# Notes vs Harbor Notes

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notes | Harbor Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-pure/id6752549687/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harbor-notes/id6788795948/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 2 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [xiaorichang Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455083309) | [Cloudmanic Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/483718119) |

## What reviewers say

### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-pure/id6752549687)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $9.99 | per year |


### Harbor Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harbor-notes/id6788795948)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited — Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited — Yearly | $99.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*