac or web app — your notebooks, tags, and attachments sync straight to your iPhone and iPad. SIMPLE, HONEST PRICING Harbor is free for up to 50 notes, 3 notebooks, and 20 tags — no credit card required. When you outgrow the free plan, Harbor Unlimited removes every limit: • $9.99/month or $99/year • Unlimited notes, notebooks, tags, tasks, and files • A written price-lock promise in our terms: your price won't go up for at least 3 years Subscriptions are billed to your Apple ID and renew automatically until cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. And even if you stop paying, you can always read and export your notes — Harbor never holds your data hostage. Privacy Policy: https://harbor.my/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://harbor.my/terms/ Questions? A real person answers: help@harbor.my

Screenshots

Notes4 screens
Harbor Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Harbor Notes at 5.0 against Notes's 3.0. Harbor Notes also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Harbor Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Harbor Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Harbor Notes every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Notes versus Harbor Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotesHarbor Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerxiaorichang Technology Co., Ltd.Cloudmanic Labs, LLC

Customer experience

Notes

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Harbor Notes

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$9.991 Year
2 purchases

Harbor Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited — Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Unlimited — Yearly$99.001 Year

Questions

Is Notes free?
Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Harbor Notes free?
Harbor Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notes or Harbor Notes?
Harbor Notes is rated higher. Notes averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Harbor Notes averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Notes or Harbor Notes have ads?
Neither Notes nor Harbor Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notes or Harbor Notes?
Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Harbor Notes every 4 days. Most recently, Notes was updated on October 8, 2026 and Harbor Notes on October 11, 2026.

Other comparisons